Eliza Studer
1867 - 1963 (95 years)-
Name Eliza Studer [1, 2] Birth 25 Jul 1867 Bern, Canton Bern, SW - Tenth child of her mother (according to Urbana Free Library index)
Gender Female USR1 Amish/Mennonite Death 25 Feb 1963 Washington, Tazewell Co., IL [3, 4] Burial Fisher, Champaign Co., IL - East Bend Mennonite Cemetery
Person ID I499 Schrock-Birkey Connection Last Modified 12 Sep 2022
Father Gilgian (Anton) Studer, b. Dec 1827 d. 29 Nov 1899 (Age ~ 71 years) Mother Katherine Youngen, b. 1835 d. 27 Dec 1889 (Age 54 years) Family ID F4503 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Andrew F. (Lame) Birky, b. 19 Jun 1864, Morton, Tazewell Co., IL d. 31 May 1928, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL (Age 63 years) Marriage 23 Jan 1888 Morton, Tazewell Co., IL [5] Children 1. Levi E. Birky, b. 11 Jan 1889, Morton, Tazewell Co., IL d. 11 Oct 1934, St. Johns, MI (Age 45 years) 2. Katie E. Birky, b. 13 Mar 1890, Morton, Tazewell Co., IL d. 26 Oct 1914, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL (Age 24 years) 3. Fannie E. Birky, b. 29 Aug 1891, Morton, Tazewell Co., IL d. 2 Aug 1971, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL (Age 79 years) 4. Edwin C. Birky, b. 22 Sep 1893 d. 1948 (Age 54 years) 5. Lillian E. Birky, b. 30 Jan 1894 d. 11 Jan 1982, IL (Age 87 years) 6. Emma Rachel Birky, b. 22 Aug 1895 d. 2 Dec 1986 (Age 91 years) 7. Gilgian A. (Gip) Birky, b. 22 Oct 1898, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL d. 1 Jun 1975, South Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN (Age 76 years) 8. Mary Birky, b. 2 Apr 1901 d. 1979, Ontario, San Bernardino, CA (Age 77 years) 9. Carl W. Birky, b. 27 Aug 1903 10. Bessie May Birky, b. 14 Oct 1908, Brown Twp., Champaign Co., IL d. 22 Feb 2005 (Age 96 years) Family ID F218 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 16 Feb 2018
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Event Map Birth - 25 Jul 1867 - Bern, Canton Bern, SW Marriage - 23 Jan 1888 - Morton, Tazewell Co., IL Death - 25 Feb 1963 - Washington, Tazewell Co., IL Burial - - Fisher, Champaign Co., IL = Link to Google Earth
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Notes - Obit: Gospel Herald - Volume LVI, Number 11 - March 19, 1963 pages 246, 247, 248.
Birky, Elisa, daughter of Gilgian and Katherine Studer, was born in Bern, Switzerland, July 25, 1867; died at Washington, Ill., Feb. 25, 1963; aged 95 y. 7 m. In Feb. 1888, she was married to Andrew Birky, who died May 28, 1928. Surviving are 5 daughters and 2 sons (Fannie-Mrs. A. F. Birkey, Lillie-Mrs. J. C. Birkey, Emma-Mrs. Joe Springer, Mary-Mrs. Arthur Asper, Mrs. Ervin Kennel, Gilgian, and Carl), 30 grandchildren, 66 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren. She was a member of the East Bend Church, where funeral services were held Feb. 28, in charge of J. Alton Horst and J. A. Heiser.
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Elisa was born to Gilgian and Katherine Youngen Studer in Switzerland. Their’s was a large family, something like a dozen children. What schooling Elisa got was in Berne. In the spring of 1885, when Elisa was almost 18 years old, the Gilgian Studer family minus several of their children, boarded the French steamboat LaBriton and sailed to New York harbor. Their first permanent home in the new land was in Morton,IL. Here the family joined the Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church and Elisa met her boy friend, Andrew Birky. After being married about four years, Andrew and Elisa moved to Fisher.
Elisa raised ten children: Levi, Katie, Fannie (who married yet another Andrew Birky and lived just two houses from the Orval Schrock family in Fisher), Edwin, Gilgian, Carl, Lillie, Emma, Mary, and Bessie! In addition, "Sister Birky" always opened her home for visitors or strangers in the community, and taught a Sunday school class for many years. The Studer family was a singing family. When the brothers and sisters got together they would sing and yodel their Swiss songs together. --Taken from an East Bend Trumpet article by Margaret and Verle Oyer.
- Obit: Gospel Herald - Volume LVI, Number 11 - March 19, 1963 pages 246, 247, 248.
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Sources - [S22] Margaret and Verle Oyer, Swiss Miss Becomes a Pioneer Mother at East Bend.
- [S1060] Find-A-Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28759307/elisa-birky.
- [S2] Ruth Berkey Reichly, The Berkey Book, (Arlington, VA).
- [S11] Obituaries of Individuals.
- [S1058] Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900, Vol 1, Page 212, Lix. No. 2798 - Marriage Record of Andrus Birkey, Jr. and Elisa Studer.
- [S22] Margaret and Verle Oyer, Swiss Miss Becomes a Pioneer Mother at East Bend.