|
Comparing the Families...
Are Johann Joseph Zellhoefer and George Jacob Zellhoefer
the same man, or are almost-twin families actually separate? |
|
We have two families which are so
identical as to be virtually interchangeable, which is causing such great
difficulties in determining which is correct, or whether they are really
different families!?
Each family from separate Source -- children's birthdates compatible, with
George Leonhard having the only absolute date from GGZ, but it matches
exactly!
As of late 2003, this seems
resolved, but if you have any information which applies to this family,
please let us hear from you!!! |
"died bef any
grandchildren born"
see >> d 1804 |
"Witch" |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Johann Leonhard Zellhoefer
1741-1804 |
Dorthea Winkler
1750-1833 |
Zacharius Hofmann
c.1740- |
Katherina Federlein
c.1742- |
| George Jacob Zellhoefer |
<not named> |
Joseph Zellhoefer
1774-c.1838 |
Anna Margaretha Hofmann
1769-1846 |
Info from "Autobiography
of the Zellhoefer Family" c.1915, by George G Zellhoefer -
"GGZ", b.Wisconsin USA. GGZ's father was
George Leonard and his grandfather was the subject George Jacob.
Both GGZ's grandparents died before GGZ was born, so he wrote was from
what he heard from his elders in the USA. |
Joseph's family was found in LDS IGI,
downloaded and imported into ZellTree, then carefully merged, this
family being the result. In later findings in Bavarian records he
was Johann Joseph, and more info on spouses of the children, parents, and
other is found. |
| Marriage believed in "Ahrnsbach"
spelling = Ansbach. All their children were born on their farm in
Ansbach, Bavaria. Obviously that farm would not have been
"in" Ansbach, but rather "near" or
"outside"? |
Married and all children born in Brachbach, which is located only
11 miles from Ansbach. |
Children (9) of George Jacob
& <unknown wife>
(birth order per GGZ mostly matches, but GGZ had only
one exact date, for his father) |
Children (10) of
Johann Joseph
& Anna Zellhoefer |
| see Fredrick below |
Birth order per GGZ but partly wrong and changed |
George Friedrich
NOTE: Per GGZ Jacob was the oldest
???
|
10 Mar 1808 |
Johann Jacob
a teamster in Germany, hauling to Germersheim, Mannheim & Ludwigshafen
ports am Rhein. Emigrated 1838/1841 to New York, then Pennsylvania.
m.1 KRETSCH
surname became ZILHAVER |
1810 |
No Jacob?
Jacob is & has been the most
difficult to verify and match up. However, we have now learned that
Jacob was born before the parents were married, so he becomes a definite
fit. |
|
<unnamed dtr>
Married and remained in Germany |
|
Anna Margareta
m. SHERZER 1843 in Germany |
29 Apr 1810 |
<unnamed dtr>
Married and remained in Germany |
|
Margareta Barbara
m.WALZ bef 1846 |
26 Aug 1812 |
Frederick
Emigrated 1844 to New Jersey USA; NJ and MD residents today use the
spelling ZELLHOFER. |
|
See George Friedrich above. |
|
Johann Leonhart
migrated to Wisconsin USA 1844.
m1 "Charlotte" 1846, she later found to be Margareta BENSIN.
m2 1847 Christina PFEIFER in Wisconsin. |
1815 |
Johann Leonhard
married Christina PFEIFER 1840 in Brachbach.
NOTE: The Wisconsin marriage is
verified.
|
28 Jan 1815 |
George Leonhart
migrated to Wisconsin USA 1848.
M1 "Anna" 1846, she later found to be Walbiergis
Bensin.
M2 1848 J C Fredericka TARTSCH. |
1 Apr 1818 |
Georg Leonhard |
1 Apr 1818 |
Christine
migrated 1846 to Wisconsin USA
m. DEBEREINER. 1847 GGZ called her the "youngest sister" &
that Christine was 14 years old in 1840-41 when Jacob emigrated - WRONG! |
GGZ said b.1827, but headstone says b.1820 |
Christina Eva |
25 May 1820 |
<unnamed dtr>
migrated 1846 to Wisconsin USA, soon died.
"born between George & Mike" |
est 1821 |
Eva Maria - twin
no marriage found |
10 Dec 1822 |
| No match - not known? |
|
Maria Barbara - twin
m.1844 LEUPOLD |
10 Dec 1822 |
John Michael
migrated 1853 to Wisconsin USA
(NOT w/family in 1846 with family as per GGZ):
m.1 "Anna" of Urphertshofen, Bav.
m.2 widow Elnora (nee: Haverland (??)) Miller |
17 May 1825
(from USA military records>
|
Johann Konrad
NOTE: (aka??) John Michael found of this family,
single when migrated Mar 1853. With the difference in their names
and birthdates, we cannot ignore the possibility that these were two
different men, but
|
8 Aug 1825 |
| GGZ did not know
the names of 3 daughters, and if these are the same family as it appears,
also did not know the b.1822 girls were twins.
GGZ said 2 daughters "had married and remained in Germany",
but did not mention that Eva Maria and Anna Margareta had been amongst the
entourage in 1846.
GGZ had said Jacob was the eldest, and Fredrick next. Given that
Fredrick settled in New Jersey and apart from all the others, and was
never mentioned again, quite possibly GGZ never met Fredrick. GGG
did seem to have traveled considerably around the USA (a roaming preacher,
it would seem), and was found in one census in Pennsylvania near Jacob,
also in Wisconsin, Colorado and finally California.
The given names - George Jacob vs Johann Jacob - are a real
headache. Even tho he never knew his grandparents, and tho much of
what he wrote was correct only in a general sense, doesn't it seem GGZ
would have gotten the name right ??? |
| Joseph's family includes son Johann Konrad b. 4 Aug 1825
while George's tree includes son John Michael, whose birthdate of 17 May
1825 appears in his enlistment record in Wisconsin. This birthdate
and name difference are thus far impossible to resolve. Apparently,
though, Johann Konrad became Johann Michael after his birth was registered
in the parish at Obernzenn, for the given name "Konrad" is never
again seen afterward.
All of this tends to lower the credibility of the GGZ autobiography,
although without it we might have learned much less.
Okay, just one more thing. GGZ's "Ansbach" is only 11.6
miles from Brachbach. Considering the vagaries of GGZ's descriptions
of Germany, and that Ansbach is the largest town in the area, it's easy to
imagine that the family farm may have been located anywhere around
Ansbach. A farm is not likely to have really been "in" any
town, anyway! |
| Please, if you have any information which would help
resolve this confusion, please eMail RonKZ. |
