Christiane Margarethe Sommer was born on August 22, 1871, thus making today her 155th birthday. Christine was the daughter of Carl and Anna (Bienlein) Sommer. The first child in this Sommer family was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but our German Family Tree does not list any baptism records for the rest of the children. However, when children in this family began getting confirmed, their confirmation records are found in the books of Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. That includes the confirmation record for Christine. She is found in the 1880 census at the age of 7, although I think she was at least 8. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

That would be the only census entry in which we find Christine as a single woman because we cannot view the census taken in 1890. So, we will now take a look at the man who would become Christine’s first husband. His name was Paul Reinhold Kramer, who was born on December 12, 1868. Paul was the son of John and Magdalena (Bergt) Kramer. He was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. We can view his baptism record from that congregation’s books here. It looks as if Paul got his middle name from his male sponsor, Reinhold Lindner.

Paul is found in the 1870 census at the age of 1. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

When the 1880 census was taken, Paul was 11 years old and going to school.

Paul Kramer married Christine Sommer on October 7, 1894 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. We can view their church marriage record below.

An article published in the Perry County Sun in 1894 says that Paul was going to be building a new home for the principal of Concordia Lutheran School in Frohna.

Then, in 1898, another article appeared in that paper that said Paul would be doing the stone work on a new brick school at Concordia, Frohna.

Our German Family Tree says that this pair had 4 children. All of them were baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. When the 1920 census was taken, there were 3 daughters in the household. Paul was a stone mason.

A photo of Paul Kramer was taken at some point in his life. It is shown below.

Paul Kramer died in 1902 at the age of 33. His death record is found in the books of Immanuel, Perryville. It says that Paul died of nerve fever, an old term that referred to a sickness involving fever along with neurological symptoms.

I found 2 different articles in local newspapers that described Paul’s death.

Paul Kramer is buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

Christine got married again. Her second husband was named Frederick John Eicherman, who was born on September 17, 1859 in St. Louis. He was the son of Fred and Mary Jane (Ball) Eicherman. I have no baptism information on him. Fred is found in the 1860 census as a baby. His father was a miller in St. Louis.

Next, we find Fred in the 1910 census at the age of 9. The Eicherman household had gotten quite large.

Fred Eicherman married Gussie Heye on December 30, 1890 in Jackson County, Missouri, which is where Kansas City is located. This pair was married by a justice of the peace. It says that Gussie was from Galveston, Texas.

I do not think this couple had any children. In the 1900 census, we find just Fred and Gussie living in St. Louis. Fred was a salesman. This entry says that Gussie was born in Mexico.

Either Gussie died or this couple got a divorce because Fred Eicherman married Christine Kramer on October 10, 1905 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. We can once again look at a marriage record from that congregation’s books.

I think this couple had 2 children. I found a baptism record for the 2nd one who was born in 1909 in the books of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in St. Louis. I have to display it in 2 images.

In the 1910 census, the Eicherman household had 4 Kramer children and 2 Eicherman children listed. Fred was called a commercial traveler selling educational specialties. Perhaps Fred met Christine when he traveled to Perryville on business.

When the 1920 census was taken,we find the same 6 children in the Eicherman household. Fred, at the age of 60, worked in the order department at a dry goods business.

The Eicherman’s are found in the 1930 census with just their 2 Eicherman daughters. Fred was called an order filler at a department store.

Fred and Christine are found in the 1940 census with neither of them having an occupation. Their daughter, Augusta, who must have married a man named Heiderich, had a son name Leslie, and that pair was living in the Eicherman household. Augusta was a bottler at a brewery.

Fred Eicherman died in 1946 at the age of 86. We can view his death certificate here.

Christine is found as a widow in the 1950 census. She was living with several other members of her extended family.

Christine Eicherman died in 1953 at the age of 81. Her death certificate is shown below.

Fred and Christine Eicherman are each buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Louis.

This story of a Kramer, a Sommer, and an Eicherman took us on a trip from Frohna to Perryville to St. Louis. I suppose there might be some descendants from the Kramer’s and Eicherman’s still around today.