The birthday girl that will be highlighted in today’s tale is Johanna Rosina Beyer. She was born on May 16, 1879, so today would be her 147th birthday. I located many documents during her life that called her Jane, so I will use that name. She was the daughter of George and Sarah (Kramer) Beyer. Her father was a Lutheran teacher in Altenburg from 1863-1906. We can view Jane’s baptism record from the books of Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg below.
Jane is found in the 1880 census at the age of 1. Her father is called a school teacher.
Twenty years later, when we can view the next census entry in 1900, we find Jane still living in Altenburg. She was 21 years old, and her father was still teaching.
That would be the last time we find Jane living in Perry County. When the 1910 census was taken, we find her living in Fort Wayne, Indiana with her sister, Lena, who had married Herman Leitz. You can read Lena’s story in the post, Lena Beyer and “Mister Daisy”. Herman was a salesman for a florist shop.
Jane would get married during the next decade, so we will now look at the man who would become her husband. His name was Arthur Julius Max Schaff, who was born on March 3, 1884 in Harburg, Germany. He was the son of Adolph and Anna (Ziegler) Schaff. I am able to display his baptism record from Germany.
In two later census entries, we find possible dates of immigration for Arthur. One entry says he came to this country in 1909, and the other says 1910. I was unsuccessful at finding Arthur in an American census prior to his marriage. Now, we come to a mystery, and I think I have a possible solution to it. On May 25, 1913, Arthur Schaff married Jane Beyer, but the location of that wedding is not what we might expect. They were married in Wichita County in Texas. Their Texas marriage license is shown here.
Here is my possible explanation for the location of this wedding. Perhaps when Arthur Schaff came to America, he first settled in or near Wichita Falls, Texas. In the case of Jane Beyer, she had a brother, Constantine, who became a Lutheran pastor and we find him living in Texas when the 1910 census was taken. I think Jane may have gone to Texas to assist her younger brother with his housekeeping. She could have become acquainted with Arthur in that state. Regardless of the circumstances, after these two were married, they are found living in Fort Wayne when the 1920 census was taken. Arthur was called a machinist at a railroad shop. Arthur and Jane had 2 children, both of which are listed in the above census entry. Both are said to be born in the state of Indiana…