I figure that when I find a story with a man who was the father of 13 children and also a stonemason who helped build local churches, I have to tell his story.

Heinrich Friedrich Richter was born on October 24, 1822 in Nordenbeck, Germany. Henry was the son of Johann Heinrich and Maria Elisabeth (Westmeier) Richter. I was unable to track down any documents for his time in Germany, nor did I find any immigration information. The first evidence I found of Henry’s presence in America is this naturalization form that was completed in 1844 in Cape Girardeau County.

The next documents we find involving Henry in America were some marriage documents from 1849. His first bride was named Catherine Fischbach. About the best I can do is say that she was born in about 1829 in Germany. I was unable to even determine her parents’ names. The first documents I located for Catherine in this country were her marriage records in America.

Henry Richter married Catherine Fischbach on April 15, 1849. We can view 2 civil marriage records for this wedding which took place in Cape Girardeau County. The second one has to be displayed in 2 images. Both of these records indicate that this couple was married by a justice of the peace.

Henry and Catherine are found in the 1850 census living in Cape Girardeau County. They were almost certainly living in what would become known as the Apple Creek Township, but the 1850 census does not call it by that name. I think Henry’s age in this entry is incorrect. He should have been listed as 27 or 28 years old, and later census entries would verify this. Henry was a stonemason.

Although I did not find any evidence that Henry was ever a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, we are told in Henry’s short biography below that he was a stonemason that was involved in constructing the stone church for that congregation that was built in 1856. I think his work at the Iron Mountain furnace may have taken place early in his life, but his work on the seminary church in Perryville probably was making some improvements made on that structure at a later date.

Below is a photo of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. It has some interesting stone work. Worship continues to take place regularly in this church.

Henry and Catherine had 3 children in the early 1850’s. I am not sure where they were baptized. Then, in 1856, Catherine Richter died at the age of 26, leaving Henry as a widower with 2 young children. One child had died as an infant. Catherine is buried in the Arnsberg Lutheran Cemetery in Arnsberg, but Findagrave.com does not include a gravestone photo for her.

It did not take long for Henry to get married again. Catherine died in November of 1856, and Henry married again in January of 1857. His second wife was Maria Ludwig, who was born on September 7, 1836. That makes her today’s birthday girl and the reason I found this story in our German Family Tree. Mary would be celebrating her 190th birthday today. Like was the case with Henry and Catherine, Mary was also born in Germany. Mary was the daughter of Conrad and Margaretha (Faulstroh) Ludwig. Family Search includes these photos of Mary’s parents.

A later census entry would say that Mary came to America in 1852, so we do not see her in an American census until after her marriage. Henry Richter married Mary Ludwig on January 4, 1857. I will display 2 Cape Girardeau County marriage records for that event. These two were also married by a justice of the peace. Both of these documents spell Mary’s surname as Ludwick.

Family Search lists 11 children born to Henry and Mary, although some of them died as infants. That means Henry had 13 children in all. I think it is likely that these Richter children were baptized at Arnsberg Lutheran Church, but we are only able to view a few pages from that church’s books. I will show the baptism record later for one of their children whose baptism record is found on those pages. In the 1860 census, the Richter household included 3 children, two from Henry’s first marriage and one from his second marriage. Henry’s widowed mother was also living with them. This time, Henry was called a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Henry joined the Union Army during the Civil War. We can see his Civil War military record here. He was about 40 years old when he served.

When the 1870 census was taken, there were 7 children in the Richter family. Once again, Henry is called a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

When a daughter named Martha was born in 1873, that baptism record was on one of those few pages in the Arnsberg Lutheran books. We can view that record here.

There were once again 7 children in the Richter family when the 1880 census was taken. Henry was called a farmer and stonemason in this entry. I read that some renovations which involved some stone work was taking place at the Catholic seminary in Perryville at about this time. The Richter’s last child had been born in 1877.

It isn’t often that I find someone who is listed in the 1890 Veterans Schedule, the only 1890 census documents we still have for that year. However, in this case, we find an entry for Henry. It was the fact that I saw on this form that Henry was part of the 56th regiment that led me to pick out the correct Civil War military record when there were so many Henry Richter’s to choose from in the Missouri military records.

Henry’s photo is found on Ancestry.com.

A year after the above Veterans Schedule was completed, Henry Richter died in 1891 at the age of 69. His wife, Mary was still living when the 1900 census was taken. She was living with 2 of her children, a daughter and a son, and she was called a farmer. Her son and a servant named John Riehl, were both called farm laborers.

Mary is again found in the 1910 census. She was living with her single son, John, and neither he nor Mary was given an occupation.

Mary Richter died in 1912 at the age of 75. Her death certificate says she died of Bright’s Disease.

Both Henry and Mary Richter are buried in the Arnsberg Lutheran Cemetery.

Yes, Henry was called a farmer, but I see him more as a builder. As a stonemason, he helped build structures. As a father and husband, he also built a rather large family.

I think today is a good day to tell Henry’s story. It’s Labor Day. But it’s Henry’s wives that experienced a lot of labor in giving birth to all his children.