The post you will read today has a characteristic not often found on this blog. It will not contain any records found in Perry or Cape Girardeau Counties in Missouri. In fact, it will not contain any records from the state of Missouri. The records shown in today’s post will all be from the state of Illinois. They also will not be records from the Jacob, Illinois area that often shows up in this blog. However, not long ago, the creator of our German Family Tree, Lynn Degenhardt, went to the trouble of researching a Best family tree that has some of its members who settled in north Cape Girardeau County, probably near Arnsberg. The original Best family came to America aboard the ship, President Smidt, in 1850. The passenger list below shows this Best family.

A few of the older children in this Best family remained in Missouri, but quite a few of them ended up in Illinois where there was much better farmland. Today’s main character was the son of the 20 year-old, Carl Best, who is seen on the above list. However, by the time today’s character was born, Carl and his wife and family were living in Madison County, Illinois.

August Henry Best was born on November 24, 1867, the son of Carl and Wilhelmina (Meyer) Best. August’s Findagrave.com information says he was born in Madison County, Illinois, and a family tree on Ancestry.com says that he was baptized at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Prairietown, Illinois. That church still exists and even has a Lutheran school. However, by the time of the 1870 census, we find the Best family living in Macoupin County, Illinois. August was 2 years old, and his father was a farmer. Based on future census entries, I think the Best family was living near Palmyra, Illinois. I think they moved there at about the time that August was born. His older sister, born in 1866, was reportedly born in Prairietown.

I found this 1875 plat map for the South Palmyra Township in Macoupin County. It includes property owned by an L. Best and a G. Best. I think the G. Best may have been actually the C. Best land. Carl had a brother named Ludwig.

In the 1880 census, August was listed as being 11 years old, although I think he was older. His family was living in the South Palmyra Township. August was helping his father on his farm.

The South Palmyra Township was located, as you might expect, south of the town of Palmyra, Illinois.

If we could view the 1890 census, we would find August still unmarried, but he would get married in 1891, so we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Mary Ann Pratt, who was born on February 12, 1872. Mary Ann was the daughter of John Albert and Caroline (Tatman) Pratt. In the 1880 census, we find Mary Anna at the age of 7. Her father was a farmer in the South Palmyra Township in Macoupin County.

That would be the only census we can view for Mary Ann prior to her marriage. August Best married Mary Ann Pratt on September 17, 1891. That means today would be this couple’s 135th wedding anniversary. I can only show this transcription of this pair’s Illinois marriage record.

Family Search lists 7 children born to this couple. Six of those were boys. In the 1900 census, there were 4 sons in the Best family. They all have even-numbered ages. August was a farmer in the South Palmyra Township.

Next, we find the Best family in the 1910 census with all 7 children. The last 2 children born to this couple was a set of boy/girl twins.

The 1920 census turned out to be the last one in which we see August Best. Just the twins were still living with their parents, and August was still farming.

I located these photos of August and Mary Ann on Ancestry.com. I think they were each included in a group photo, but they were cropped out. I also think that August and Mary Ann were not sitting next to each other in the picture.

August Best died in 1926 at the age of 58. We are able to read this transcription of August’s obituary that is found on Findagrave.com.

Mary Ann Best is found in the 1930 census as a widow. She was called a servant in the household of Dan Robertson and his brother, Otis. They were both older men, one who was widowed and the other who was single. That household was residing in the village of Palmyra.

Mary Ann is found living by herself in Palmyra when the 1940 census was taken. She had no occupation.

The last census in which we find Mary Ann is the 1950 one. Once again, she was living by herself in Palmyra.

Mary Ann Pratt died in August of 1950 at the age of 78. Both August and Mary Ann Best are buried together in the Hettick Cemetery in Hettick, Illinois. You can see that little town on the map shown earlier.

I wish I had the group photo that included August and Mary Ann because I think it was a photograph that included all the Best children. We still have folks around here that carry the Best surname. I figure if they go back far enough and get into the weeds of the Best family tree, they would figure out that they were related somehow to the Illinois Best’s. And I figure there are plenty of descendants of August and Mary Ann who still carry the Best surname since almost all of their children were boys.