Before I begin today’s story, I want to encourage you to go back to the last post I wrote 2 days ago about Elizabeth Hecht who married Charles Fricke. It was full of missing pieces that I could not find or explain. Our friend in Germany, Timm Yamnitz went down rabbit holes that are not available to me, and he pretty much completed the puzzle in the comment that he added to that post. Please read what he has to say in that comment. It is fascinating stuff.

Today, I will share the story of a man named Paul Eberhardt Mehner, who was born on February 14, 1902. So, he was a Valentine’s Day baby. Paul was the son of Martin and Charlotte (Hoehn) Mehner. Paul was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. We can view his baptism record from that congregation’s books here.

Paul is found in the 1910 census at the age of 8. He was the oldest child in his family. His parents had relocated to Cape Girardeau where his father was a merchant in a grocery store. If you look at posts written about Paul’s father and grandfather that have already been written on this blog, you will discover that there were plenty of merchants in the Mehner family tree. In fact, the story about his grandfather was titled, Mehner Merchants.

Paul is next found in the 1920 census as a teenager. We find the Mehner’s back in Perry County, and this time, they were farming, probably near Point Rest because that is where Paul had been confirmed in 1915. Paul was helping his father on his farm.

I failed to find Paul in the 1930 census. I do know that he was not included in his father’s household in that year’s census. Perhaps he was living and working in St. Louis. I am able to display this photo of the Martin Mehner family which was reportedly taken in 1930. The caption directs you to which one is Paul.

What I do know is that toward the end of 1930, Paul got married. Let’s take a look at the woman who would become Paul’s first wife. Her name was Hulda Emilie Wahlers, who was born on April 11, 1896. That means she is today’s birthday girl, celebrating her 130th birthday today. It also means that she was about 6 years older than Paul. Hulda was the daughter of Johann and Margaretha (Stelling) Wahlers. She was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. Her baptism record is pictured below.

Hulda is found in the 1900 census at the age of 4. Her father was a farmer in the Salem Township.

Apparently, the Wahler’s family spent some time in Jacob, Illinois because Hulda’s 1909 confirmation record is found in the books of Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob. However, a year later, we find the Wahler’s family once again living in the Salem Township, where Hulda’s father was farming. Hulda was called 15 years old in this entry, but I think she was just 14.

I also failed to locate Hulda in the 1920 census. I suspect that she may have been living in St. Louis and working as a servant. I know she was not included in her parents’ household in Perry County. Hulda’s father had died in 1926, so in the 1930 census, we find Hulda living in the household of her brother, Theodore Wahlers. Also included in that household was Hulda’s mother. Theodore was farming in the Salem Township.

Paul Mehner married Hulda Wahlers on August 31, 1930 at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown. The binder we have for Zion, Crosstown contains this marriage record for this couple. All it gives is the date of the wedding.

I am able to display 2 other civil marriage records for this pair. Each of these records say that both Paul and Hulda were from Crosstown.

According to Family Search, this couple had 2 children, only one of which lived to adulthood. It appears that not long after they were married, they moved to St. Louis. We see Paul and Hulda in a 1932 St. Louis city directory which says Paul was a laborer.

In the 1940 census, the Mehner’s were living in Normandy, a municipality found in North St. Louis. Paul was called an unloader for an auto manufacturing company. A daughter named Rosemary was in their household.

The Mehner’s made their way back to Perry County prior to the 1950 census. They were living in Crosstown, and both Paul and Hulda were working as clerks in a general store.

Paul’s father is found in the 1950 census and is called a postmaster in Crosstown. In a previous census, he was called the proprietor of a store. At one point in time, there was a Mehner Store in Crosstown. I was recently sent this photo which is supposedly of the building that was once the Mehner Store.

This building no longer stands in Crosstown because it was destroyed in the Crosstown tornado that went through that village in 2006.

Hulda Mehner died in 1956 at the age of 60. We can take a look at her death certificate below.

Paul would get married again. His second wife had the maiden name of Sarah Anna Martha Magwitz, who was born on January 28, 1900. Sarah was the daughter of Julius and Emilie (Stelling) Magwitz. Sarah’s mother was the sister of Hulda’s mother. That means Paul married two women who were cousins to one another. Sarah was baptized at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar. Her baptism record is shown here.

I am only going to hit a few highlights of Sarah’s life previous to marrying Paul. Here, we find Sarah in the 1900 census as a baby. Her father was a farmer in the Salem Township.

In 1928, Sarah Magwitz married Frank Dierks at Emmaus Lutheran Church in St. Louis. I am able to display a church marriage record for that couple.

Based on evidence that I found, Sarah divorced Frank at some point in time. I know that Frank’s death certificate indicates that he had a wife with a different name. Paul Mehner married Sarah Dierks on October 5, 1957. According to the marriage license below, Paul was from St. Louis, and Sarah was from De Soto. They were married by a pastor, so I think it is possible that they were married at Redeemer Lutheran Church in De Soto.

Paul Mehner died in 1982 at the age of 80; Sarah Mehner died in 1987 at the age of 87. Paul and his first wife, Hulda, are buried together in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Crosstown. Sarah Mehner is buried in the Trinity Lutheran, Point Rest, Cemetery.

Paul Mehner lived in several different places during his life, but he pretty much started and ended up his life in the same general area in Perry County. As he proceeded through life, he managed to marry two different women who had their beginnings in Perry County. Each of them also spent a portion of their lives elsewhere. But, like Paul, each one is buried in Perry County.