Sophia Marie (Kempker) Behm was born on Monday, June 6, 1853 in Coopersville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Elisabeth (Rehmann) and Albert Kempker, Sr.

In the 1860 census, she is living with her parents and siblings in Ward 19 in Philadelphia. By 1870, they were living in Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey.

On Monday, January 1, 1872 at the age of 18, she married George W. Behm at Zion's Lutheran Church in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County, New Jersey.

They had six children:

  1. Henry Alfred "Harry" Behm, Sr.

  2. Albert Adam Behm

  3. George C.R. Behm

  4. Marie Georgeanna "Mary" (Behm) Rosenthall

  5. Grover Cleveland Behm

  6. Ethel May (Behm) Kunkel

In the 1880 census, Sophia, her husband, George, and their children were living at 4 Upshure Avenue in Philadelphia. After George's death in 1898, she moved to 2017 Kessler by 1895 then on to 2023 N. Marshall Street for the 1900 census. Sophia was the head of the household in the 1910 census and still residing on Marshall with her children, George C.R., Marie, Grover and Ethel. Granddaughter Louis Kemper Behm (daughter of Grover) and daughter-in-law, Ida M. Behm (wife of George C.R.) lived there too. Herman Leiplet was listed as a boarder. Sophia was employed as a housekeeper in a private home living at the rear of a house on N. Hancock Street in Philadelphia.

Sophia died on August 24, 1927 at her home at 149 West Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia at the age of 74. She was buried in the cemetery of St. James Lutheran Church in Folsom Borough, Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County, NJ.

George, who was born on May 24, 1847, died of cirrhosis of the liver on August 28, 1898 at the age of 51 at the Atlantic City Sanitarium. He was buried in Pleasantville, NJ. George had been employed as a basketmaker, cook and bartender at various times in his adult life.

In the Rehmann Family many events since the mid-19th century have occurred at two churches located at 1341 Mays Landing Road in Folsom, New Jersey. (Some sources list the address being in Hammonton, NJ.) There can be some confusion since names of these churches are spelled in slightly different ways depending on the date or the document.

Starting in 1848, the original church was established as St Jacobus Lutheran Church to serve the local German immigrants. It was located on a 12 acre plot of land which included a cemetery.

In 1853, conflicts over theological issues caused a split in the congregation. The land was divided into two six acre sites and one was used to construct what is now St James Lutheran Church, originally St James Evangelical Church. Charles Rehmann (1826-1892) was on the St. James committee. A second facility called Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church was founded at that time. It is sometimes listed as Zion's or Zions.

About 1998 around the 150th anniversary of the original church, the two congregations reunited into St James Lutheran Church. The cemetery is often referred to by either name, St. James or Zion.