Hedwig Sophia Maria Bergmann was born on November 5, 1886. That means today would be her 140th birthday. She would be called Hattie during her life, and that name is even found on her gravestone, so I will use that name in this post. Hattie was the daughter of Gottlieb and Friederike (Bergmann) Bergmann. Yes, she was the product of parents who were each born and raised as Bergmann’s. Hattie was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville.

Hattie is found in the 1900 census at the age of 13. Her father was a farmer in the Central Township. Hattie was the firstborn child in this Bergmann/Bergmann family.

Next, we find Hattie in the 1910 census. She was in her 20’s, still single, and living with her parents.

Hattie would get married during the next decade, so we will now take a look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Carl Otto Wirth, who was born on October 5, 1884. He was the son of Johann and Elizabeth (Hornberger) Wirth. Most likely, Carl was baptized at Peace Lutheran Church in Friedenberg, and since the Friedenberg records were destroyed in a fire, we cannot view his baptism record. Carl is found in the 1900 census at the age of 15. His father was a farmer in the Central Township.

When the 1910 census was taken, the Wirth’s were living in Perryville. Carl was 25 years old and still single. This time, his father was called a carpenter.

Carl Wirth married Hattie Bergmann on March 31, 1913. This is the surprising part of this story. They were married by a justice of the peace in Marble Hill according to the Missouri marriage license below.

According to Family Search, this Wirth pair had 5 children. The first one was a boy, and the rest of them were girls. When Carl had his World War I draft registration completed in 1918, he was given a Perryville address. It says he was a painter for a lumber company.

The 1920 census shows the Wirth’s with 4 of their children. Carl is called a clerk in a department store in Perryville.

The Wirth’s are found in the 1930 census with all 5 of their children. This time, Carl is called a house decorator. Their son, Sherman, was working at the shoe factory.

Carl Wirth died in 1933 at the age of 48. His death certificate uses the term, tuberculosis pneumonia, to describe his cause of death. It also says his occupation was as a painter.

Carl’s death record is also found in the books of Immanuel, Perryville.

Carl’s obituary can be read below.

Hattie is found as a widow when the 1940 census was taken. She was living with 2 of her single daughters. Hattie was washing laundry, and her daughters were both working at the shoe factory in Perryville.

In the last census we are able to view, the one taken in 1950, Hattie was still living in Perryville. This time, she is given no occupation. Included in her household were two daughters, Leona and Olinda. Olinda was still single. Leona had married a man named Wallace Moore and had a son. In this entry, Leona is called a widow, but I found Wallace in another census entry married to another woman. Both Olinda and Leona were working at the shoe factory.

Hattie Wirth died in 1966 at the age of 79. According to her death certificate shown here, she died of heart disease.

We can also view Hattie’s death record from the Immanuel, Perryville books.

I am not able to display a newspaper image of Hattie’s obituary, but I can show this transcription of it.

Carl and Hattie Wirth are buried together in the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Perryville.

After looking at the descendants from this couple, I discovered that their only son, Sherman, did get married, but it looks like he had only one child, and it was a girl. So, this branch of the Wirth family tree would not have any descendants who carried the Wirth name into future generations. The term we like to use these days for this situation is to say that they “daughtered out”.