The birthday boy for today’s post is Otto Gottlieb Thomas, who was born on June 16, 1889. That makes today his 137th birthday. Otto was the son of John and Anna (Moeller) Thomas. Both of his later military records say that he was born in Daisy, Missouri. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can take a look at an image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books.

Otto is found in the 1900 census at the age of 11. His father was a farmer in the Hubble Township.

The Thomas family made a move during the next decade. When the 1910 census was taken, we find them living in the Council Grove Township in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. That township was located in the Oklahoma City neighborhood. Otto was working with his father on his farm.

Otto had his World War I draft registration completed in June of 1917. That was just a matter of months prior to his marriage. He is given an address in Oklahoma County and was called a furniture repairman. He was employed by the Harbour-Longmire Furniture Company. in Oklahoma City.

I located this photo showing the Harbour-Longmire Furniture Company building in Oklahoma City. I have since discovered that this building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Otto got married not long after his World War I draft registration was completed, so we will now look at the woman who would become his wife. Her name was Mary Nitzel, who was born on May 12, 1891 in Oklahoma. Mary was the daughter of James and Louisa (Opel) Nitzel. I was not able to determine where she was baptized. Mary is found in the 1900 census at the age of 9. Her father was a farm laborer in the Frisco Township in Canadian County, Oklahoma. That township is also near the city of Oklahoma City.

In the 1910 census, Mary was 18 years old and still living with her parents in the same location.

Otto Thomas married Mary Nitzel on November 1, 1917. According to the Oklahoma marriage license below, this couple was married by Rev. Dubberstein at Zion Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City. It says Mary was from Yukon, Oklahoma, which is located in the Frisco Township.

According to information on Family Search, this couple had 3 children. In the 1920 census, there was just one child in the Thomas household. Otto was called a gas fitter for a retail company.

The Thomas’s are found in the 1930 census with 2 daughters. Otto was a driver for a retail furniture business.

A son was born to Otto and Mary in 1931, so when we look at the Thomas family in the 1940 census, there were 3 children. Also included in the household was Mary’s mother.

Otto had his World War II draft card completed when America entered that war. He is given an Oklahoma City address, and once again, we find that he was employed by the Harbour-Longmire Furniture Company.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. Otto and Mary had an empty nest, and Otto had the same job.

Otto Thomas died in 1968 at the age of 78. He died in Radner, Pennsylvania, and we can view his Pennsylvania death certificate below.

Mary Thomas died in 1972 at the age of 81. She also died in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and we can view her death certificate.

The informant on Mary’s death certificate was Mrs. Edgar J. Buerger. That was Otto and Mary’s daughter, Ruth. I couldn’t resist looking into the name, Buerger. I was rather surprised to discover that Edgar Buerger was the great grandson of Rev. Ernst Moritz Buerger, one of the pastors who was part of the German Lutheran immigration to Perry County in 1839. Through a set of circumstances, the great grandson of Pastor Buerger made his way to Oklahoma City and met the daughter of Otto Thomas, who has his baptism record in the books of Trinity, Friedheim. What are the chances?

Both of the above death certificates say that Otto and Mary Thomas were taken back to Oklahoma City to be buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in that city. They both have entries for that cemetery on Findagrave.com, but neither has a gravestone photo.

Today’s birthday boy did not spend much time in our area, and he only has one church record indexed in our German Family Tree. Otto Thomas then spent most of his life in Oklahoma City, working for a rather famous furniture company. And then his daughter marries a descendant of a rather significant character in the history of early Lutheranism in America. I must say that I never know where a story will lead me when writing for this blog.