I just could not ignore the special birthday of a character that has shown up on this blog on several occasions and is also a character who shows up in my Wittenberg books. Not only that, if she was alive today and living where she once did, she would also be my neighbor. I have already written her story in the previous post attached here. However, I have located some other documents which will be added today.
Johanna Magdalena Buenger was born on September 9, 1851, so today would be her 175th birthday. The previous post included several details about Magdalena’s life, but one thing that is now available that was not possible back in 2018 is a collection of Missouri Synod records on Ancestry.com, which is where Magdalena’s baptism record is found. Magdalena’s baptism record from Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Louis is shown below. The pastor who would have baptized her was Rev. J.F. Buenger, who was her uncle.
It was not long after Magdalena was born that the Buenger family moved back from St. Louis to Altenburg, where Magdalena’s father continued as a medical doctor there for the rest of his life. It was there that Magdalena later would get married to Christian Mueller
The photos below were included in the previous blog, but I will display them again.
I have now located this additional photo that is reportedly one of Magdalena. However, I cannot explain how such a photograph was taken in a studio in Columbus, Ohio.
Some other addition information can be added about the deaths of both Magdalena and Christian. First of all, Magdalena died in 1920 at the age of 68. Her death certificate was displayed in the earlier post, but now I can also make it possible for you to read her obituary that was printed in the Perry County Republican. The thumbnails below can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Christian Mueller died in 1940 at the age of 91. I am also able to display his obituary from the Perry County Sun.
Finally, the previous post did not include the gravestone photos for Magdalena and Christian. They were buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg. They are pictured below.
Both Magdalena and Christian were important figures in the early history of Altenburg. Today’s birthday girl was especially instrumental for being the midwife who brought a lot of young babies into Perry County who went on to live long and productive lives.