Frederick Wilhelm Brickhaus was born on June 20, 1866, and that qualifies him to be today’s birthday boy. Fritz, as he was called, would be celebrating his 160th birthday today. Fritz was the son of Johann and Hannah (Zoellner) Brickhaus. Some of the Brickhaus children were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, but others were not. Fritz’s later death certificate says that he was born in St. Louis. Perhaps that might explain why Fritz was not baptized in Friedheim. Fritz is found in the 1870 census at the age of 5, although I think he was only 4. His father was a farmer in the St. Mary’s Township in Perry County.

That would be the only time when we find Fritz living in the St. Mary’s Township. The rest of his life was spent in the Cinque Hommes Township. That is where we find the Brickhaus family in the 1880 census. Fritz was a teenager and helping his father on his farm.

Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become Fritz’s bride. Her name was Louisa Anna Lowes, who was born on October 16, 1865. Louise was the daughter of Conrad and Maria (Kaiser) Lowes. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view her baptism record below. The name, Lowes, especially in early records, is sometimes spelled as Lobes or as Loves. The two church records I will display in this post will spell her name as Lobes.

Louise was called 6 years old when the 1880 census was taken, but I think she was only 5. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Louise was a teenager when the 1880 census was taken. She was not living with her parents. She was a servant in the Henry Kaiser household. Henry was Louise’s uncle.

Fritz Brickhaus married Louise Lowes on June 13, 1886 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. That means this couple would have celebrated their 140th wedding anniversary a week ago. The church marriage record for this wedding is pictured here.

We can also view 2 other civil marriage records for this event.

According to Family Search information, this couple had 10 children. Only one of the children was a girl, and she died rather early. The first 5 children have baptism records indexed in our German Family Tree that took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. I was not able to determine where the remaining children were baptized. When the 1900 census was taken, we find the Brickhaus family with 6 sons. Fritz was a farmer in the Cinque Hommes Township. Fritz’s mother was also living with them.

Next, we find the Brickhaus household in the 1910 census. Five sons and Fritz’s mother were included in this entry. A few sons were old enough to be helping Fritz on his farm.

The plat map atlas for Perry County was produced in 1915. The Fritz Brickhaus land is shown on the map below. It was located not far from the town of Millheim.

The Brickhaus’s are found in the 1920 census with 3 sons, two of which were helping their father on his farm.

The 1930 census for the Brickhaus family lists 6 people. Their son, Frank, had married Hilda Hacker, and she is called a daughter-in-law in this entry, that also includes 2 single Brickhaus sons.

Louise Brickhaus died in 1938. Her death certificate below says that she died on Christmas Day that year at the age of 73. She died at the St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

We can read Louise’s obituary below.

Fritz is found in the 1940 census as a widower. Two single sons were living with him.

Fritz is found in the 1950 census at the age of 84. He was living with his 2 sons, Henry and Martin, who were farming.

Fritz Brickhaus died in 1957 at the age of 90. We can view his death certificate below.

Fritz’s obituary can be read in the image shown here.

Fritz and Louise Brickhaus are each buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perrycille.

Despite the fact that two of the Brickhaus sons never married, there still would have ben plenty of grandchildren of Fritz and Louise that carried the Brickhaus name. There are likely to still be a bunch of people with that name who can find Fritz and Louise in their family trees.