Plenty of stories on this blog have been written about people named Kasten who were life-long Lutherans. Today’s couple were united in marriage on this date at Zion German Methodist Church in Appleton, Missouri. You will read the story of that couple today, and it starts with the bride being born and baptized in a local Lutheran church.

Marie Elise Bingenheimer was born on May 29, 1867. Lizzie, as she was called, was the daughter of Martin and Louise (Reinemer) Bingenheimer. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view her baptism record below.

Lizzie is found in the 1870 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

Next, we find Lizzie in the 1880 census at the age of 13. Included in this entry was Lizzie’s paternal grandmother, Catherine.

Lizzie was still single when the 1890 census was taken, but we are not able to view that year’s census because it was destroyed in a tragic fire. Then, Lizzie would get married in the 1890’s, so we will now switch our attention to look at the man who would become her husband.

Johann William Emanuel Kasten was born on February 27, 1864, the son of Christian and Maria (Schreiner) Kasten. A family tree created by a person with the handle, jwoehrmann reports that John was baptized at Zion German Methodist Church in Appleton. That tree also gives an exact date of John’s baptism, so I have to figure that the person who put that tree together has had the opportunity to the view the records of that congregation. John Kasten is found in the 1870 census at the age of 6. His father was a wagon maker in the Apple Creek Township.

John was a teenager when the 1880 census was taken. This time, his father was called a farmer, and John, along with an older brother, were also working on that farm.

John Kasten married Lizzie Bingenheimer on October 18, 1892, so today would be that pair’s 134th wedding anniversary. The were married at Zion German Methodist Church in Appleton. We can view 2 civil marriage records for them. They were married by Rev. W.F. Kettelkamp.

John and Lizzie had 6 children, and I think they were baptized at Zion Methodist Church. A photo of what Zion Methodist Church looks like nowadays is shown here.

By the time of the 1900 census, there were 4 children in the Kasten household. John was a farmer in the Apple Creek Township.

The photo below of John, Lizzie, and two children was probably taken in the 1890’s. The children are likely their first two, Herbert and Alma.

The photo below was taken of 4 Kasten children. It was probably taken in the early 1900’s.

The Kasten’s made a move during the next decade. When the 1910 census was taken, they were living in the Byrd Township, which is closer to Jackson. There were 5 children in their household. John was still farming. Herbert, at the age of 16 was doing odd jobs, and I find it interesting that the 10 year-old Oscar was laboring on his father’s farm.

This couple’s 6th child was born later in 1910. Three of the Kasten children were still living with their parents. Their daughter, Alma, had married August Maag in 1915, and that couple had a few children. Then Alma died of typhus in 1919. Two of her children were living with John and Lizzie in 1920.

The photo below of the Kasten family must have been taken in front of their farmhouse in the Byrd Township in the early 1910’s. It shows all 6 of their children along with some rather large pumpkins and two bunnies.

John and Lizzie were in their 60’s when the 1930 census was taken. Just their youngest daughter, Nelda, was living with them. John was still farming.

Both John and Lizzie died in the 1930’s. Lizzie Kasten died in 1932 at the age of 65. Her death certificate says she died of a stroke.

John Kasten died 3 years later in 1935 at the age of 71. His cause of death was arterio-sclerosis.

John and Lizzie Kasten are buried together in the Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Our German Family Tree makes no connection between the Kasten’s in this story with any of the other Kasten clans found around here. However, John Kasten managed to find himself a bride whose family has records in local Lutheran churches that are indexed in our GFT. I do not think I would have located this story had it not been for the fact that Lizzie married into this Kasten clan.