Our birthday girl for today was born on 8/8/66. I am a numbers guy, and those numbers just look interesting to me. Marie Carolina Friedericke Wilke was born on August 8, 1866, thus making today her 160th birthday. Caroline was the daughter of Friedrich and Louise (Damme) Wilke. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. An image of her baptism record is pictured here.
Caroline is found in the 1870 census at the age of 4. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township with a rather large family.
Next, we find Caroline in the 1880 census as a 12 year-old. Some of her older siblings had moved away, and 3 more children had been added to the family during the previous decade.
Caroline would get married during the next decade, so we will now take a look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Frederick Heinrich Pohlmann, who was born on June 28, 1859. Frederick was the son of Christian and Fredericke (Neumeyer) Pohlmann. I do not know where Frederick was baptized, but some later siblings were baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. Frederick is found in the 1860 census at the age of 1. He was also part of a very large household. His father was a farmer in the Union Township of Bollinger County.
In the 1870 census, Frederick was listed as being 12 years old, but I think he was just 11. It says he was helping his father on his farm.
Frederick was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim in 1873. We can view his confirmation class below.
The last census entry in which we find Frederick prior to his marriage was the one taken in 1880. He is called Henry F. in this entry, and he is called 19 years old, but I think he was at least 20. Once again, he was working with his father on his farm. This time, they were living in the Whitewater Township of Bollinger County. I believe that township had been created in the previous decade.
Frederick Pohlmann married Caroline Wilke on Valentines Day, February 14, 1889. The marriage record for this couple is found in the books of Trinity, Friedheim. We can view that church marriage record here.
We can also take a look at the Missouri marriage license for this pair.
According to Family Search and our German Family Tree, this Pohlmann couple had 5 children, the first of which died as an infant. All of their children were baptized at Trinity, Friedheim. We cannot view this couple in a census until the one taken in 1900. By that time, Fred and Caroline had all their children. Frederick was a farmer in the Whitewater Township.
In the 1910 census, we once again find Frederick and Caroline, along with their 4 children.
That census entry turned out to be the last one in which we find Caroline. She died in 1914 at the age of 47. Her death certificate below says she died of peritonitis.
An obituary published in the Perry County Republican tells quite a different tale than the death certificate above. According to it, she died as a result of injuries suffered from a runaway team that was taking the Pohlmann family home from the Frohna Mission Festival.
Frederick is found as a widower when the 1920 census was taken. There were 3 children in his household. Frederick and two of his sons were doing the farming.
Frederick Pohlmann died in 1921 at the age of 60. We can view his death certificate below.
We can read Frederick’s obituary from the Perry County Sun.
Frederick and Caroline Pohlmann are each buried in the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Friedheim.
Because Frederick Pohlmann was not baptized at Trinity, Friedheim, we cannot describe today’s couple as being made up of a husband and wife who were each members of the same congregation from cradle to grave, but they almost qualified.