Otto Frederick Ruesler is today’s birthday boy. He was born on September 8, 1892, so today would be his 134th birthday. Otto was the son of Herman and Ida (Moeller) Ruesler. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can take a look at Otto’s baptism record below.

Otto is found in the 1900 census at the age of 7. His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Next, we find Otto in the 1910 census as a teenager. He and his older brother, Arthur, were helping their father with the farm work.

Now, we will take a look at the woman who would become Otto’s bride. Her name was Emma Bertha Dickmann, who was born on April 15, 1893. Emma was the daughter of Charles and Mary (Dambach) Dickmann. Like Otto, she was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Her baptism record is pictured here.

Emma can be seen in the 1900 census at the age of 7. She was part of a rather large Dickmann family. There were 9 children in her family, and 7 of them were daughters. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

In 1906, we find both Otto and Emma as members of the same confirmation class at Trinity, Friedheim.

In the 1910 census, Emma was 17 years old and still living with her parents.

Otto Ruesler married Emma Dickmann on April 8, 1917 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. The church marriage record for this wedding is displayed here.

We can also take a look at the Missouri marriage license for this pair.

Less than 2 months after he was married, Otto had his World War I draft registration completed. He is given a Friedheim address and was said to be farming by himself.

Our German Family Tree lists 10 children who were born to Otto and Emma, and 8 of them were girls. One of the boys died as an infant. All of them were baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. When the 1920 census was taken, there was one daughter in the Ruesler household. Otto was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

The Ruesler’s are found in the 1930 census with 6 children, 5 of them daughters. There was a 54 year-old farm laborer named Fritz Habeck included in their household.

Three more children were born to this couple during the 1930’s. In the 1940 census, there were 7 children in the Ruesler family. The only son in the family, Delmer, was helping Otto with the farming.

Otto had his World War II draft card completed when the United States entered that war. He was given a Daisy address.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Just one daughter was still living with her parents.

Emma Ruesler died in 1966 at the age of 72. Her death certificate below says she died at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.

Otto Ruesler died in 1971 at the age of 78. Lung cancer is given as his cause of death on his death certificate below.

Both Otto and Emma Ruesler are buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim.

Otto and Emma Ruesler qualify to be called one of those couples who were members of the same Lutheran congregation from cradle to grave. This pair had one extra fact to add to that. They were also in the same confirmation class at that congregation…Trinity, Friedheim. They also became one of those pairs who were not going to have many opportunities to pass along their surname, Ruesler, to the next generation because all but one of their children who lived to adulthood were daughters. As far as I know, their only son, Delmer, only had one son, and I found no evidence that he got married. However, there are likely quite a few descendants from Otto and Emma who carry different surnames.