Back in 2020, I wrote a story about John Dewein titled, Cook and Concierge/Barber and Barkeep. Today’s birthday boy is another John Dewein, the son of the other John Dewein, and you will discover that, at least for a while, he followed in his father’s footsteps to become a barkeeper.

Johann Heinrich Dewein was born on July 1, 1873, so today would be his 153rd birthday. John was the son of John and Magdalena (Hooss) Dewein. Our German Family Tree is a bit confusing. It says that John’s baptism record should be found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville, but it also states that he was baptized at Friedens (which would be Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg). I do know that I did not locate a baptism record in the books of Immanuel, Perryville for John, although I did find some other ones for some of his siblings. John is found in the 1880 census at the age of 6. His father was a farmer in the Central Township.

Since we cannot view the 1890 census, the next one in which we find John is the one taken in 1900. He was still single and living with his parents. This time we find the Dewein’s living in Perryville where John’s father was a saloon keeper. John, at the age of 26, was not given an occupation.

Not long after that census was taken, John got married, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Ateilina “Lena” Thieret, who was born on August 30, 1880. Lena was the daughter of Charles and Barbara (Hoehn) Thieret. She was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so I am not able to display her baptism record. Lena was born too late in 1880 to be included in that year’s census, so, as it turns out, the only census in which she was find Lena prior ot her marriage is in the 1900 census. Her father had died in 1894, so her mother is the head of the Thieret household in 1900. Lena was 19 years old. living with her mother and her younger 17 year-old sister, Bella. None of these ladies were given an occupation.

John Dewein married Lena Thieret on November 24, 1901 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. The church marriage record for this event is displayed here.

We can also take a look at the Missouri marriage license for this couple.

Our German Family Tree lists 2 children born to this couple, a boy and a girl, who were both baptized at Immanuel, Perryville. In the 1910 census, we find the Dewein’s with both of those children. John was a proprietor of a saloon in Perryville.

John had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. It gives him a Perryville address and says he was an ice dealer.

The Dewein family was still living in Perryville when the 1920 census was taken. This time, it says that John was the proprietor of a creamery.

The Dewein family made a move during the next decade. In the 1930 census, we find John, Lena, Elmo, and Lillian living in St. Louis. John was a stock clerk at a wholesale shoe store.

The 1940 census is the last one in which we find John Dewein. He and his wife had an empty nest. At the age of 65, John was a stockman at a shoe manufacturing company.

John Dewein died in 1947 at the age of 73. His death certificate says that heart disease caused his death. He died at the Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. He was called a stock clerk for the Brown Shoe Company.

Even though he was living in St. Louis at the time of his death, John managed to have his obituary printed in both of the Perryville newspapers. Her is the one from the Perry County Republican.

Below is the obituary published in the Perry County Sun.

Lena was a widow when the 1950 census was taken. She was living with her son, Elmo, and his wife, Ina May, in St. Louis. Elmo was a store division head for a retail department store.

Lena Dewein died in 1964 at the age of 83. She died at the same hospital at which John had died. We can view her death certificate below.

Each of the death certificates above state that John and Lena were buried at the St. Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in St. Louis. Findagrave.com has sites for each of them, but neither one has a gravestone photo.

John Dewein is one of those men who held a variety of jobs during his life. It demonstrates his resiliency to adjust to different jobs in his effort to support his family. His mother and father also exhibited these qualities during their lives. John spent the early part of his life in and around the city of Perryville before moving to the bigger city of St. Louis later in his life. Even after his departure, his memory lingered in Perryville, as is demonstrated by the fact that he had obituaries printed in two different Perryville newspapers.