My searches for stories have led me to find several recent tales centered on the village of Friedheim. Today is another one. It is one that has its beginnings in or near Friedheim, and it ends in Friedheim. I will begin with the groom.

Henry William Pohlmann was born on August 20, 1887, the son of Friedrich and Louise (Emde) Pohlmann. Henry was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown below.

Because we cannot view the 1890 census, the first one we can look at that includes Henry is the one taken in 1900. Henry was the firstborn child in this Pohlmann family. His father was a farmer in the Whitewater Township in Bollinger County. Henry was 12 years old at that time, yet even at that young age, he is called a farm laborer.

Next, we find Henry in the 1910 census at the age of 22. Even though he is given no occupation in this entry, I have to think that he was still helping his father with the farming.

Henry would get married during the next decade, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Katherine Louisa Klaus, who was born on May 7, 1886, which qualifies her to be today’s birthday girl. Louise would be celebrating her 140th birthday today. She was the daughter of Louis and Bertha (Dickmann) Klaus. There were 9 children born to these parents. Louise’s baptism record is found in the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view it below.

When Louise was just 2 years old, her mother died in 1888. Then, her father married again in 1889. His second wife was Friedericke Oehl, who was 27 years younger than Louis. I located this colorized photo of Louis and Friedericke.

What is amazing is that Louis and Friedericke went on to have 9 more children. That means Louis was the father of 18 children all together. In the 1900 census, we find a very large Klaus household. Louise was 13 years old at the time. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

In the 1910 census, Louise was 22 years old. Her father was still siring children when he was in his 60’s.

Henry Pohlmann married Louise Klaus on December 8, 1912 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view this couple’s church marriage record here.

We are also able to view 2 other civil marriage records for this pair.

Henry had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. It gives Henry a Hilderbrand address and says he was farming.

Henry and Louise had just 2 children, a girl and a boy, both born prior to the next census we can view in 1920. Both children were baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. In the Pohlmann entry in the 1920 census, we find this family of 4, and Henry was farming in the Apple Creek Township.

A change in occupation and probably a change in location is found when we see the Pohlmann’s in the 1930 census. Henry is called a grocer and living in Friedheim. I am only speculating, but I have already written a post about Louise’s uncle, Henry Klaus, who once operated a general store in Frieheim, who relocated to Farrar prior to the 1910 census. Perhaps Henry Pohlmann had taken over what was once the Klaus Store in Friedheim. I do not know who operated that store in the interim before it became the Pohlmann Store.

Next, we find the Pohlmann’s in the 1940 census. Their two children, both in their 20’s, were still included in their household. Henry is called a merchant at a retail store.

The last census we can view is the one compiled in 1950. Henry was no longer said to be operating a store. He was called a carpenter. Henry and Louise had an empty nest.

Louise Pohlmann died in 1963 at the age of 77. Her death certificate below says she died of colon cancer. It also indicates that her residence was in Jackson at the time of her death.

Henry Pohlmann died in 1970 at the age of 82. His death certificate gives heart disease as his cause of death. In the “usual occupation” box, he was said to be a merchant at a general merchandise store.

Henry and Louise are buried together in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim. Even though she is called Louise in her census entries, she has Katherine as her highlighted name on her gravestone.

The story of this Pohlmann couple can be included among others that have been told on this blog about a bride and groom who each spent their entire lives from cradle to grave as members of the same congregation. That is, unless they became a member of a different congregation after they moved to Jackson later in their lives. I do not have evidence for that if it did happen.