The name, Gottlieb Boxdorfer has shown up on this blog before. In fact, I think it has shown up twice already. Today’s birthday boy is yet another Gottlieb Boxdorfer.

Gottlieb Amadeus Oliver Boxdorfer was born on January 10, 1862, so today would be his 163rd birthday. Gottlieb was the son of Johann George and Christine (Hesse) Boxdorfer. Our German Family Tree does not mention where Gottlieb was baptized, but my best guess would be that he was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, but since that congregation’s books were burned in a fire, I am not able to prove that. Gottlieb is found in the 1870 census at the age of 8. His father was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township.

Next, we find Gottlieb in the 1880 census as a teenager. This time, we find the Boxdorfer’s in the Central Township. That may not indicate a move on their part, but the redrawing of township lines.

Gottlieb would get married during the next decade, so we will now look at the woman who would become his first wife. Her name was Mary Elizabeth Menne, who was born on June 8, 1860. A family tree on Ancestry.com says that Mary was born in St. Louis. I was unable to locate any baptism information for her. Mary was the daughter of Clemens and Elizabeth (Hesse) Menne. When the 1870 census was taken, the Menne’s were not living in St. Louis. Their census entry below shows that they were living in Randolph County, Illinois. However, that is a bit deceiving. Their post office listed on this census page says they got their mail from the Kaskaskia post office. Kaskaskia is actually located on the west side of the Mississippi River, yet it is said to be in Illinois. For all practical purposes, you could say that they were living in Perry County, Missouri. Mary was 10 years old, and her father was a laborer.

In the 1880 census, we find the Menne’s living in the same place. However, Mary’s father had died in 1870, so Mary’s mother was the head of the household. Mary was 18 years old at the time.

Gottlieb Boxdorfer married Mary Menne on September 4, 1888 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. We can view this pair’s church marriage record below. This document says Mary was originally from St. Louis. By the way, both Gottlieb and Mary had mothers whose maiden name was Hesse, but I was unable to find any family relationship between them.

I am also able to display 2 other civil marriage records for this wedding.

Our German Family Tree lists 3 children born to Gottlieb and Mary. All 3 of them were baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. Two of their children died when they were very young. Only their son, Clemens, lived to adulthood. Also, before the next census we are able to view taken in 1900, Mary Boxdorfer died at the age of 36. Then, Gottlieb married again in 1897. Let’s take a look at his 2nd wife.

Genevieve Hayden was born on September 3, 1870, the daughter of Thomas and Philomena (Moranville) Hayden. I have reason to believe that Genevieve was born to Catholic parents because those parents are buried in the Catholic cemetery in Belgique. Genevieve, mostly called Jennie during her life, is found in the 1880 census at the age of 9. Her father was a farmer in the Bois Brule Township (which is where Belgique is found).

Gottlieb Boxdorfer married Jennie Hayden on May 25, 1897. The Missouri marriage license shown here says that they were married at the Catholic church in Belgique.

Two more children were born to this pair. When the 1900 census was taken, we find 2 children in the Boxdorfer household. One child was from Gottlieb’s first wife, and one from his second wife. Gottlieb was a farmer in the Central Township.

Another child was born in 1901. In the 1910 census, there were 3 children living with Gottlieb and Jennie. We find this interesting entry on their census page. Right above the Gottlieb O. Boxdorfer household, you see that of Gottlieb W. Boxdorfer. Gottlieb W. was the grandson of another Gottlieb Boxdorfer. Gottlieb O. would have called that older Gottlieb his uncle. So, I figure that Gottlieb W. was Gottlieb O.’s first cousin-once removed. Both of the Gottlieb’s in this image were farming in the Central Township.

The Boxdorfer’s are next found in the 1920 census. Only their son, Edgar, was still living with his parents.

Gottlieb and Jennie were no longer living in the Central Township when the 1930 census was taken. We find them living in the Bois Brule Township, and Gottlieb was still farming. These two had an empty nest.

We find a similar entry in the 1940 census. They were still living in the same location, but this time, Gottlieb, at the age of 78, was no longer farming.

Gottlieb Boxdorfer died in 1941 at the age of 79. His death certificate below says he was living in Claryville at the time of his death.

Gottlieb’s death record is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville.

An obituary for Gottlieb can be read here. It gives a few more details about how he died.

Both Gottlieb and his first wife, Mary, Boxdorfer are buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

Genevieve Boxdorfer is found in the 1950 census living in St. Louis. Her daughter, Mae, had married Albert Gremaud, and Genevieve was living with that family.

Genevieve Boxdorfer died later that year in 1950 at the age of 79. Her daughter, Mae Gremaud, is the informant on her death certificate.

Genevieve Boxdorfer is buried in the St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hazelwood, a suburb of St. Louis.

So, it looks to me that there were three Gottlieb Boxdorfer’s over 3 generations, except today’s Gottlieb is found in the middle generation on a different branch of the Boxdorfer family tree.