Wilhelm John Wirth is today’s birthday boy. He was born on May 29, 1896, so if he was still alive, today would be his 127th birthday. William was the son of George and Pauline (Schade) Wirth. That set of parents may sound familiar to you if you are a regular reader of this blog because … More Wirth While in Longtown
Elsa Barbara Wirth, today’s birthday girl, will be the highlighted character in today’s tale. Elsa was born on May 27, 1893, making today her 130th birthday. Elsa was the daughter of George and Paulina (Schade) Wirth. Her father was one of the charter members of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown, but that congregation was not … More Brief Wife – Lengthy Widow
I have often been amazed while researching characters for this blog at the resiliency of the people from Perry County. I have seen so many who have been faced with the necessity to change occupations as their lives have faced challenges. Today’s tale is another one in which one of the main characters goes through … More A Wirth-y Carpenter, Blacksmith, and Farmer in Longtown
Not long ago, some visitors entered our museum from Bremer County, Iowa. I had to ask, “Do you know any Thurm’s?” Their eyebrows shot up and the man said, “One of my neighbors is a Thurm.” I was not surprised, but he was surprised by my mention of a Thurm. In a previous post on … More Paul, A Member of the Thurm Throng in Bremer County, Iowa
The research library at the Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum is called the Starzinger Family Research Library, thanks to a generous donation from people that were descendants of that clan. Today, I hope to tell the story of the original members of the Starzinger family to arrive in our area. That means I have to … More Pioneer Starzingers
You will be reading in this post about a wedding that took place 126 years ago. This year is the 125th anniversary year of Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown. The family of the bride was especially involved in the establishment of that congregation. However, the marriage is not recorded in that church’s books because it … More Longtown Hoehn’s
I will not relate the story of a birthday boy or girl today. Nor will I relate the story of a couple’s anniversary. Instead, I will be honoring the date that one of our cherished local congregations was established. I guess you could call it either a special birthday or a special anniversary. I will … More Zion, Longtown’s 125th
Hilda Louise Thurm is today’s birthday girl. She was born on July 13, 1899, the 4th and final child of Emanuel and Ernestine (Stueve) Thurm. A post was published last year about Hilda’s parents titled, Emanuel and Ernestine – The E.T.’s. Hilda was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg. The baptism record from that congregation’s … More May the Thurm Be with Thee
Four surnames will enter today’s story. All of them have shown up plenty of times on this blog. It’s one of those stories in which a widow and a widower unite for a second marriage. It begins with a birthday boy. Herman Ferdinand Hoffmann was born on March 6, 1880, so today would be his … More Hoffmann – Mueller – Engert – Schade
Today’s story will have its beginnings in Longtown, Missouri, but will eventually end up in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I also have two men by the name of Freidrich Schade to discuss. Before I go any further, though, let me remind you that around here, the surname, Schade, is pronounced “shoddy”. There have been quite a few … More Jonesboro Butcher
lutheranmuseum.com 