Our museum’s research library’s official name is the Starzinger Family Research Library. I do not use that term often in this blog, mainly because it takes to long to type. The name given to the research library is in honor of a woman whose maiden name was Marjorie Starzinger. Today, I will tell the story of Marjorie’s parents. Her mother is today’s birthday girl.
Alma Johanna Steinhoff was born on April 6, 1893, so today would be her 133rd birthday. Alma was the daughter of Henry and Pauline (Windeknecht) Steinhoff. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills. We have a binder that contains some transcribed church records from that congregation. Below is Alma’s baptism record in that binder.
Alma is found in the 1900 census at the age of 7. Her father was a farmer in the Randol Township of Cape Girardeau County, which is where Egypt Mills is located.
This photo of 3 Steinhoff children must have been taken about this time. It includes Henry, Jr. in the back, Alma on the left, and the youngest one on the right is Norma.
Next, we find Alma in the 1910 census as a teenager. The Steinhoff family was still living near Egypt Mills.
Alma would get married prior to the next census, so we will now turn our attention to the man who would become her husband. His name was Friedrich Ernst Starzinger, who was born on July 5, 1893, just a matter of months after Alma was born. Friedrich, mostly called Fred, was the son of John and Rosalia (Heiner) Starzinger. Fred was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. Below is an image of his baptism record.
Fred is found in the 1900 census at the age of 5, although I think he was actually at least 6. His father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township.
In the 1910 census, Fred was 16 years old and helping his father on his farm.
Fred Starzinger married Alma Steinhoff on February 20, 1916 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills. The transcription of their church marriage record is displayed here. This document says that Fred was from Pocahontas.
We can also view 2 different civil marriage records for this couple. On both of these documents, you can see that they were married by Rev. Arthur Lohmann, who was written about in the article about the Lohmann/Asche linden tree. Arthur helped plant that tree on his birthday in 1892, the year before both today’s bride and groom were born.
Not long after getting married, Fred had his World War I draft registration completed. It indicates he had a wife and 1 child at that time.
According to their Family Search information, this Starzinger pair had 5 children. One of those children died during childhood. When the 1920 census was taken, the Starzinger’s had just one son. Fred was a farmer in the Randol Township.
The 1930 census lists 2 children in the Starzinger household.
In 1930, plat maps were produced for Cape Girardeau County. We find the Fred Starzinger farm and the Henry Steinhoff farm located not far from Egypt Mills.
Fred and Alma had 4 children in their family when the 1940 census was taken. Marjorie Starzinger had been born in 1930 after that census was taken, so we find her in this entry at the age of 10.
Fred had his World War II draft card completed in 1942.
Fred and Alma were no longer living in Egypt Mills when the 1950 census was taken. We find them with an empty nest and living in Pocahontas. Fred was still farming.
Fred Starzinger died in 1959 at the age of 66. His death certificate says he died of a stroke at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.
Alma Starzinger died in 1966 at the age of 73. Her death certificate below says that she died at the Deal Nursing Home in Jackson.
Fred and Alma Starzinger are each buried in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Pocahontas.
Marjorie Starzinger married a man named Harold Wills. After his death, Marjorie befriended a man named David Kelley. Then, after Marjorie’s death, David Kelley made a significant donation to our museum that enabled us to rearrange our museum to include a dedicated room that became known as the Starzinger Family Research Library. David Kelley has since also died. Below are 3 photos related to our research library. I am sure that both Marjorie and David would have loved to read today’s blog post, knowing that I utilized the research library to find some of the resources I used.
Fred and Alma had 5 children. Alvin Glen, Roland, Geraldine, Margorie, and Donald who was born in 1933 at the farm in Oriole, MO. Don was my Father. Little Roland, named after Fred’s brother Roland, died at the age of 7. He was sitting in the kitchen watching a storm. Alma, Fred, William, Alma’s younger brother, and her sister Norma were playing cards in the living room. Alma went into the kitchen and Little Roland had died. My Father was told he had a heart issue. Alma never got over this loss. Alma and Fred were given a completely stocked farm and large home from Alma’s Father Henry Steinhoff Sr. upon their marriage. It was in the Egypt Mills area. They were gone to Church one Sunday and the house caught fire. The home was destroyed. The only building left today is a outbuilding/shed. Alma’s Father died on the anniversary of his first wife’s death. She was the Sister of Henry’s second wife, (Alma’s Mother Pauline). It was also 1 month to the day of Alma’s last child, Donald, being born. The farm they owned in Oriole was listed as being one of the best farms in the County.