KLOTZ: Melchior b.16 Dec 1821 - d.29 Aug 1915 - 93y 8m 12d

Catherine b.12 Jan 1811 D.30 Dec 1880 - 69y 11m 19d

Denzer Zion Evangelical Cemetery

Abstract of Title - Items show for possible maiden name for Catherine.

Melchoir Klotz, Ragatt, wife, (perhaps Ragatz?) 24 July 1858--$63.60 Mortgage on NW ¼ SW ¼ 14-10-5 to Ch. Augustus Hill; Released by order of Circuit Court 30 Dec 1918.

Declaration of Intention to Become A Citizen

I was born in Haldenstein, Graubuenden, Switzerland; I am 32 years of age; I emigrated from Haldenstein in April AD 1852; I entered the United States at Port of New York, New York in June of AD 1852

Sworn to this 19th day of October AD 1853 /s/Melchoir Klotz

His citizenship was granted 17 Oct 1857, which was a remarkable feat for gaining a working knowledge of the English Language and of the United States Government in so few years.

When the family sailed for America among them was a son, his name and age unknown. He died on the high seas, but in as much a shipping company received no pay for a fare buried at sea, somehow he was held over for a stateside burial. Please note that Catherine was now (41) years of age and quite likely beyond her child bearing years. We now find them in a strange land without an heir. A “circuit rider” knew of their plight, also of boy-girl twins born 09 Sep 1858 to John Michael ZELLHOEFFER and Elizabeth nee: Pfeifer. The mother died at their birth. The father remarried 12 Mar 1859 to Eleanora Miller, a Widow. May it have been that the new mother did not take kindly to raising someone else’s children? Eleanora had come to America with daughters Annie Heileman and Augustina Miller but no husband. The family now reads your children (2); my children (2); and soon to follow with our children (3); totaling six girls and one boy. Or may have been the lone boy that proved to be a discomfort? With no certainty can we say that the circuit rider was John Hammeter, but in our records search in Jefferson County his name appeared over and again. At the second Evangelical Conference, Sauk Prairie, with Sauk and Dane counties became the Madison Mission with Rev. Benjamin Epley as appointed minister. A Sauk Co. Marriage record: - John Adolph Sprecher and Martha Schies 03 Aug 1846, signed Benjamin Epley, Preacher for Sauk Co.

From Erhart Mueller’s “Salem Church” (Ministers at Honey Creek)

1865/66 John Hammeter and F. Strobel; 1866/67 J. Hammeter and F. Moser.

In 1862, Melchoir or Doddy as he came to be known locally, journeyed by horse and buggy to Rome, Sullivan Twp, Jefferson Co., Wisconsin to bring back with him “Little George” ZELLHOEFFER who was destined to become his heir. Upon arriving there, it was found that George had hidden Catherine camped comfortably on the buggy seat, her few worldly goods packed and placed beside her. What a game and sporting figure she must have been. My image of her is that of a hobo, his belongings wrapped in a neckerchief tied to the end of a stick and flung over his shoulder. Now we have Doddy, removing her from the buggy seat and placing her on the ground. Promptly, she sat down, shoving her feet and legs between the spokes of the wheel and clasping the upper spokes in her arms. We now have Doddy peeling her from the wheel and replacing her to the buggy seat, saying either in German or Swiss “Ach wenn ich kann ein futtern, kann ich auch beide besorgen”; Ach, if I can feed the one, I can provide for the both of you. And so it was that the ZELLHOEFFER twins remained together, taking the Klotz name here in Sauk Co. We now have mother and daughter Catherine in the same nenage. I am sure that we should have been spelling Catherine with a “K” rather than a “C” all along, but someone started us out wrong by inscribing it thus on the family monument. Locally the daughter came to be know as SOPHIA and used that name for the rest of her days. Perhaps it was Sophia because the parents of her stepmother Eleanora were John and Sophia Haverland.

By which road did Doddy travel? First in 1852, possible from Milwaukee to Honey Creek to “Homestead” and now in 1862 to Jefferson County and return with his heirs to Sauk County. The Fates must have been smiling as the twins were destined to remain together. At that time the road from Milwaukee to Madison was known as the “Old Military Road” and today’s modern Hwy 18 roughly parallels to it. As a lad of (6), my folks, brother Allen and myself took that route to pay the ROME relatives a visit (Hwy 18 lies two miles north of Rome). A warm day it was, the side curtains were folded back on the Studebaker sedan and the draft and wind sucked the little hat from Allen’s head. The 1922 automobiles were not equipped with as efficient brakes as we have today so it was a bit down the road before dad managed to stop. Mother got out of the car to chase the hat with a tail wind scudding it further away but she did manage to retrieve it. I must honestly say that she could run as fast or faster than any other woman. She was able to catch me until I was about (13) years of age, that would put her at near (41)). As for myself, I was never left in the dust either. Another memory of that trip was seeing the hop fields with the tall stakes to support the vines. The hop growing enterprize had long ago been discontinued in Sauk County.