The tale I tell today is another one of those that has its beginnings in this area, but it ends up in St. Louis. It is also a narrative that documents how a local girl marries a Lutheran teacher at one of our schools. I found this couple because today would be their wedding anniversary. I will begin with the local girl.

Louise Engelmann was born on February 3, 1862, the daughter of Edward and Adelheid (Weise) Engelmann. Louise’s mother was one of the original Stephanite immigrants, traveling to this country aboard the ship, Republik, in 1839 at the age of 3. Louise’s father came to America with his family in 1845 aboard the ship, Friedrich Leo. A passenger list for the Engelmann family is shown below.

Louise was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheiim. An image of her baptism record from that church’s books is displayed here.

By the time of the 1870 census, the Engelmann’s were not living in or near Friedheim, but in the city of Cape Girardeau. Louise was 9 years old (although I think she was only 8), and her father was a notary public.

We once again find the Engelmann’s in 1880 still living in Cape Girardeau. Louise (called Lucy) was 18 years old at the time. This time, her father was called a lawyer.

Now, we will take a look at the man who would become Louise’s husband. His name was William Kroehnke, who was born on June 7, 1864. According to his later death certificate, he was the son of John and Caroline (Schroeder) Kroehnke. William was born in Germany, and according to a later census entry, he came to this country in 1881. That means we do not find William in an American census until after he was married. I think there is a possibility that his first years in this country may have been spent at Concordia College in the Chicago area studying to become a Lutheran teacher.

William Kroehnke married Louise Engelmann on January 15, 1888 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. That means today would be this pair’s 138th wedding anniversary. I am able to show a transcription of their church marriage record here. It calls William the “second teacher in the congregation school”.

I am also able to display 3 other civil records for this wedding.

It appears that the Kroehnke’s had 5 children. At some point prior to 1900, this Kroehnke family moved to St. Louis. That is where we find them when the 1900 census was taken. There were 4 children in their household, and William was a teacher.

Another son was born in the previous decade, so when the 1910 census was taken, all 5 of the Kroehnke children were listed in their entry. William was still teaching, and 3 of their children were part of the work force. Their daughter, Adelheid, at the age of 18, was also a school teacher.

The 1920 census indicates that William underwent a career change. In that year’s census entry, William is called a bookkeeper for a real estate company. Only 3 children were still living with their parents.

The last census in which we find William is the one taken in 1930. At the age of 65, he was still working as a bookkeeper. Just their daughter, Laura, was included in their household.

William Kroehnke died in 1937 at the age of 72. His death certificate says he died of cancer. He is called a retired teacher on this document. This is the only form I located that gives the names of William’s parents.

Louise Kroehnke is found as a widow when the 1940 census was taken. She and her single daughter, Laura, are the only members of their household at that time.

Louise is found in one more census entry in 1950. Her daughter, Laura, had gotten married to Emil Janssen in the previous decade. Emil, although he is called a department manager of a publishing house in this entry, was a Lutheran pastor. That makes me think that Rev. Janssen was employed at Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis. The Janssen children were from Emil’s first marriage.

Louise Kroehnke died in 1954 at the age of 91. On her death certificate below, the informant was Rev. Emil Janssen.

William and Louise Kroehnke are buried together in the New Bethlehem Cemetery in St. Louis.

Telling this story makes me wonder how many young ladies who have their baptism records in our German Family Tree would go on to marry a man who was a teacher at a local Lutheran school, and then move away to a different location when their husband took a call to another school. I am guessing that such a list would have quite a few women on it.