Today’s birthday boy began his life in Perry County, Missouri, but was never found in a Perry County census entry. He first migrated east to the state of Illinois where he spent many of his early years, before then migrating to the West Coast to spend most of his life in Oregon. It also looks as if it was the railroad that took him on his lifetime journey.

Robert Theodore Schade was born on August 7, 1891, so today would be his 135th birthday. Theodore was the son of Anton and Mathilda (Oehlert) Schade. When I see the surname, Schade, I think they must have been members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. However, as was documented in the previous post, The Frohna Schade’s, there were some Schade’s that were found in Frohna and members of Concordia Lutheran Church. Theodore was baptized at Concordia, Frohna. His baptism record from that congregation’s books is pictured here.

Theodore’s parents moved their family to Murphysboro, Illinois not long after Theodore was born. When the Schade’s next child was born in 1894, he was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but that baptism record says the father, Anton, lived in Murphysboro. In the 1900 census, we find the Schade’s living in Murphysboro, where Anton was called a railroad fireman. Theodore was 8 years old at the time, and you can see that his younger brother, Rudolph, was born in Illinois.

Ten years later, we find Theodore still living in Murphysboro as a teenager. His father was called an engineer, and Theodore was an operator, but in the column for “Business”, I cannot decipher what the census taker wrote. for either of these characters.

We will now turn our attention to the woman who would become Theodore’s bride. Her name was Martha Irene Murphy, who was born on June 16, 1895. Martha was the daughter of William and Mary (Flaherty) Murphy. Based on census entries, Martha had a twin sister, Mary. Yes, that would be Mary and Martha, just like in the Bible story. Martha’s later death certificate says that she was born in Chicago. However, when the 1900 census was taken, we find Martha and her family living in the Dimmick Township in Lasalle County, Illinois. That location is found just north of the city of Lasalle not far west of Chicago. Martha and Mary were 4 years old at the time, and her father was a farmer.

Next, we find Martha and the Murphy family living in the Hall Township in Bureau County, Illinois. That may sound like it was a great distance from where they lived in 1900, but it is just west of the city of Lasalle. Mary and Martha were teenagers. This time, their father was called a laborer in a coal mine.

It is only speculation, but I think that Theodore might have gotten a job with the railroad going through Lasalle during the early 1910’s, and that would explain how he may have become acquainted with Martha Murphy. According to information found on Family Search, Theodore Schade married Martha Murphy on August 7, 1915 in St. Louis. However, I failed to find any documentation for that wedding. If this couple did get married on that date, then they were married on Theodore’s 24th birthday. Based on later census entries, Theodore and Martha had 2 children, a boy named Arthur and a girl named Mary (perhaps named after Martha’s twin sister). When Theodore had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917, he is given a Springfield, Illinois address, and he is called a telegraph operator for the B&O Railroad. There is also a note at the end of this form that says Theodore had a new address which says he was working for the Union Pacific Railroad in Laramie, Wyoming.

Theodore and Martha looked like they were making their way across the country, with Theodore finding work on the railroad as he went. By the time of the 1920 census, This couple was living in Portland, Oregon with their first child, who was said to be born in Wyoming. Once again, Theodore was a telegraph operator for the railroad.

When the 1930 census was taken, the Schade’s had both of their children in their household. Their second child was born in Oregon.. Theodore had the same occupation.

The Schade’s are found in the 1940 census with the same members of the family. Theodore was still working for the railroad, and their son, Arthur, was a repairman for a clock repair business.

The last census we can view, the one taken in 1950, shows Theodore and Martha with an empty nest. I am a bit surprised that Theodore was still doing telegraph work in 1950. I would have thought that more modern technologies would have replaced the telegraph, but I discovered that some select railroads continued using the telegraph in some locations until the late 20th century.

Martha Schade died in 1961 at the age of 66. We can view her Oregon death certificate below. It says Martha had a few types of cancer at the time of her death.

Theodore Schade died in 1979 at the age of 88. I was unsuccessful at finding burial information for Theodore and Martha. Martha’s death certificate says she was buried in the Gethsemani Cemetery in Portland. I did locate a Gethsemani Cemetery near Portland, but that cemetery on Findagrave.com does not include any entries for the name, Schade.

I have previously mentioned the fact that when I do a story on a full-time church worker, the story may take us all over the country. In Theodore’s story, we find evidence that working for the railroad could be another occupation that might lead people to several different locations during their lifetimes.