A baby named Friedrich August Gerhard Lesch was born on February 19, 1881 in Altenburg. That makes today his 145th birthday, and he will be a main character in today’s tale. Gerhard was the son of Edward and Louise (Lamperter) Lesch. He was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. We can take a look at Gerhard’s baptism record from that congregation’s books.

In the census taken a year prior to Gerhard’s birth, his family is found living in the Brazeau Township where his father was a farmer. The first 4 of 7 children listed in our German Family Tree were baptized at Immanuel, Altenburg. A 5th child was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg in 1888, but then the last 2 were baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois. Apparently, right around 1890, the Lesch family made a move across the Mississippi River to the Jacob area. However, by the time of the 1900 census, we once again find the Lesch family living in Perry County. In that year’s entry, Gerhard was 19 years old. He was helping his father on his farm in the Bois Brule Township.

Gerhard’s mother died in 1903, and when we find Gerhard in the 1910 census, he was living in Cape Girardeau with his father and his brother, George. Gerhard was 29 years old, and he and his brother were both called carpenters, and the business is given as “bridge”. I did discover that the bridge across the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau did not get completed until 1928, so these brothers were not working on that bridge.

Gerhard would get married not long after the above census was taken, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Ruth Athall Mansker, who was born on July 20, 1892. Ruth was born in Illinois, probably in or near Chester. She was the daughter of Thaddeus and Myra (Rhyne) Mansker. The Mansker family had the photo shown below taken, probably prior to the 1900 census. The young baby in the picture was born in 1898. Ruth was the 4th child born in this family, so I will let you choose which one in the photo is her.

In the 1900 census, we find Ruth at the age of 6. Her father was a farmer in Chester.

During the next decade, the Mansker family made a move to Missouri. In the 1910 census, we find the Mansker’s living in the Hubble Township of Cape Girardeau County. I think they were living near Allenville, Missouri where her father was still farming. Ruth was 17 years old at the time.

Gerhard Lesch married Ruth Mansker on March 12, 1912 in Alexander County, Illinois. We can take a look at this marriage license from that county. It indicates that this pair was married by a minister in Cairo, Illinois. This document says that Gerhard was from Cape Girardeau, and Ruth was from Zalma, Missouri.

It looks like this couple made their way to Perry County after they were married. When Gerhard had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918, he is given a Menfro address and called a farmer.

According to this couple’s Family Search information, they had 5 children, all of which lived to adulthood. When the 1920 census was taken, the Lesch’s were no longer living in Perry County. We find them living in the Welch Township in Cape Girardeau County. That is where you find the town of Delta. Gerhard, called Guy in this entry, was a timber cutter at a log camp. There were 3 children in their household.

When the 1930 census was taken, the Lesch’s were living in or near Delta. This time, Guy was called a house carpenter.

Ruth Lesch died in 1935 at the age of 43. I failed to locate a death certificate for her. Guy is found as a widower when the 1940 census was taken. Four of his children were still living with him. Guy was a laborer for the WPA drainage project.

Guy Lesch died in 1942 at the age of 61. We can take a look at his death certificate below.

Guy and Ruth Lesch are each buried in the Kenyon Cemetery in Delta, Missouri. You can see that both his death certificate and his gravestone uses the name of Guy.

Today’s birthday boy began as Gerhard from Altenburg, but his gravestone will always describe him as a Guy from Delta.