Joseph Zehr

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer/Miller at House No. 37 in Struth
• Census: 1860, Metamora, Panola Twp., Woodford Co., IL

Notes:

“Married Anne Verle on June 7, 1806 in Cirey-sur-Vesouse, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.

Joseph was apparently a miller (per a letter from his son, Joseph Jr.). 

According to the Obituary of his daughter, Anna (Schertz), the family came to the US around 1836. However, there exists a letter to Joseph from his son, Joseph Jr. signed on January 8, 1852, while Joseph Sr. was still living in France.

In 1850, there was a 65 year old French born, Anne Zehr and 25 year old Madeleine Zehr living with 30 year old Peter Zehr in District 56 of Woodford County. They were next door to Maria Zehr (Mrs. Debolt) Householter. Peter Zehr and Maria Zehr Householter were children of Joseph and Anne Verle Zehr. 

There was also a 67 year old French born Anna Zehr living with 38 year old Joseph "Shirts" (Schertz) and his wife, 24 year old Ann Zehr Schertz. "Ann" Zehr Schertz was the youngest daughter of Joseph and Anne Verle Zehr.

Thus, there are two women named "Anne" or "Anna" Zehr that were of the age of Anne Verle Zehr living with children of Joseph and Anne. Could one of these have been the wife of Joseph Zehr and the other, a relative?

If one of these women is Anne Verle Zehr, why is she in America when it is known that her husband Joseph Zehr, Sr., was still living in France in 1852? 

By the 1860 Census, Joseph (80)and his wife, Anne (82) were living near Metamora with their daughter, Anna (Mrs. Joseph) Schertz.”
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This couple is said to have had five children, four born in Struth. They left there sometime after/between 1835 and 1855. Various members of this family moved to America at different times. Joseph and Anna settled near Metamora, Illinois.

Birth:
or 1784

Census:
Joseph Zehr, 80; Anne, 82; and one daughter

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery

Joseph married Anna Verly (Werelin) on 7 Jun 1806 in Cirey-sur-Vezouse, Meurthe-et-Moselle, FR. Anna (daughter of Ulrich Jean Claude Verly (Werelin) and Madeleine Steiner) was born about 1782 in FR; died after 1870 in Metamora, Panola Twp., Woodford Co., IL; was buried in Metamora, Panola Twp., Woodford Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Magdalena Zehr was born on 21 Sep 1807 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR; died in Aug 1850.
2. Joseph Zehr was born on 29 Apr 1809 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 22 Jul 1883 in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL; was buried in Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL.
3. Anna Catherine Zehr was born on 20 Oct 1810 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR.
4. Anne Marie Zehr was born on 16 Nov 1813 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 28 Jun 1896 in Eureka, Woodford Co., IL.
5. Peter Zehr was born on 1 Jun 1819 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR; died in Aug 1850 in Worth Twp., Woodford Co., IL; was buried in Metamora Twp., Woodford Co., IL.
6. Anna Zehr was born on 1 Apr 1826 in FR; died on 21 Jan 1902 in Metamora, Woodford Co., IL; was buried in Metamora, Woodford Co., IL.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer/Cultivator

Notes:

Birth:
La Petite Pierre

Died:
At home Of Son-in-law, Jean Springer, France La Petite Pierre
“Daniel died in the home of his son-in-law Johannes/Jean Springer at Struth May 21, 1819. His French-language civil death entry describes him as a cultivator, the 84-year-old widower of Catherine Zehr, and a son of Chrétien Zehr and Elisabethe Koch. It was witnessed by son-in-law and cultivator Jean Springer, 44 (he signed 'Johannes Springer'); and son and cultivator Joseph Zehr, 34.”

Daniel married Catherine Zehr in 1777 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR. Catherine (daughter of Jacob (Jacques-Jacki) Zehr and Elisabeth Koch) was born about 1750 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR; died on 24 Dec 1805 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR; was buried in 1805 in Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
At her home

Other Events and Attributes:

• EARL: Y
• Occupation: Farmer
• Residence: 1734, Struth, Bas-Rhin, FR

Notes:

"The Zehrs originated in Niederstocken in Canton Bern in Switzerland, and from there they emigrated to Struth in "Crooked Alsace", Bas-Rhin. Here several branches of the family developed, and they emigrated by way of Lorraine and Bavaria to the USA and Canada. Related to the Zehrs in Struth were the Zehrs in Sulztal, Windstein, Wilenstein, and Knoringen. Inscriptions by Christian Zehr from the years 1786 and 1790 can still be found on a door beam in Sulztal."

