William Henry Kaiser was born on October 9, 1879, so he qualifies to be today’s birthday boy. Today would be his 147th birthday. William was the son of Henry and Anna (Brickhaus) Kaiser. He was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. An image of his baptism record is displayed below.

William is found in the 1880 census at the age of 7/12 (7 months). His father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Since we cannot view the 1890 census, the next census I can show for William is the one taken in 1900. He was 20 years old and working on his father’s farm. The Kaiser family was still living in the Apple Creek Township.

Since William would get married during the next decade, we will now take a look at the woman who would become his bride. Her name was Emma Caroline Vogt, who was born on October 30, 1878. Emma was the daughter of Gottlieb and Barbara (Springer) Vogt. Emma was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, so we are not able to view her baptism record. Emma is found in the 1880 census at the age of 1. Her father was a wagon maker in Perryville.

At some point between 1880 and 1900, the Vogt family moved to the Apple Creek Township in Cape Girardeau County. In the 1900 census, Emma was 21 years old and living in that township. She was given no occupation.

William Kaiser married Emma Vogt on December 27, 1903. This couple’s marriage record is found in the books of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. We can view this couple’s church marriage record here. It says that they were married at the George Muench house. It also says that William was from Friedheim and Emma was from Perryville. It appears that the Vogt’s may have moved back to Perryville prior to this wedding.

William and Emma had two children, a boy and a girl, and both were baptized at Immanuel, Perryville. When the 1910 census was taken, the Kaiser’s were living in Perryville with one son named Ewald. William was a house painter.

In 1918, William had his World War I draft registration completed. He was given a Perryville address and working as a painter.

A daughter named Evelyn was born to William and Emma in 1918, so in the 1920 census, we see the Kaiser’s with both of their children. This time, William was simply called a laborer in Perryville.

Next, we find the Kaiser’s in the 1930 census. Included in their household was their daughter, Evelyn, and Emma’s mother, Barbara, who, after her husband had died in 1903, had married Frederick Mehner. Then, Frederick died in 1925, so in 1930, Barbara was a widow. William is back to being called a house painter.

The last census in which we find William and Emma is the one taken in 1940. They were each in their 60’s, and their daughter was living with them. William had the same occupation.

William had a World War II draft card completed despite him being 62 years old.

Emma Kaiser died in 1943 at the age of 64. Her death certificate lists stomach cancer as her cause of death. She died at the DePaul Hospital in St. Louis.

An obituary for Emma was published in the Perry County Republican.

William Kaiser died in 1949 at the age of 70. A cerebral hemorrhage was his cause of death. His death certificate below says that he was a paper hanger and painter.

William’s obituary was also printed in the Perry County Republican. This image is a bit harder to read.

William and Emma Kaiser are each buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

It looks to me like Emma was a girl born in Friedenberg whose family moved to the Apple Creek Township for a while. And it must have been there that she became acquainted with her future husband, William. These two ended up spending almost all their lives in Perryville.