Golden wedding anniversaries in the Stehr clan

The 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stehr in 1940 prompted The Southeast Missourian newspaper to not only print a photograph of the happy couple, but a front page story about the long marriages prevalent in the Stehr clan as well.

The item caught my attention because my mother, Frances, was a Stehr, the daughter of Raymond and Clara Glaus Stehr. She was related to each of the five couples mentioned in the article.

Charles Stehr, the groom in the above photo, married his business partner's daughter, Pauline Nussbaum, on April 23, 1890, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. He was the son of Conrad and Mary Stehr, while she was the daughter of Henry and Maria Nussbaum. They had one son, Charles Nussbaum Stehr.

The front-page story I mentioned above listed four other Stehr couples, who also attained 50 years of marriage, including Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Stehr, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob "Jake" Stehr, Mr. and Mrs. David Stehr, and Mr. and Mrs. Leo Stehr.

Of those couples listed, I was also able to track down wedding anniversary stories for Conrad and David. And in the latter case, the reporter got his facts wrong. David and his bride, Katherine, hadn't yet reached their golden anniversary in 1940. That didn't occur until three years later.

Here's the writeup from The Daily Republican newspaper on Feb. 8, 1910, about the golden anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Stehr.

CELEBRATED THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING

MANY FRIENDS OF MR. AND MRS. CONRAD STEHR GATHERED FOR JOLLIFCATION.

Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Stehr, pioneer citizens of Cape Girardeau, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary yesterday at their home on North Frederick Street. The celebration of this fiftieth anniversary of married life was indeed appropriate for these long years have been spent in happiness and usefulness and have set a standard of citizenship that will always be cherished by their descendants.

The nine living children were present, two friends who attended their wedding were there to continue their friendship and numerous other relatives and friends made the event a happy one.

Rev. A. Wilder, the Lutheran minister, reviewed the lives of the couple, paying them an especial compliment for the service rendered the church during their entire lives. Clippings from German papers that were published here were read, giving an account of the wedding fifty years ago and then of the silver anniversary twenty-five years ago. Reminiscences were exchanged by the older guests, many interesting events being recalled.

Mr. and Mrs. Stehr were married at the home of Mr. St. H. Bergmann, father of Mr. W.C. Bergmann, the retired merchant, in the house on Frederick Street just north of Hartung's shop. A squire, better known as a justice of the peace, married the young couple, but his name cannot be recalled. After the ceremony, the young couple went to the home of Christ Kage, who then kept a grocery store on Broadway, opposite where the Stein & Lance mill now is, and a joyous evening was spent.

Mr. Stehr was 23 years of age and the bride was 18 years old. Mrs. Wittig, who was the bride's maid, was 14 years old. Mrs. Wittig, who is now a prominent lady of St. Louis, was one of the guests of honor (at the anniversary celebration).

Mr. Stehr came to Cape Girardeau from the old country when 16 years of age. He had learned the tailor's trade and after his marriage opened a shop on Broadway. Until a few years ago when he retired from business, he continued his shop. Mr. Stehr is now 74 years of age and Mrs. Stehr is 68.

The dining room presented a beautiful sight. It was decorated in yellow and white, and numerous tall vases held yellow carnations. A supper was served in four courses. The parlors were decorated with gold leaves in profusion, while rose bowls on the mantels were filled with yellow chrysanthemums. While there were a number of young people among the 100 or more guests, none appeared more enthusiastic and brighter than Mr. and Mrs. Stehr, and the general comment was that the couple were younger in spirit than ten years ago.

All the Children Present.

Of the eleven children born to the couple nine were present: Miss Anna, C.W., A.H., R.W., Mrs. Mollie Massek, Mrs. Otto Hanny, Mrs. J.M. Depew of St. Louis, Mrs. William Maars, Theo. Stehr. Two children are dead, Mrs. Hattie Woody having died about two years ago. (The unnamed child was a son, Herman A. Stehr, who died in 1878 at age 7 months.)

The guests brought many beautiful gifts of gold and silver, and a party of friends presented a very fine gilt plaque. Among those present were:

Rev. and Mrs. A. Wilder, Mrs. Louis Bertling, Mrs. Henry Vasterling, Mr. and Mrs. D.A. Glenn, Mr. and Mrs. William Pott, Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Polack, Mr and Mrs. F.W. Pott, Mr. and Mrs. T.H. Woody, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Bock, Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Betten, Mr. and Mrs. Al Brinkopf, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Ische, Henry Nussbaum Sr., Dr. R.F. Wichterich.

Mrs. Stehr for many years has been an active member of the Lutheran Ladies' Aid Society and most of the members were present: Mrs. C. Stein, Mrs. Antone Schrader, Mrs. C. Rupert, Mrs. Charles Hunze, Mrs. Franz, Mrs. Kimpel, Mrs. Henry Vogelsang, Mrs. Henry Lamprich, Mrs. John Pope, Mrs. Ritgeroth, Mrs. Johanna Meystedt, Mrs. Louis Waltmann, Mrs. C. Kempe, Mrs. P. Dietrich, Mrs. J.C. Fisher, Mrs. Charles Ruesseler, Mrs. Emil Pott, Mrs. Mavers.

Those who came from a distance to attend the event were: Mrs. Henry Wittich, St. Louis; Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Stehr and Mr. and Mrs. Theo. Stehr, Humboldt, Tenn.; Mrs. J.W. Depew and daughter, St. Louis; Cob Schwach, Gordonville.

The young ladies present were: Misses Clara Hanny, A. Osterloh, Rosie Franz and Josie Walcher.

Conrad Stehr was the son of Henry and Katherine Gunter Stehr. Conrad's wife was Mary Martinowsky, a native of Bohemia. I have been unable to find the names of her parents, but I did identify her brother, Mathias, who also lived in Cape Girardeau with his family. Interestingly, Mathias saw fit to alter his surname, shortening it to Nowsky.

Conrad's brother, "Jake," is also mentioned in the above article. The two brothers started to the United States from Germany with their parents and four other siblings in the mid-1850s. Family tradition says that the mother died at sea, and it's unknown whether the parents reached that magical golden anniversary mark.

Jacob did, though. He married a Scott County girl, Margaret Westrich, the daughter of John and Christina Schaefer Westrich, on Jan. 1, 1865.

Their son, David, also mentioned in the above story, likewise married a girl from Scott County, Katherine Anna Bullinger, on May 2, 1893. She was the daughter of Peter and Anna Dirnberger Bullinger. The Missourian carried a story about their 50th wedding observance.

David and Katherine were my great-grandparents.

The other couple mentioned in the 1940 article was Mr. and Mrs. Leo Stehr. Leo, another son of Jacob, married Mary Louisa Scherer on Nov. 15, 1888.

Jacob and Conrad Stehr had two brothers and two sisters who accompanied them on their journey to America. The two sisters, Elisabeth and Marie, both married St. Louis men and lived in that area. More research needs to be done on their lives.

The two brothers were Henry and George Stehr.

Henry's life was cut short by the Civil War. He died at age 31 at the Battle of Stones River and is buried at the national cemetery at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He never married.

George also served in Civil War, but lived to tell the tale. He married Anna Marie Foehr in Cape Girardeau in 1866, but spent much of his life in Cairo, Illinois. Unlike his married brothers, George and his wife didn't attain their golden wedding anniversary. He died in 1905, and the date of her death is still unknown.

The father of this robust family, Henry Stehr, lost his first wife on their journey to America. But he married a second time when he reached Cape Girardeau. His new bride was Caroline Henze. They had one daughter, Louise C. Stehr.