Zehr is listed as a surname in the 1798 Bürgerverzeichnisse (census) of Canton Bern, Switzerland.

Source gives the parents of Christian as Christian Zehr (1757-1818) and Barbara Sommer (d. 1818).
Source does not list this Christian as a child of Peter and Barbara.

Christian married Elisabeth Koch about 1733. Elisabeth (daughter of Hans Jacob Koch and Elisabeth SCHUEBLI) was born in 1715 in Niederstocken, Bern, SW. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

With birth year as is, son Daniel was born before his mother and father were 12 years old.

Birth:
Born abt 1715 in Niederstocken, SW according to Keith Zehr (keithwiedzehr)

Jacob married Elisabeth Koch in 1732. Elisabeth (daughter of Hans Jacob Koch and Elisabeth SCHUEBLI) was born in 1715 in Niederstocken, Bern, SW. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

With birth year as is, son Daniel was born before his mother and father were 12 years old.

Birth:
Born abt 1715 in Niederstocken, SW according to Keith Zehr (keithwiedzehr)

Other Events and Attributes:

• EARL: Y
• Religion: Anabaptist
• Residence: Niederstocken, Bern, SW

Notes:

For background information about the political/religious climate in Eggiwil at the time Zehr/Zurfluh ancestors lived there see Source .
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“A close match for the same date for a Peter Zurfluh from LDS records has him born on June 24, 1687, from Trub, Canton Bern. His parents are Hans born 1663 and Christine Baumgardner, born 1667. Hans also has a brother born about 1653. Another Peter Zurfluh was born 1678 at Brienz, Canton Bern, who married Anna Hirni and had the following children:
Margret Zurfluh, b. 1710
Peter Zurfluh b. 1712
Johannes Zurfluh, b. 1716
Elizabeth Zurfluh, b. 1720
“The Zehr’s probably dropped the Fluh part of the name in France because in French it means fluid, and in German it means high up n a ledge….There is some evidence that the Zurfluhs were Jews at one time and were from the Roman province of Septasemia in France.
“A problem is that their son Christian’s Bible has a marriage date of about 1705, meaning that he and his brother Johannes were born in the 1600s.
“….the Zehr’s may or may not also fall under the Scher surname.”

(Two of the children’s birthdates do not fit into the dates for parents—may not be in the correct family.)
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Source gives the following information:
Birth
Taufrodel Reutigen 1753-1804, Seite 26.
Family Note
Marriage with Barbara SCHÜTZ
Eherodel Reutigen 1754-1826, Seite 39.

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“In the Bernese dialect a Zehr can be a boarder or tenant.
The Heimat or place of legal origin for Swiss citizenship rights for this surname is Aeschi bei Spiez. The village is located on a ridge between the Kander Valley [Ger. Kanderthal] and the southwestern shore of Lake Thun.
A marriage entry created July 8, 1687 at Steffisburg said that Peter Zehr von Räütingen [Reutigen] had married Barbara Schütz von Bl?menstein [a Schütz is a guard]. Reutigen is inland on the western shore of Lake Thun, five miles south of that city. Blumenstein is six miles west of that city.
Reutigen, Blumenstein, Oberstocken, Niederstocken, and Pohlern were located in the Stocktal, a valley between the Stockhorn chain of alps and the ridge-plateau that holds Amsoldingen.1
The three oldest registers of baptism records for Reutigen, Niederstocken, and Oberstocken covering the years 1550-1697 have been missing since 1901.2 Perhaps the baptisms of Peter and two of his sons were recorded in the third register.
Or perhaps, Peter’s baptism entry can be found in the adjacent community of Wimmis. Hans Zeÿer and Anni Wÿss had a son Jaggi baptized in the Protestant Reformed Church there Dec. 18, 1657, and a son Peter baptized July 12, 1663.
It is thought that Peter and Barbara lived at Oberstocken after marrying. Family passdown said they came from that location when they emigrated.”

Birth:
He may have just been from Reutigen, but not born there.

Residence:
At the time of son Christian’s birth

Peter married Barbara Schütz in 1763 in Reutigen, Bern, SW. Barbara was born about 1756 in Blumenstein, Bern, SW; died on 21 Jul 1833 in Reutigen, Bern, SW; was buried on 25 Jul 1833 in Reutigen, Bern, SW. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Anabaptist

Notes:

Married:
Steffisburg marriage entry

Hans + Elisabeth SCHUEBLI. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]