Both of the surnames in this post, Boehme and Schmidt, are familiar ones found in Perry County. However, despite today’s birthday boy being found in our German Family Tree, he was not born in Missouri, nor did he ever live here. The same can be said of his wife. The connection to Perry County church records goes back to the grandparents of the husband, who were married in Perry County before his grandmother moved away. What becomes more interesting is that today’s couple eventually made their way to a familiar place that has shown up on this blog in several posts…Bremer County, Iowa.

Henry Dan Boehme was born on July 8, 1886, so today would be his 140th birthday. Later records indicate that he was born in Balltown, Iowa. He was the son of August and Barbara (Sternweis) Boehme. Another story published on this blog about a Boehme married to a Sternweiss was The Perry-Dubuque Connection. Henry was baptized at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Sherrill, Iowa, which is located not far from Balltown in Dubuque County.

Henry is found in an 1895 Iowa state census at the age of 9. His family was living in Dubuque County, where his father was farming.

Henry is found in the 1900 census living in the Jefferson Township of Dubuque County, which is where Balltown is located. He was 13 years old and the youngest child in the Boehme family.

I failed to locate Henry in the 1910 census, but in this obituary for his father, who died in 1911, it says that he was living near Klinger, Iowa, which is located in Bremer County. It also says that he moved there 4 years before his death.

Now, we will turn our attention to the woman who would become Henry’s bride. Her name was Clara Schmidt, who was born on May 27, 1891 in Black Hawk County in Iowa. That county is the county found just south of Bremer County. Before I move on, not long ago, in a post about another Clara Schmidt, it was pointed out that prior to that post, I had already written 3 other posts about a Clara Schmidt, and that did not include my great aunt, Clara Schmidt. Now, you are reading yet another Clara Schmidt story. This Clara had no connection to Schmidt’s in the Perry County area. Clara was the daughter of William and Clara (Kretschmar) Schmidt. In the 1895 Iowa state census, we find Clara at the age of 3. She was the youngest child in her family. In the column for religion, it says Lutheran.

In the 1900 census, Clara is found at the age of 9. Her family was living in the Bennington Township of Black Hawk County, which is found just south of the Bremer County border. Her father was a farmer.

Like was the case for Henry, I was unable to locate Clara in the 1910 census. Then, on March 21, 1913, Henry Boehme married Clara Schmidt at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Klinger, Iowa. Below is an Iowa marriage record for this couple.

Henry had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He registered in the Maxfield Precinct, which is where Klinger is located. He is called a carpenter and had a wife to support.

According to Family Search, this Boehme pair had 2 children, a girl and a boy. In the 1920 census, the Boehme’s were living in the Maxfield Township in Bremer County. They had yet to have any children, and Henry’s widowed mother was included in their household. Henry was a carpenter.

In the 1930 census, we see Henry and Clara with their 2 children. Henry was a home carpenter in Klinger. Henry’s mother was still living with them.

Henry’s mother died in 1934, so we just see Henry, Clara, and their 2 children in their 1940 census entry.

I failed to locate the Boehme’s in the 1950 census, but I have reason to believe they were still living in the same place. Then, Henry Boehme died in 1951 at the age of 64. His death certificate indicates that prostate cancer was one cause of death.

We can read Henry’s obituary below.

Clara Boehme died in 1985 at the age of 94. Her obituary can also be read.

Henry and Clara Boehme are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Klinger. Even though we find a baptism record, a death certificate, and an obituary that say Henry was born on July 8, 1886, his gravestone says he was born in 1887.

The Boehme family highlighted in this post is one that had a presence in Perry County for a short time in the area near Friedenberg and Farrar. I do not think they have a connection with the Boehme’s that came to America as part of the 1839 immigration. I also know that they did not have the same route to become residents of Bremer County, Iowa as the other Perry County natives that settled there.