Our German Family Tree Images folder already has 4 death certificates for women named Emma Hoehn. You are going to read another story about a woman today whose married name was Emma Hoehn. You will not be viewing her death certificate because she died in 1977, and at the time of this writing, we can only view Missouri death certificates up till 1975. If I was writing this story two years from now, we could probably view that document. Emma happens to be today’s birthday girl. We will begin with her.

Emma Mathilde Popp was born on August 30, 1891, so today would be her 135th birthday. Emma was the daughter of Henry and Clara (Pfau) Popp. She was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. An image of her baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

Emma is found in the 1900 census at the age of 9. Her father was an engineer in the Brazeau Township.

Emma would have been 19 years old when the 1910 census was taken. She was not living with her parents in Perry County. The best guess is that she went to live and work in St. Louis by that time, but I failed to find her in that census. Since she got married in 1913, we will now take a look at the man who would become her husband. He, too, was born in Perry County.

Edward Michael Hoehn was born on April 30, 1884. Edward was the son of Albert and Margaret (Rauh) Hoehn. He was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, but because their church records were destroyed in a fire, I cannot display Edward’s baptism record. Edward’s mother died as a result of childbirth in 1886. Then, his father married Kunigunda Fassold in 1887. When we find Edward in the 1900 census, he was living with his father and stepmother. He was 16 years old and said to be at school. His father was a farmer in the Central Township. There were 9 children in the family. Six of them were from his father’s second wife, Kunigunda.

Edward was no longer living in Perry County when the 1910 census was taken. He was a lodger in the Elleen Caroll household in St. Louis and working as a conductor for the St. R.R. I think he was working as a street car conductor. Another lodger in that household was Carl Mecker, who likely was also from Perry County and working at the same job as Edward. By the way, Carl Mecker’s mother was also a Rauh.

Edward Hoehn married Emma Popp on December 23, 1913 at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Louis. I managed to locate the church record for this wedding.

We can also take a look at this St. Louis marriage record for this pair. Rev. Daumler was the pastor at Christ Lutheran Church at that time.

At at later time, Christ Lutheran Church made a move to a different location and became known as Christ Memorial Lutheran Church. That congregation still maintains its previous church building and it is now known as Reliant Church. The building shown below would have been the church where Edward and Emma were married.

Edward had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He is given a St. Louis address and called a machine operator.

According to Family Search, Edward and Emma had 2 children. When the 1920 census was compiled, they had their first child, Verna, in their household. Edward was called a machinist for an auto company.

A son named Oliver was born not long after that census was taken. In the 1930 census, both of their children were living with Edward and Emma. Edward was a machinist at an iron foundry. Emma’s widowed father, Henry Popp, was also living with the Hoehn’s.

The Hoehn’s are next found in the 1940 census. Their daughter, Verna, had gotten married in 1938, so we find just their son, Oliver, in this entry. Edward, at the age of 55, was a laborer at odd jobs. Oliver was called a truck driver. Emma also had a job. She was a hand finisher at a men’s robe factory.

Edward had his World War II draft card completed when America entered that war. His address was found in the Wellston neighborhood of St. Louis. He was said to be self-employed.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. Edward and Emma had an empty nest. Edward was a laborer for the County Highway Department. Emma was a floorlady for a clothing manufacturing plant.

Edward Hoehn died in 1951 at the age of 67. His death certificate below says that he died of coronary heart disease.

Emma Hoehn died in 1977 at the age of 86. As said earlier, she died too early to view her death certificate. Edward and Emma Hoehn are buried together in the Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Louis.

Edward and Emma made their way to St. Louis and got married to each other there. I can only speculate, but perhaps these two began attending Christ Lutheran Church in St. Louis and became acquainted there. Then they may have discovered that they were both originally from Perry County. Or perhaps another scenario took place. Maybe Emma began going to work on the same streetcar each day, only to discover that the conductor was a fellow Perry County native. This I do know. Many folks who were born and raised in Perry County migrated to St. Louis to find work, and they also found spouses in that city. A very large percentage of those spouses were fellow Lutherans.