According to her baptism record, Clara Alice Weith was born on August 5, 1896. That means today would be her 130th birthday. A question remains about what her first name was. Her baptism record is the only document on which we see her first name as Clara. All other documents use the first name, Chloe, with a few having different spellings for it. Even her gravestone says her name was Chloe. I will use that name in today’s post. Chloe was the daughter of Frederick and Margaretha (Klobe) Weith. Her baptism record mentioned above is found in the books of Cross Congregation Lutheran Church which was once found in a rural area between Longtown and Crosstown.

Chloe is found in the 1900 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Salem Township.

When the 1910 census was taken, Chloe was a teenager.

Chloe was still single when the 1920 census was taken. Chloe’s 2 brothers were helping their father on his farm.

Now, we will take a look at the man who would become Chloe’s husband. His name was Thurman Joseph Colin, who was born on February 17, 1903. That means he was about 7 years younger than Chloe. Thurman was the son of Jesse and Mary (Streiler) Colin. I am not aware of where Thurman was baptized. He is found in the 1910 census at the age of 7. His father was a farmer in the Central Township.

I found a 1915 plat map that is showing some Colin property being located near the Fritz Weith land to be interesting. If the Colin property was the one Thurman grew up on, then it is not hard to understand how he and Chloe got to know one another. If that is indeed the case then it would likely be that the dividing line between the Salem and Central Townships must have gone right through there.

Thurman is next found in the 1920 census as a teenager. He was helping his father on his farm.

Thurman Colin married Chloe Weith on October 1, 1926. This couple for some reason got married in Cape Girardeau County. The Missouri marriage license shown below indicates that they were married by a justice of the peace. The justice of the peace, John Putz, has had his story told on this blog.

Thurman and Chloe had just one child, a daughter named Maxine born in 1927. In the 1930 census, we find the trio of Thurman, Chloe, and Maxine in the Colin household. Thurman was a farmer in the Central Township.

Next, we find the Colin’s in the 1940 census. The same three people were living in the same location with Thurman still doing the same work. Chloe was called a farm wife.

Thurman had his World War II draft card completed when America got involved in that war. He is given a Menfro address, which is where the post office was located that delivered his mail.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. In this entry, along with Thurman and Chloe, we see Maxine, her husband, Orvilla Abernathy, and their daughter. Orvilla was a laborer on a river boat.

Chloe died in 1975 at the age of 78. Her death certificate indicates that she died at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

This photo of Thurman Colin is found on his Findagrave.com entry. I did not locate a photo of Chloe.

Thurman Colin died in 1980 at the age of 77. We can read his obituary below.

Thurman and Chloe Colin are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

Since Thurman’s parents are buried in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Perryville, I think they, along with Thurman, were Roman Catholics. This Colin/Weith marriage is likely to be one in which a Lutheran married a Catholic. Because Chloe is buried in a Lutheran cemetery, it looks like she maintained her Lutheran faith. Thurman may have remained a Catholic, but I cannot provide any proof of it, nor did I find proof that he had become a Lutheran.