Rudolph Franz Starzinger is today’s birthday boy, having been born on May 27, 1891. That makes today his 135th birthday. Rudolph and his future wife are both found in our German Family Tree, but they are not connected as bride and groom because they did not get married in a local church and spent most of their lives in St. Louis. They also did not have any children, so there are no baptism records to locate in church records anywhere.

Rudolph was the son of Franz and Alvina (Landgraf) Starzinger. He was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown below.

Rudolph is found in the 1900 census at the age of 9. His father had died in 1896, when Rudolph was just 5 years old. I am pretty sure that this is the correct census entry for Rudolph, but it does not even give him a first name. He is also called a female, but his date of birth is called May of 1891, and the person listed below him is his younger sister, Bertha. Rudolph and Bertha were living with their maternal grandparents, Herman and Matilda Landgraf. I did find Rudolph’s mother in that year’s census living in Wittenberg in the Albert Zillgitt household and working as a servant.

Next, we find Rudolph in the 1910 census. He and Bertha were back living with their mother, and they had relocated to St. Louis. Rudolph was 18 years old and working as machinist at an iron works business. His mother was a laundress, and Bertha was sewing for a dry goods business.

Rudolph had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. It gives him a St. Louis address and says his employer was the Fulton Iron Works.

Rudolph was still single when the 1920 census was taken. The household was made up of just Rudolph and his mother. Rudolph was still working at the same job.

Rudolph would get married in the 1920’s, so we will now turn our attention to the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Louisa Theodora Kieninger, who was born on February 24, 1892. Dora was the daughter of Herman and Emma (Wachter) Kieninger. Like her future husband, Dora was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. We can view that baptism record here. Her name was spelled, Theodore, making it look as if she was a boy.

Dora is found in the 1900 census at the age of 8. Her father was a blacksmith in the Shawnee Township.

When the 1910 census was taken, Dora was a teenager and still living with her parents.

The last census in which we find Dora prior to her marriage is the one taken in 1920. She was 27 years old and still living with her parents in the Shawnee Township.

Rudolph Starzinger married Dora Kieninger on August 19, 1925 in St. Louis. They were married at Emmaus Lutheran Church. We can view their church marriage record below.

We can also take a look at this St. Louis marriage record. It says Rudolph was from St. Louis, and Dora was from Pocahontas.

As said before, this couple had no children. When the 1930 census was taken, we find them still living in St. Louis where Rudolph was called a machinist at a garage. Rudolph’s mother was living with them.

The Starzinger’s are found in the 1940 census by themselves. Rudolph’s mother had died in 1937. This time, Rudolph is called a tool maker.

Rudolph had a World War II draft card completed when America entered that war. He was employed by the Utility Tool & Die Company in St. Louis.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Rudolph and Dora were both in their 50’s. Rudolph was still a tool & die maker for the Utility Tool Company.

At some point in time, this pair moved back to Cape Girardeau County. When Rudolph died in 1972, his death certificate gives his place of death as Jackson, Missouri. Cancer is given as his cause of death. Rudolph was 80 years old at the time when he died.

Dora Starzinger died in 1987 at the age of 95, too recently to view a death certificate for her. Rudolph and Dora Starzinger are buried together in the Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Today’s highlighted couple is one that spent their early years in northern Cape Girardeau County. They were married in St. Louis and lived there for much of their married life. Then they returned to Cape Girardeau County for their senior years and their deaths and burial.