Heinrich Wilhelm Carl Pohlmann was born on July 29, 1891, so today would be his 135th birthday. This boy would go through life called Charles. He was the son of Friedrich and Carolina (Wilke) Pohlmann. Charles was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can take a look at his baptism record from that congregation’s books below.

Charles is found in the 1900 census at the age of 8. His father was a farmer in the Whitewater Township of Bollinger County.

Trinity, Friedheim is located in a place where the members of that congregation could be coming to worship on Sunday from the Union Township of Perry County, or the Apple Creek Township of Cape Girardeau County, or the Whitewater Township of Bollinger County.

Charles was confirmed at Trinity, Friedheim in 1906. His confirmation class is pictured here, with Charles’s name highlighted.

In the 1910 census, Charles was a teenager. The Pohlmann’s were still living in the same place. For some unknown reason, Charles was given no occupation, even though his younger brother was called a farm laborer working for his father.

Charles had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Hilderbrand address, which is another small town near Friedheim. This registraiton was done in what was called the Lixville precinct. It says Charles was farming for his father.

Charles did serve in the military during that war. His military record shown here also indicates that he did get sent overseas for active duty. He was in Europe for over a year.

We find Charles in the 1920 census still living with his father. His mother had died in 1914, so his father was a widower. This time, Charles was called a laborer on his father’s farm.

Charles would get married in the 1920’s, so we will now switch our attention to the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Hilda Margretta Elenore Pickl, who was born on May 3, 1907. That means she was about 16 years younger than Charles. I believe that Hilda was an adopted child, so I do not know her biological parents. According to the information shown below about Hilda found in the binder we have for St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pocahontas, she was born and baptized in St. Louis.

Hilda was adopted by Traugott and Theresia (Engelhart) Pickl, who lived near Pocahontas. Hilda was 2 years old when she is found in the 1910 census and called an adopted child. Her father was a farmer in the Shawnee Township. Traugott’s father, Martin, was living with this Pickl family.

According to the caption given on the photo shown below, this picture was taken of Hilda in about 1913.

Traugott Pickl died in 1914 when Hilda was just 7 years old. Then, Theresia Pickl married Anton Bacher in 1916. So, when we find Hilda in the 1920 census, she was living in a Bacher household. Hilda was 12 years old and called a stepdaughter. Anton was also a farmer in the Shawnee Township.

Charles Pohlmann married Hilda Pickl on September 18, 1927 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. I am able to display 2 different civil records for that wedding. Both of these documents say that Charles was from Lixville, and Hilda was from Pocahontas. These documents also give confirmation to the fact that Hilda was an adopted child.

I located this wedding photograph of Charles and Hilda.

According to our German Family Tree, Charles and Hilda had 4 children, and all of them were baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. In the 1930 census, we find the Pohlmann’s with one child. Charles was farming in the same area where he was born and raised.

Next, we find the Pohlmann’s in the 1940 census with all 4 of their children. There were 2 daughters followed by 2 sons.

Charles had his World War II draft card completed when America entered that war. This time, he is given a Friedheim address and was said to working at a C.C.C. Camp, which was the Civilian Conservation Corps, a part of the New Deal.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. The Pohlmann’s were living in the Apple Creek Township, and Charles was working at a shoe factory. Hilda’s mother and stepfather were living with them also.

Hilda Pohlmann died in 1956 at the age of 48. Her death certificate below says that Hilda died at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Charles Pohlmann died in 1971 at the age of 79. His death certificate says he died at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Poplar Bluff.

Charles and Hilda Pohlmann are each buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim.

Although I have no documentation to prove this, I like to think that the Pickl’s adopted an orphan that was housed at the Lutheran Orphanage located in Des Peres. It will probably never be known what surname Hilda had prior to being adopted into the Pickl family in Pocahontas. We see that Hilda had a bit of a rough childhood, first becoming an orphan, and then losing her adoptive father when she was still a young child. Then, following her father’s death, she then got another father when her mother remarried. Things did appear to end up being a more normal life for Hilda with her having a husband and 4 children who all lived into adulthood.