After I moved to Altenburg back in 2010, I got to know an older man who was called Cowboy Kassel. It was years later that I was told that his first name was Wernold, but I was told he did not like that name and preferred to be called Cowboy. I got to know him by seeing him around town gathering aluminum cans to make a few extra bucks. He had a long beard and wore a cowboy hat. He would also stop in our museum on occasion. We considered him the local “expert” on the Kassel family. He was known to have all kinds of documents on his Kassel family. A few years back, Cowboy died, and our museum now has a copy of his Kassel family information. Today, because his father is today’s birthday boy, you will be reading the story of Cowboy’s mom and dad.

August Edward Kassel was born on October 10, 1891, thus making today his 135th birthday. August was the 3rd of 15 children born to his parents, Christian and Sulamith (Hopfer) Kassel. He was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown. We can take a look at his baptism record below.

August is found in the 1900 census at the age of 9. There were already 7 children in this Kassel family. August’s father was a farmer in the Union Towsnhip.

August was a teenager when the 1910 census was taken. There were 11 children in the Kassel family. August was not given an occupation in this entry.

In an atlas of plat maps for Perry County produced in 1915, we find the C.P. Kassel farm located east of Uniontown.

August had his World War I draft registration completed in 1917. He is given a Uniontown address and was said to be working with his father on his farm. It also said he was sickly.

It was about this time that the Christian Kassel family had this photo taken. His brother, Paul, is wearing his World War I military uniform. August is standing in the back, fourth person from the left.

August was still single and living with his parents when the 1920 census was taken. He was 28 years old and called an engineer.

Now, it is time to take a look at the woman who would become August’s bride. Her name was Lydia Christine Jungclaus, who was born on October 14, 1900. That means August and Lydia’s birthdays were just 4 days apart. Lydia was the daughter of Herman and Elisabeth (Weber) Jungclaus. I have every reason to believe that she was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, but her baptism record is not to be found in the congregation’s books. Perhaps that was due to the fact that Immanuel got a new pastor that year. Our GFT says that she was confirmed at Immanuel in 1914. Lydia was born too late in 1900 to get into that year’s census. The first one in which we find her is the one taken in 1910. Lydia was 9 years old, and her father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

It must have been at about this time that this photo of 4 Jungclaus children was taken. Lydia is the youngest daughter in this photo.

The 1915 plat map for the Herman Jungclaus farm shows that it was located north of Altenburg on The Ridge.

When the 1920 census was taken, Lydia was 19 years old. She was still living with her parents on The Ridge.

August Kassel married Lydia Jungclaus on April 20, 1924 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. We can view this couple’s church marriage record below in 2 images.

We can also take a look at 2 civil marriage records for this wedding.

Here is a wedding photo of August and Lydia.

Both our German Family Tree and Family Search say that August and Lydia had 4 children. Each of them was baptized at Grace, Uniontown. When the 1930 census was taken, we find two children in the Kassel household. Also living with them were Lydia’s parents. They were living in the Union Township. August was called an engineer of a steam engine.

Next, we find the Kassel’s in the 1940 census with all 4 of their children. This time, this entry says that August was doing farm labor.

August had his World War II draft card completed when America got involved in that war. It gave him a Uniontown address and says he was farming for himself.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. Almost the whole family was part of the work force. August and 2 children were working at the quarry near Uniontown. August was doing blasting work, their daughter, Luella, was an office secretary, and their son, Melbert, was a truck driver. Lydia and their son, Wernold, were doing the farm work.

Both August and Lydia died in 1984. August died in May at the age of 92; Lydia died in December at the age of 84. August and Lydia Kassel are buried together in the Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown.

I know that some of our readers also knew Wernold “Cowboy” Kassel. He died in 2023 at the age of 88. His obituary can be read by clicking on the link below.

https://www.mccombsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Wernold-Kassel

Included with that obituary was this photo of Cowboy in his Army uniform.

Finally, here is a photo taken of Cowboy when he was much older. This is the Cowboy Kassel that I remember.