I will share the story of two Oswald’s today, but it may not be what you think. It is not every day that you write the story in which the groom’s first name is the same as the bride’s surname, but that is the case today. Oswald Pfeiffer is the groom, and Ella Oswald is the bride. I will begin with the groom because he is today’s birthday boy.

Arthur Oswald Pfeiffer was born on January 21, 1896, so today would be his 130th birthday. Oswald was the last of 12 children born to Herman and Louise (Klaus) Pfeiffer. He was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is pictured here.

Oswald is found in the 1900 census a the age of 4. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township. The census taker spelled the family surname as Fifer, which would be how that name would be pronounced.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Shawneetown was established in 1909, and Oswald would be a member of that congregation for most of his life, but when Oswald was confirmed in 1909, his record for that event is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells.

Oswald is next found in the 1910 census as a teenager. He was old enough to be helping his father on his farm.

Oswald had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. His father had died in 1916, so this form says that his mother was his dependent. Oswald is given a Shawneetown address.

Oswald would get married during the following year, so we will now turn our attention to the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Ella Lydia Oswald, who was born on January 22, 1900. That means tomorrow would be her 126th birthday. It also means that this bride and groom would celebrate their birthdays on back-to-back days. Ella was the daughter of Rudolph and Margaretha (Mangels) Oswald. A previous post was written about Ella’s parents titled, Frohna Butcher. Ella was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can view her baptism record below.

Ella is found as a baby in the 1900 census. She was the oldest of 4 children born in her Oswald family. Ella’s father was a butcher.

A few years after the above census was taken, this photo was taken after Ella’s sister, Flora, was born. It was about this time when Paul Lueders, also a neighbor of the Oswald’s, had opened his photo studio in Frohna. I think this photo was taken by him.

In the 1910 census, Ella was 10 years old, and 3 of the Oswald children were listed in their household.

In the atlas of plat maps produced for Perry County in 1915, we find the Rudy Oswald property located in the center of Frohna. I have also highlighted the studio of Paul Lueders, who lived across Main Street from the Oswald’s.

The photo below of the 4 Oswald children was also likely taken by Paul Lueders. Flora, Elmer, and Ella are standing in the back, with Gilbert standing in front. I think this photo was taken just after Ella was married because it looks as if she is wearing a wedding ring.

Oswald Pfeiffer married Ella Oswald on September 8, 1918 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. The church marriage record for this occasion is displayed here.

This couple’s Missouri marriage license can be seen below. It says Oswald was from Shawneetown, and Ella was from Frohna.

My cousin (once removed), Caroline Nation, who is part of the Oswald family tree, helped me with this post by sharing a few photos that she has. One of them is this wedding photo of Oswald and Ella.

According to our German Family Tree, this Pfeiffer couple had 4 children. All of them were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Shawneetown. In the 1920 census, there was just one child in their household, but it also included Oswald’s widowed mother. Oswald was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

Next, we find the Pfeiffer’s in the 1930 census. This time, there were 3 children in the family.

It was during that same year that Cape Girardeau County produced a plat map atlas. We find the Pfeiffer farm located just north of the village of Shawneetown.

One more child was born in 1931, so in the 1940 census, all 4 of the Pfeiffer children can be found. Oswald and Ella were in their 40’s.

Oswald had his World War II draft card completed when America entered that war. This form says that Oswald was living in Shawneetown and had been born in Shawneetown.

The last census that the public can view at this time is the one taken in 1950. Their son, Harold, had gotten married in 1949, and those newlyweds were living with Oswald and Ella. Harold was helping his father on his farm, and their younger son, Leonard, was a trucker for the feed store.

Both Oswald and Ella did not die until the 1990’s. Oswald died in 1991 at the age of 95; Ella died in 1995, also at the age of 95. Oswald and Ella are buried together in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Shawneetown.

I cannot help but point out that if the bride would have had the same first name as her groom’s surname, then her married name would have had the same first and last name. For example, if Ella’s sister, Flora Oswald, had married Heinrich Flora, her married name would be Flora Flora. It’s a good thing that it is not as likely that a woman’s first name is also a fairly common surname.