The Iowa Connection

Family history has always indicated that Jacob and Maria lived in Iowa for a while before traveling to California in 1852. They were married in St. Louis in 1846 and, according to census records (1860 and later), their son George was born in Indiana in 1850. However, I have been unable to locate this family in the 1850 census. According to "Joys and Tears of Yesteryears", Jacob's brother, Louis Joseph Kloepfer, married Elizabeth Leusbrock in 1849 in "their parish church which was St. Joseph’s" presumably in St. Louis. Elizabeth was the daughter of John Bernard Laufkotter and Adelaide Leusbrock (according to "Joys and Tears" the family retained her maiden name).

I recently came across the following marriage record:

"Klopfer, Louis, age 24, married Lawkotter, Elizabeth, age 23, on 05 Jun 1847 in Muscatine County, Iowa"

Is this the same Louis Joseph Kloepfer and Elizabeth Leusbrock? According to census and other records Elizabeth was born in about 1827 and Louis in about 1828.

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