You will read the story of Reinhold Jungclaus today. He was a lifelong bachelor. In quite a few other stories that have been written on this blog, lifelong single women and men spent much, if not all, of their lives living with their parents and helping to care for them in their senior years. That is not the case with Reinhold. First of all, both of his parents died when Reinhold was a teenager. They never made it to their senior years. Then, in all the subsequent census entries for Reinhold, we find him living in different places and mostly in other people’s households. That is where he found work and boarding.

Reinhold Johannes Jungclaus was born on October 30, 1896, thus making today his 130th birthday. Reinhold was the son of John and Emma (Kutscher) Jungclaus. I am going to add at this point that Reinhold’s mother began her life in the Shawnee Township in northern Cape Girardeau County, having been baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells. But Emma would find her Jungclaus husband on The Ridge north of Altenburg. This Jungclaus couple were members of another Immanuel…Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. That is where we find the baptism record for Reinhold. We can view his baptism record from that congregation’s books below in two images.

Reinhold is found in the 1900 census at the age of 3. His father was a farmer in the Brazeau Township.

Next, we find Reinhold in the 1910 census as a teenager. Three more children had been added to the Jungclaus family in the previous decade.

That census was taken during the year when Reinhold was confirmed at Immanuel, Altenburg. His confirmation record is displayed here.

Reinhold’s mother died in 1911 of tuberculosis. His father died a year later of pneumonia. A few days ago, in a story titled, Wilhelmine Hoffmann and Her Weber and Leimbach Husbands, it mentioned that Charles Leimbach had an adopted son in his household named George Jungclaus. George was Reinhold’s younger brother.

When Reinhold completed his World War I draft registration in 1918, he is given a Pocahontas address. He was employed by Ed Ruehling who was a farmer. The name of his nearest relative was Hilda Jungclaus, who was Reinhold’s sister.

When the 1920 census was taken, Reinhold was a 23 year-old boarder in the Alvin Pfeiffer household. He was heling Alvin on his farm in the Shawnee Township.

Reinhold is found in the 1930 census living in the Otto Steiner household. He was a lodger who was doing general farm work with Otto. He was said to be 36 years old, but I think he was a few years younger than that. Otto’s farm was located in the Apple Creek Township.

Next, we find Reinhold in the 1940 census once again living in the Shawnee Township. This time, while he was in his 40’s, Reinhold was doing work on the John Daume farm. The 1940 census has a column to indicate where the person lived five years ealier in 1935. It does not indicate that Reinhold was living in the same place five years earlier.

Reinhold had a World War II draft card completed. He is given an Altenburg address, but that may be because his mail originated at the post office in Altenburg. His employer was still John Daume in the Apple Creek Township. The name of the person who would always know his address was Heironymous Schade, who had married Reinhold’s sister, Hilda.

In the last census we can view, Reinhold was living in Pocahontas in 1950. He was living by himself at the age of 54 and working as a mill hand at a milling company. That would have been the business known today as Bowman’s Milling Company in Pocahontas.

Before I wrap this story up, let me say that I located a newspaper article which mentioned that Reinhold and his cousin, Arthur Jungclaus, provided some music for a program that was held at the Ridge School in 1942. Apparently, Reinhold had some musical abilities and was willing to share his talents with others.

Reinhold Jungclaus died in 1965 at the age of 69. At the time of his death, he was living in Altenburg, but he died at the Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. The informant on his death certificate, Mrs. Emma Feiste, was the daughter of Hieronymous Schade, Reinhold’s brother-in-law.

Reinhold Jungclaus is buried in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg.

Although Reinhold began his life and then ended his life in Altenburg, it looks like he spent much of his life south of the Apple Creek in the northern part of Perry County. Perhaps after his parents’ deaths, some of his mother’s Kutscher relatives near New Wells may have looked out for the orphan, Reinhold, and found a place for him to work in the Shawnee Township. He was employed by numerous farmers in that area over the years. He eventually migrated back to his birthplace in Perry County where he died and was buried.