Emma Margaretha Weis was born on December 28, 1875. That makes today her special 150th birthday. The names of her parents is somewhat debatable. Her entry on Family Search lists two different possiblities. One is that she was the daughter of August and Eva Katharina (Massengarb) Weis. The other is that she was the daughter of Gustav and Anna (Weseloh) Weis. Family Search gives the first pair as the “preferred” one, but there are several confirmation records in the books of Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob that identify the parents of the Weis children as Gustav and Anna, which makes me lean toward that couple. Emma was born in St. Louis. I was unable to locate her baptism information. Another unusual fact about Emma’s early life is that I found two different 1880 census entries for an Emma Weis. I will display both of them so you can compare them. Emma was listed as being 4 years old at the time.

Both of these entries say August was a bricklayer in St. Louis and list the same 4 children. The top one also lists a nephew living in the household, but the second one does not. August’s age is also different in the 2 entries.

Emma’s father died in 1884, and then her mother, Anna, married Henry Luedemann in 1886. That wedding took place at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois. I am not in Altenburg, so I cannot display that marriage record, but I can tell you that it says that Anna’s maiden was Weseloh. Emma was confirmed at Christ, Jacob in 1889. If we were able to view the 1890 census, we would see that the Weis children were part of a Luedemann household.

Emma got married prior to the 1900 census, so we will now take a look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Johann Weseloh, who was born on July 25, 1866 in Westervesede, Hanover, Germany. Johann was the son of Johann and Anna Maria (Volkmer) Weseloh. Before I move on, let me say that there was another Johann Weseloh who lived in Jacob, Illinois, who just so happened to marry a woman named Engel Luedemann. That is a different Johann Weseloh. Also, if you have not noticed, Emma’s mother could have also been a Weseloh. I found no connection between these Weseloh’s, at least not in American records. Perhaps they were connected a few generations earlier in Germany. Our German Family Tree has several listings of Weseloh’s who are not attached to the main group of Weseloh’s we find living in Jacob, Illinois.

Johann Weseloh traveled to America in 1889 aboard the ship, Lahn. His name can be seen on the passenger list from that ship below.

There is evidence that Johann spent some time prior to his marriage in Jacob, Illinois. Then, on March 15, Johann Weseloh married Emma Weis. However, they did not get married in Jacob, Illinois. These two were married at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in St. Louis. A St. Louis marriage record for this couple can be viewed below. It says both Johann and Emma were from Jackson County, Illinois, which is where Jacob is found. Rev. J.F. Koestering is shown as the pastor who married them. Pastor Koestering was once the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg and ended his preaching career at St. Paul’s. Rev. Koestering had a hand in establishing Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob.

This pair must have returned to Jacob, Illinois right after this wedding. Our German Family Tree lists 8 children born into this Weseloh family, beginning with the first one in 1895, and all of them were baptized at Christ, Jacob. When the 1900 census was taken, we find the Weseloh household living in the Fountain Bluff Township with 2 children and a boarder named William Kuntze. Their firstborn child had died prior to this census. Johann was a farmer.

Next, we find the Weseloh’s in the 1910 census with 5 children, 4 boys and a girl. Johann was still farming near Jacob.

At some point during the next decade, the Weseloh’s moved to St. Louis. That is where we find them in the 1920 census with 7 children. Johann is called a laborer at a drug company.

Next, we find Johann and Emma in the 1930 census. There were 4 children still living with their parents. This time, Johann was called a gardener at a cemetery. The address given on this entry places the Weseloh’s close to the Bellefontaine Cemetery, and the next census entry specifically says that is the cemetery at which he worked. He and his son, Henry, who also worked as a cemetery gardener, could have probably walked to work. Two daughters were also part of the work force.

The 1940 census was the last one in which we find Johann and Emma. Just one single son was living with them. Johann was a gardener at Bellefontaine Cemetery, Emma was an operator at a dress factory, and their son, Arthur, worked at the General Motors factory.

Johann Weseloh died in 1942 at the age of 76. His death certificate below says he died at the St. Louis City Hospital.

Emma Weseloh died in 1946 at the age of 70. Her death certificate says she died of a fractured skull that was the result of a car accident. She died on her way to the hospital.

Johann and Emma Weseloh are buried together in the Friedens Cemetery in St. Louis. I am a little surprised that Johann did not get buried in the cemetery where he was employed.

Both Johann and Emma spent time in both the big city of St. Louis and the little town of Jacob, Illinois. They lived and are buried not far from my old stomping grounds in North St. Louis. They ended up in the big city. As for me, after being born and raised in North St. Louis, I now live in the tiny village of Altenburg, and tomorrow, I should be back home near the museum so I can once again use their resources for our blog posts. I think I have had my fill of traffic and stop lights in Memphis.