Otto Heinrich Dost was born on July 21, 1890, so today would be his 135th birthday. I will display several documents that will confirm this date of birth, but his later death record and his gravestone say that he was born on July 28, 1890. Otto was the son of Otto and Elizabeth (Steiner) Dost. … More Shawneetown Dost’s – Otto and Clara
When this post is published, I will likely be on the road to a baseball tournament in which our grandson will be playing. I knew I would not have time to write a new story, so I chose one that was originally written on this day 8 years ago. Theodore Poppitz was born on July … More Ted Terminated by Tornado While Tarrying for a Trolley
Tornadoes have certainly been in the news lately. Many tornadoes touched down and caused the loss of life and damage to property this past weekend all over the country. We in Perry County heard the sirens warning us of a tornado approaching that was forecast to be very dangerous. Just up the road from Altenburg, … More Tri-State Tornado Centennial
I am republishing an old story today because I do not have time to write. Today is the 98th anniversary of the deadliest tornado in American history, and that tornado went through Perry County. The centennial anniversary of that tragic event will take place in 2 years. =========================================== Ninety-one years ago, on March 18, 1925, … More The Deadliest Tornado
Today’s tale will be yet another one in which one of the main characters is a grandchild of J.G. Hemmann, one of the most prolific fathers in the early history of German Lutherans in Perry County. Heinrich Louis Hemman was born on December 14, 1887, the son of Julius and Gesche (Hesse) Hemmann. Perhaps you … More Hemman Returns for Herring
The surnames of Pfau, Blanken, and Wedig have previously led me to Wentzville, Missouri. Today we add the surnames of Koenig and Stelling to this list. In previous posts, we have mentioned the Koenig Lutheran Cemetery in Wentzville. The fact that these names which are connected to Perry County are also connected to this area … More Tornado Casualty Dies with Baby in Arms
Sally Gustin sent me this post a few days ago. Most of the words in this story are not Sally’s. She shares with us her uncle’s first-hand account of the Tri-State Tornado which, as the name describes, caused death and destruction over three states…..Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. They are the memories of an eye witness … More Fatal Funnel in Fountain Bluff
While looking for an event that took place on July 1 in our German Family Tree, I ran across a simple phrase that led me to an event that took place on a different day. It turned out to be one of those stories that I just felt I had to tell. It is a … More Just Waiting for a Streetcar
In 1925, a seven month old baby flew through the air. No, she didn’t have wings. She wasn’t in a plane. She flew through the air because a tornado tore her away from her mother’s arms and she went flying. Thankfully, this little child survived. Today was the birthday of that baby’s mother. Julia Knoll … More A Baby Flies
***Today’s blog post was written by Fred Eggers, one of the valuable members of our museum’s research crew. Fred is our local expert on the Farrar area, and he shares some of that knowledge in this post. Thanks, Fred. March 18, 1925 will always be remembered as the date of the Tri-State Tornado. A search … More A Tornado Tale of Two Towns
