Today, you will be reading the story of a woman who was part of the original Stephanite immigration in 1839 that was called the Gesellschaft. She would be celebrating her 200th birthday because she was born on February 24, 1823. The man who would become her husband was also part of the Gesellschaft. However, neither … More Gesellschaft Gal Celebrates Bicentennial Birthday
Today’s birthday girl, Clara Julie Estel, does not show up in our German Family Tree, but maybe someday, more records from Old Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis will be included. Five of her older siblings are found in the GFT, but several others who were born later, including Clara, are not. Since Clara’s father … More Prairie Pastor and His Pi Partner
I am once again a little frustrated today. After researching a name based on a special event that supposedly took place on August 30th, I now have discovered that date might not be correct. It was even a wedding that our German Family Tree says took place on August 30, 1846, making today the 175th … More Stengel: A New Name – An Old Name
Today’s post was written by our great friend, Fred Eggers. I know he has been working on this research for a long time, and I’m excited to see his results. ================================ Joseph Immanuel Gruber, the youngest of Pastor Carl Friedrich Theodore Gruber’s eight children, was born on November 19, 1838, but until I started searching … More In Search of the Lost Gruber
The Lutheran church that began in St. Louis when the Gesellschaft arrived would eventually be known as Trinity Lutheran Church and have Rev. Otto Herman Walther as their first pastor. It would have its first church building dedicated in 1842, and by then, Rev. Walther died and his brother, Rev. C.F.W. Walther took his place. … More Old Trinity’s Inaugural Double Wedding
The first date that I had with my wife consisted of an evening of watching TV. Yes, I am a miserly old German. That evening included my wife making me dinner. I’ve been in love with her ever since. Believe me, there are countless reasons that I love my wife, not just her culinary skills, … More Winning His Heart through His Stomach?
People who have become familiar with the story of the German Lutheran immigration to America in 1838-1839, which was led by Rev. Martin Stephan, are probably familiar with the name of Louise Guenther. Rev. Stephan was exiled from the Perry County colony in May of 1839, partly as a result of sexual impropriety. The main … More The Miscreant Maid Marries
I am writing a different type of story today. Usually I make an attempt to give you a person’s life history from cradle to grave. I cannot do that today. I cannot even come close. The main character in today’s story was in the United States for only two years, after which he and his … More Mourning Marbach Matron
I will go all the way back to the arrival of the ships that were part of the Gesellschaft back in 1839 and follow a family branch until we find a mail carrier in Benton, Missouri. The family was named Tirmenstein, and I have done several stories about individuals in that family before. Here is … More Benjamin Franklin, Son of Thomas Jefferson
One of the characters in my book, Mama Buenger: Mother of a Synod is Clementine Buenger. She is today’s birthday girl. She was born on June 15, 1823 in Etzdorf, Germany. She was the daughter of Rev. Jakob and Christiane (Reiz) Buenger. Her father died in 1836, so her widowed mother decided to become a … More My Darling, Clementine
lutheranmuseum.com 