This will not be a post that follows the same blueprint that is used in most of the stories that I write. Instead of just taking you from cradle to grave of a featured character or couple, I will be leading you to a scenario that took place in a graveyard in Wittenberg in 1904. … More 3 Infants, 3 Graves, 10 Days
Rudolph Andreas Petzoldt was born on June 25, 1896, so he would have been celebrating his 124th birthday if he was still alive today. Rudolph was the last child born to Charles and Theresia (Leimer) Petzoldt. He was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna, Missouri. Below is his baptism record. When Rudolph was just … More Rudy and Rosie
A birthday that took place 170 years ago attracted my attention for today’s story. Heinrich Gotthold Doering was born on June 2, 1850, the firstborn child of George and Theresa (Schlimpert) Doering. Before we discuss Heinrich’s life, let’s take a brief look at his parents. According to a Doering family book we have in our … More The Doering-Petzoldt Pair
Today is the 150th birthday of one of Friedrich Florian (“The Face”) Petzoldt’s grandsons. In this case, we find a branch of his family ending up in the northern part of Cape Girardeau County near the town of Pocahontas. The birthday boy is Herman Petzoldt, Jr. He was born on May 27, 1870, the son … More Some Pocahontas Petzoldts
When I first moved to Perry County about 10 years ago, I looked at the surname, Koeberl, and wondered how to pronounce it. I soon discovered that folks around here make it very simple. They pronounce this name the same as they pronounce “cable”. This is also one of those names that was once spelled … More Frank the Koeberl Guy
I decided to write a story today about a couple that got married on March 28th. I had gotten quite a way through researching this couple before I discovered that another couple not only got married on the same day, but at the same church. Then I took a look to see if I had … More Adolf’s Ladies
I am not in Altenburg right now and will not be there until later this coming week. That makes a little difference in the way I write these posts. I do not have access to the church records that we have at the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum. I will not be able to display … More Koeberl and Leimer
Local residents sometimes refer to Friedrich Florian Petzoldt as “The Face” That is because when Friedrich Florian was buried in the cemetery of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, his tombstone bears the image of his face. That Friedrich Florian Petzoldt was born in Germany in 1812 and died here in Perry County in 1884. Here … More Grandson of “The Face”
I live in the area that was originally named Dresden when the Gesellschaft arrived on the scene in Perry County in 1839. Gerard Fiehler jokingly calls me the Mayor of Dresden. That means nothing since there is no such place anymore. However, there was a time when there was such a place. The map below … More Adolph of Dresden
I wrote yesterday that I do not often use an early death as the starting point for a blog post. Now I am about to write my second post in a row that starts that way. What attracted me to an early death today is the likelihood that this death led to the first burial … More First Burial
