I will be telling the story of a couple who would be celebrating a wedding anniversary today. Since that wedding took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, its church record made its way into our German Family Tree. I will begin by looking at the bride because she is the one whose whole family has records in that church’s books.

Maria Regina Carolina Bangert was born on November 14, 1867, the last of 10 children born to William and Catharine (Eichmeier) Bangert. Mary was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view her baptism record below.

Mary is found in the 1870 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Union Township of Bollinger County.

Next, we find Mary in the 1880 census at the age of 12. Her father had died in 1878, so her mother was the head of the household. A few of her sons were working on their farm.

Mary was confirmed in 1881 at Trinity, Friedheim. We can look at her confirmation record here.

Since Mary would get married before we can look at another census entry, we will now start looking at the man who would become her husband. His name was Heinrich Wilhelm Leonard, who was born on June 1, 1868. Henry was the son of Henry and Amanda (McClellen) Leonard. I believe that Henry was the firstborn child in his Leonard family. I have no information about where Henry was baptized. I also failed to find the Leonard family in the 1870 census, so the first census entry in which I found Henry was the one taken in 1880. Henry was 13 years old in this entry, but I think he was only 12. His grandfather was the head of this household and farming in the Cinque Hommes Township in Perry County. Henry’s father and one of his brothers were helping on that farm.

Henry Leonard married Mary Bangert on August 24, 1891, thus making today their 135th wedding anniversary. This pair was married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. The church record for that wedding is shown here. Both Henry and Mary were said to be from Bollinger County.

We can also take a look at 2 different civil records for this marriage.

Henry and Mary had 3 children, all sons. I do not know where this couple’s first son was baptized, but after a new Lutheran church was established in Lixville, the baptism records of the next 2 boys are found in that church’s books. I can display those 2 baptism records here.

We see all 3 of the boys in the Leonard household in that their 1900 census entry. Henry was a farmer in the Whitewater Township of Bollinger County.

In the 1910 census, we find the same 5 people in the Leonard entry.

The Leonard’s are next found in the 1920 census in which we find the 3 sons all in their 20’s and helping their father on his farm.

Two of the Leonard sons got married during the next decade. In the 1930 census, we find Otto Leonard and his young family living with Henry and Mary. Right under the entry for Henry and Mary, we see that of William Leonard. He had also gotten married, and by this time had 2 children. The unmarried son, Herman, was also living with his parents, and it says he was farming. Henry, the father, at the age of 62, was given no occupation.

In the 1940 census, we once again find the Henry Leonard household right above the one for the William Leonard family. Henry and his single son, Herman, were said to be farming on their property, and William was farming as well. Perhaps these two families were living on the same piece of land.

Mary Leonard died in 1943 at the age of 75. Her death certificate below says that pulmonary hemorrhage along with tuberculosis was her cause of death.

I found 2 different obituaries for Mary, one in the Perry County Republican and the other in the Perry County Sun. They each said basically the same thing, but the one from the Perry County Sun says part of the burial process took place at Lixville Lutheran Church, and the other one just mentions that Mary was a member of the Lutheran church throughout her life.

Henry is found as a widower in the 1950 census. He and his single son, Herman, were living in the household of William Leonard, who was called a farmer. William’s wife, along with his father and brother, were all called farm laborers.

Henry Leonard died in 1955 at the age of 86. We can view his death certificate here.

I also found 2 obituaries for Henry from the same 2 newspapers in Perryville. One of them says that his wife survived him, but that is incorrect.

Both Henry and Mary Leonard are buried in the Whitewater Presbyterian Cemetery in Sedgewickville.

So, today we wish Henry and Mary Leonard a Happy Anniversary. This couple, and even their next generation, spent their lives in the Lixville and Sedgewickville area. It sounds to me like Mary worshiped at Lixville Lutheran Church while it existed, and Henry worshiped at Whitewater Presbyterian Church while they raised their family.