Today’s post has connections to two very recent stories. First, like Fred Egger’s story yesterday, Teacher Weck’s Short Ministry, today’s story will tell of a church worker whose ministry was cut short by an early death. Secondly, today’s tale will include a granddaughter of the couple that was highlighted in the story re-published a few days ago, An Ochs Tree Is Planted by a Springer. I can tell you that this was not planned by me. It just fell into place. Sometimes, I think stories are not my plan, but God’s.

I will begin with the birthday girl, also today’s bride. Her name was Hedwig Martha Ochs, who was born on July 12, 1896. That means today would be her 130th birthday. Hedwig, often called Hattie, was the daughter of John and Anna (Stuebinger) Ochs. That also means that Hattie was the granddaughter of Conrad and Magdalena (Springer) Ochs, whose story was re-told just 3 days ago. Hattie was baptized at Cross Congregation, a Lutheran church located not far from Longtown that existed for just a short time. Since that church’s books are now part of Ancestry.com’s Missouri Synod collection, I am able to display Hedwig’s baptism record below.

Hedwig is found in the 1900 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Bois Brule Township.

Next, we find Hedwig in the 1910 census at the age of 13. That was also the year that she was confirmed. Since the Cross Congregation had closed, Hedwig was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest, and that event also took place in the year of this census entry.

Hedwig would get married prior to the next census, so we will now take a look at the man who would become her husband. His name was August Schulz, who was born on April 14, 1891 in Jawiszowice, Poland. August was the son of Johann and Wilhelmina (Mattey) Schulz. According to his later obituary, at the age of 16, August emigrated to Buenos Aires, Argentina. That would have been in about 1897. Then, in 1911, he came to New York. A year later, he entered Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois where he received his training to become a Lutheran pastor. This series of events explains why we do not find August in a U.S. census entry until 1920. He spent a short time in Hoisington, Kansas before being installed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest near the end of 1919. His obituary states that he was installed on November 4, 1919, and if that is the case, then he was installed on the same day as his wedding.

Rev. August Schulz married Hedwig Ochs on November 4, 1919 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Point Rest. According to their Missouri marriage license shown below, they were married by Rev. Mahnken, who was the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Crosstown at that time.

If this pair got married on the same day as August’s installation, I figure they must have gotten to know one another before August moved to Point Rest. However, I have no idea how that took place. In the 1920 census, we find just August and Hedwig in their entry. August was called a minister of the Gospel.

Later in 1920, the Schulz’s had their only child, a girl named Sylvia. Then, in 1923, Pastor Schulz contracted meningitis, and that disease became the cause of his death during that year at the age of 32. His death certificate can be viewed below. It also mentions that he had influenza at the time of his death. His death certificate says he was born in 1892, but I think that is incorrect. Because of that date of birth, this document says that August was just 31 years old when he died.

Both the Perry County Republican and the Perry County Sun published obituaries for August. The one I located from the Perry County Republican is barely readable, so I will display just the one from the Perry County Sun. It contains several interesting facts, so I encourage you to read it.

Rev. August Schulz is buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Point Rest.

Hedwig is found as a widow in the 1930 census. She is called Hattie in this entry. She and her daughter, Sylvia, were residing with Hedwig’s older sister, Sophia, who had married Michael Laupp. They were living in St. Louis where Hattie was called a pinner for a lace curtain business.

In the 1940 census, we find just Hattie and Sylvia in their household. Hattie is called a curtain finisher at a laundry and dry cleaner business. Sylvia was a laboratory chemist at an envelope manufacturing company.

The last census in which we find Hattie is the one taken in 1950. Sylvia had married Earl Flatron, and Hattie was living with that young family in St. Louis. Earl was a broker at a stock and bond investment company, and Sylvia was a secretary for a retail advertising business. Hattie was 53 years old at the time with no occupation.

Hattie Schulz died in 1954 at the age of 57. We can also view her death certificate.

Hattie Schulz is buried in the St. Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in St. Louis. She is even called Hattie on her gravestone.

I was able to view the obituary for Hattie’s daughter, Sylvia, who died while a member at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Olivette. That obituary said that one of the places to which memorials could be sent was the Immanuel Lutheran Church Professional Church Workers Endowment Fund. I have to think that Sylvia’s request likely was in honor of her father’s service to the Lutheran church, despite the fact that his service was for such a short time.