Today’s main character, Freiderich Gotthilf Rauh, had a mother who was married twice because his father had died at an early age. His mother then had more children by her second husband. A similar thing happened to Fred. After his first wife died at an early age, he would get married again, and another child was born to his second wife.

Freiderich Gotthilf Rauh was born on July 24, 1875, the son of Johann Friedrich and Margaret (Lang) Rauh. Fred was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Freidenberg, so we cannot view his baptism record. That congregation’s books were destroyed in a fire. When Fred was just 2 years old, his father died at the age of 36. Then his mother got married again. She married the brother of her first husband, Adam Rauh. That means we see a very unusual notation in the 1880 census entry that includes Fred. He was at the age of 5. Fred is called a stepson, even though he had the same surname as his stepfather. Adam Rauh, his stepfather, was a farmer in the Central Township.

We cannot view the 1890 census, and since Fred got married prior to the 1900 census, we will now look at the woman who became Fred’s first wife. Her name was Maria A. Bergmann, who was born on January 7, 1877. Mary was the daughter of Johann and Salome (Hoehn) Bergmann. She was also baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Mary is found in the 1880 census at the age of 3. Her father was a farmer in the Central Township.

Fred Rauh married Mary Bergmann on October 23, 1898, which means today would be this couple’s 128th wedding anniversary. It is this date that led me to this story for today’s post. These two were married at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. I cannot display a church marriage record, but I am able to display this couple’s Missouri marriage license.

According to our German Family Tree, this pair had 4 children, all of them baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. Their fist child was born after 1900, so in that year’s census entry for the Rauh’s, we see just Fred and Mary, along with a boarder, Albert Hoehn, who was doing farm work. Fred was farming in the Central Township. Sometimes, Fred is called Fritz on documents.

In the 1910 census, we find the Rauh’s with all 4 of their children. All of them were sons. Fred was still farming, this time with help from Emanuel Ochs, a hired man who was included in their household.

Mary Rauh died in 1913 at the age of 36. Her death certificate below says she died of tuberculosis.

We can read an obituary for Mary below.

Fred would get married again, so we will now take a look at the woman who became his second wife. Her name was Lina Franceska Schubert, who was born on December 19, 1885. Lina was born in Germany to Gustave and Amalie (Lehmann) Schubert. Lina was 7 years old when her Schubert family came to America aboard the ship, Augusta Victoria, in 1893. We find the Schubert names on the passenger list from that ship in the image below.

In the 1900 census, we find Lina at the age of 14. Her father was a farmer in the Whitewater Township in Bollinger County.

I failed to find Lina in the 1910 census. I know that she was not still living with her parents. Fred Rauh married Lina Schubert on October 10, 1915 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim. We can view this couple’s church marriage record here.

I can also display 2 civil marriage records for this pair.

In the 1915 plat maps for Perry County, we find the F.G. Rauh farm located near where Peace, Friedenberg was found. The mapmaker misspelled his surname as Raugh.

Fred had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918. He is given a Menfro address, and it said he was farming.

This couple had a child of their own in 1919, so when the 1920 census was taken, there were 5 children in the Rauh household, 4 from Fred’s first wife, and one from his second.

When the 1930 census was compiled, Fred and Lina had just 2 children still living with them. Their son was helping with the farming.

The Rauh’s are found in the 1940 census, again with a son and daughter in the household, but it was a different son than in the previous census. I find the descriptions of the occupations made by the census taker interesting. For Fred, it says he was a farmer doing farming. For Lina, it says she was a farm wife who was doing home care. The son, Arnold, was a farm helper who was doing field work, and their daughter, Hilma, was called a housekeeper who was doing home care.

The last census the public can view is the one taken in 1950. At the age of 74, Fred was still farming. Just their son, Arnold, was still living with his father and stepmother.

Lina Rauh died in 1957 at the age of 72. Her death certificate is shown here.

We can read Lina’s obituary that was printed in the Perry County Republican.

Fred Rauh died in 1961 at the age of 85. A coronary oclusion was listed as his cause of death on the certiificate below.

We can also read an obituary for Fred.

Fred Rauh and both of his wives are buried in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Friedenberg.

Among all the other facts that I discovered about Fred Rauh which are contained in this post, I found out that he must have been pretty active in the activities going on at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg. He was on a committee to plan for the construction of a new parsonage for that congregation.