This has happened to me before. I start looking at the story of a man who was a lifelong single. I gather all kinds of documents in order to write the story. And then I discover that I need to tell the story of two men who were each lifelong singles. They were brothers who appear to have lived in the same household all of their lives. I will begin with the older one…the one who is not today’s birthday boy.

Martin August Friedrich Puntmann was born on October 20, 1885, the son of Henry and Sarah (Cotner) Puntmann. Fred was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. Although he was born in 1885, he was not baptized until 1890 when he was about 5 years old. An image of his baptism record from that congregation’s books is shown here.

If we could view the 1890 census, we would see the only census entry in which just Fred would be found without the other character in this story. But since we cannot, we will now look at his younger brother who happens to be today’s birthday boy. Carl Heinrich Gustav Puntmann was born on September 30, 1894. That makes today his 132nd birthday. Like his brother, Gustav was baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. His baptism record is displayed below.

The first census in which we should be able to find Fred and Gustav would be the one taken in 1900. However, after quite a bit of trying, I failed to find the Puntmann family. That means the first census I can show today is the one taken in 1910. Fred was 24 years old, Gustav was 15 years old, and each of them were working on their father’s farm in the Union Township in Perry County. That page in the census has the name, Longtown Village, written on the top, but it is crossed out. I think the Puntmann’s may have been living near Biehle because there is a Catholic priest listed on that page also.

Both of the Puntmann boys had to have World War I draft registrations completed when America got involved in that war. Gustav had his completed in 1917. He is given a Biehle address and was said to be working on his father’s farm.

Gustav did get drafted into military service during that war. His military record below says that he was sent overseas from November of 1917 to June of 1918.

The military transport document displayed here shows that Gustav traveled back to America aboard the ship, Scandanavia, leaving Europe on June 20, 1918 and headed to New York. I find it interesting that there was a Wm. Poppitz from Seventy-Six listed right above Gustav’s name.

A later application for a military headstone gives more details about Gustav’s service.

Fred Puntmann had his draft registration completed in September of 1918, after his brother had already come back from the war. He was also given a Biehle address, and his employer’s name was Anton Untereiner.

In the 1920 census, Fred and Gustav were still living with their parents, only this time, they were living in the Cinque Hommes Township. In the occupation column, it says for his father that he “rents part”, and the business column says “farming”. Neither Fred nor Gustav had an occupation.

Fred and Gustav’s father died in 1922, so when the 1930 census was taken, we find Fred as the head of the Puntmann household. Fred and Gustav were farming together. Included in their household was their mother and a niece named Alma Farrar.

The mother of the two bachelors died in 1934, and that may have precipitated the fact that the Puntmann brothers are found living in a different location when the 1940 census was taken. They were living in the Apple Creek Township, and it was just the 2 of them in the household. Each of them were farming. I think their farm was in the Oak Ridge or Daisy vicinity.

The last census we can view is the one taken in 1950. The Puntmann brothers were still farming in the Apple Creek Township.

Gustav Puntmann died in 1967 at the age of 72. His death certificate below says that he died of congestive heart failure. It also says his place of death was in Daisy, Missouri.

Two years later, Fred Puntmann died at the age of 83. His death certificate also says he died in Daisy.

Both Fred and Gustav Puntmann are buried in the York Chapel Cemetery in Longtown. I suspect these two became involved in that congregation when they were living in the Biehle area. Gustav’s gravestone recognizes his World War I military experience.

With the exception of Fred’s few years prior to Gustav’s birth and the few years he lived after Gustav’s death, it appears that Fred and Gustav lived in the same household. Also, there was some time when Gustav was off to war during his time in the military. Despite the likelihood of there being some sibling rivalry, these 2 bachelors must have also relied on each other during their many years of living in the same place.