We have a birthday girl that led me to tell today’s story. Her name was Caroline Marie Emde, who was born on March 10, 1857. That means today would be her 169th birthday. Caroline was the daughter of Friedrich and Lisette (Behle) Emde. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. An image of her baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

Caroline is found in the 1860 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

The Emde family made a move during the next decade. In the 1870 census, we find them living in Iron Mountain, which is located in the St. Francois County, not far from the small town of Bismark. Caroline was 14 years old, and her father was laboring at a furnace.

There was a Lutheran church located near Bismark and Iron Mountain called St. John’s Lutheran Church that had been established in 1870. That is where Caroline was confirmed in 1872. Since those records are found in Ancestry’s Missouri Synod collection, I am able to display Caroline’s confirmation class below.

Next, we find Caroline in the 1880 census. She was not living with her parents. She was a servant in the household of Isabella Lang in Farmington, Missouri at the age of 22.

Based on Caroline’s marriage records, it looks like she may have made her way back to the Friedheim area prior to her wedding. So, now we will take a look at the man who would become her husband. His name was William Friedrich Christian Ludwig Pohlmann, who was born on November 15, 1849. William was the son of William and Friedericka (Nebe) Pohlmann. He was born in Germany, and his family came to America in 1860 when William was 9 years old. We can see his name on the passenger list for the ship, Senator Iken.

William is found in the 1870 census at the age of 16, although I think that age is incorrect. His father was a farmer in the Union Township of Bollinger County.

The 1880 census was the last one in which we find William prior to his marriage. He was 28 years old and was working with his father on his farm in the Whitewater Township. That township had been established during the previous decade, so the Pohlmann’s had likely not moved to a different location.

On April 8, 1888, William Pohlmann married Caroline Emde at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view this couple’s church marriage record here.

I can also display 2 different civil marriage records for this couple. Both of these documents say that William was from Bollinger County, and Caroline was from Cape Girardeau County.

According to our German Family Tree, this couple had 5 children, 4 girls followed by their only son. All of these children were baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. When the 1900 census was taken, William and Mary had all 5 of their children in their household. I am also displaying the household found right below that of the Pohlmann’s who are today’s main characters. It is a household whose head was another William Pohlmann. Today’s highlighted character is identified as William A. Pohlmann (despite the fact that we do not see a name with the initial “A.” in his name), and the other William is identified as being William C. Pohlmann. I may have to write the story of the other William Pohlmann someday. Please note that today’s Pohlmann couple also had named their only son, William.

In the 1910 census, we find the Pohlmann household with the same individuals listed in the previous census. William was still farming in the Whitewater Township.

The Pohlmann’s are found in the 1920 census with just one daughter and their only son. They were living in the same location.

The last census in which we find William is the one taken in 1930. He and his wife were living in the household of Charles Wilke, who had married their daughter, Anna Pohlmann.

In the plat maps produced in 1930 for Bollinger County, we find a parcel of land attributed to W.A. Pohlmann. That farm was located not far from Lixville.

William Pohlmann died later in 1930 at the age of 80. His death certificate below gives him the name, William Albert Pohlmann. Although our German Family Tree and Family Search give him the name, William Christian Friedrich Ludwig Pohlmann, I found much more evidence while researching this post that his middle name may have actually been Albert.

Caroline Pohlmann died in February of 1940 at the age of 83, and it looks like she died prior to that year’s census being taken. I spent quite a bit of time attempting to find a death certificate for her, but I failed.

Both William and Caroline Pohlmann are buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim. There is evidence in the background of the two gravestone photos below to indicate that they are buried close to one another in that cemetery. You will also see that William’s gravestone also identifies him as William A. Pohlmann.

Despite the fact that it looks as if today’s Pohlmann couple lived near Lixville, I found no evidence that they ever became members of the Lixville Lutheran Church that existed for a while right in the middle of their child-rearing years. It looks as if they were more or less lifelong members of Trinity, Friedheim.