Communicant Records

Communion Participation Record of Salem Lutheran Church, Farrar, Missouri

Story

The above image is the heading for the communion participation record of Salem Lutheran Church, Farrar, Missouri.  Just above the row listing the Sundays there are the dates 1903, 1904, 1905 which start the next month (January) after Advent Sunday[2]. Communion was typically served once a month. Below are the participation records for the Cordes and Kirmse families.

Widow Margaretha (Meier) Cordes family attendance record:

From this it is estimated that Martha was in St. Louis for about 6 months beginning about March 1903.  She was in St. Louis as a housekeeper to help her aunt Anna (Meier) Schroeder. Martha left for Oklahoma March, 1904 - just after her marriage to Wilhelm Kirmse.  According to Helen (Kirmse) Hacker, the people in the community along with the Kirmse boys helped the Cordes family after Henry became sick - the presence of three beautiful sisters did not distract.

Julius and Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse family attendance record:

From this record Wilhelm was in Oklahoma about a year beginning in 1903. And, then Wilhelm left for Oklahoma March, 1904 - just after his marriage to Martha Cordes.

According to his autobiography, Wilhelm had previously been to Oklahoma in 1901. These records also put a time frame for when Martha Cordes and Wilhelm Kirmse could have courted and became engaged to be married.

Who

The following people are mentioned in the records displayed in this blog:

• Wittn. Marg. Cordes, is widow Margaretha (Meier) Cordes.
• Martha Cordes is daughter of Henry and Margaretha (Meier) Cordes.
• Maria Cordes is daughter of Henry and Margaretha (Meier) Cordes.
• Julius Kirmse, is Julius Kirmse
• Barbara Kirmse, is Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse
• Karl Kirmse, is Karl "Charles" Kirmse, son of Julius and Barbara Kirmse
• Joseph Kirmse,  is Joseph "Joe" Kirmse, son of Julius and Barbara Kirmse
• Wilhelm Kirmse is Wilhelm "William" Kirmse, son of Julius and Barbara Kirmse
• Louis Kirmse is son of Julius and Barbara Kirmse
• Katharina Kirmse is daughter of Julius and Barbara Kirmse

Date

1903 - 1905

Location

Farrar, Missouri - Salem Lutheran Church

Notes

1. Photographed from Salem Lutheran Church, Farrar, Missouri Records - October 2003.
2. Advent Sunday is, for the Western Christian churches, the first day of the liturgical year and the start of the season of Advent.[1]  - 4 weeks before Christmas.