Ludwig Cemetery Entries for Zimmer

ZIMMER. JACOB ... BORN, 1848 - DIED, 1925.
ZIMMER. ELIZABETH ... WIFE OF JACOB ZIMMER, BORN, 1849 - DIED, 1926

ZIMMER. JACOB, C ... SON OF JACOB & ELIZABETH ZIMMER. BORN APRIL
30. 1882 - DIED OCT. 12 1893. - AGED 11 YRS. - 5 MO. _ 12 DAYS.

ZIMMER. CAROLINA ... DAU. OF JACOB &: ELIZABETH ZIMMER. BORN JAN. 4, 1874. - DIED NOV. 22, 1892. - AGED, 18 YRS.- 10 MO.- 18 DAYS.

Interpretation

Jacob Zimmer (1848-1925)

Jacob Zimmer's parents were Jonathan and Elizabeth Renner Zimmer, who came to Wheeling, WV in 1847, and two years later, moved to Lawrence Twp. in Washington Co., Ohio. Jonathan was born in Krottlebach on 4 Jan 1820, and Elizabeth Renner was born in Oldenberg 19 Aug 1819. They had four sons and three daughters, of which, Jacob Zimmer was the third. Notable of Jacob's siblings was Caroline Elizabeth, who married Johann Frederich William Gilcher. Together Caroline and Frederich had 15 children.

Jacob Zimmer's obituary is quite informative: "Mr. Zimmer was the son of the late Jonathan and Elizabeth Renner Zimmer, pioneer residents of Fearing township. He was born in Fearing township on Whipple Run, near the Berg church, on September 25, 1848. For a number of years he was engaged in the coopering trade. On January 13, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Burtel, of Lawrence township. The couple settled on Pleasant Ridge where they made their home for 56 years. Early in life the deceased was confirmed in the Berg Evangelical Lutheran church. For many years he was a prominent member of the Ludwig Lutheran Church at Pleasant Ridge. He was for many years a member of the board of education of Lawrence township."

He died 27 Aug 1925.

"Besides his widow he is survived by a son, John Zimmer, of Mariette R. D. No. 6, and a daughter, Mrs. Clara Biehl, of Moss Run, and two foster grand-children, Lorena Sullivan of Marietta, and Frances Merrow, of Marietta R. D. No. 6, also survive. A brother, John Zinmmer, resides in Lowell. Funeral services will be held at the Ludwig Lutheran church at 2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, with Rev. Theophil Mehl and Rev. W. W. McClure officiating. Interment will be made in the churchyard."

Elizabeth Buertel (1849-1926)

Adam Buertel came to this country from Dennweiler in 1848 with three daughters from his first wife, Juliana Klein, and one daughter from his second wife, Katharina Born. The first child born to this couple in the New World was to become the very Elizabeth Buertel Zimmer, here buried. She grew up in this family on the Adam Buertel homestead, down the road from the site of the Ludwig Cemetery. Her half-sister, Carolina, older than she by five years, was to become the mother of my grandfather, Franklin Marion Sullivan, so Elizabeth and Carolina's stories are inextricably tied together.

The obituary of Elizabeth Buertel is also quite informative: "Elizabeth Burtel wife of the late Jacob Zimmer was born in Fearing Township Washington County Ohio, about one mile North East of the Berg church on July 7, 1849, she was the daughter of Adam and Katherina Burtel, she was baptized by D. Hersch under the Evangelical faith in infancy, was confirmed in the Berg church when a young girl under the same faith by D. Hersch.

"At the age of sixteen she moved with her parents to Pleasant Ridge, Lawrence Township. She was united in marriage to Jacob Zimmer on Jan. 13, 1870. To this union four children were born, John, Carolina, Clara, Jacob, two preceded her to the grave,Carolina 33 years ago and Jacob 32 years ago, one foster son Frank M. Sullivan died five years ago, her husband Jacob Zimmer died Aug. 27, 1925. Seven years ago they moved from their farm where they settled after their marriage on Pleasant Ridge in Lawrence Township to their late residence where they lived until after the death of her husband.

"After her husband's death she made her rome with her daughter, Mrs. Clara Biehl, of Moss Run, at whose home she died on June 16, 1926 at 9:35 p.m. She is survived by two children John Zimmer of Marietta R.D. No. 6, Mrs. Clara Biehl, of Moss Run, one grandson, Glen A. Biehl, of Moss Run and two foster granddaughters, Miss Frances Merrow, of Marietta R.D. No. 6, and Miss
Lorene Sullivan of Marietta and one brother Fred Bartell of Mariettal. Five sisters and two brothers preceeded her to the grave, they were Mrs. Fred Mootz, of Lawrence County Ohio, Miss Phebe Burtel of Pleasant Ridge, (at home), Mrs. Carolina Sullivan, of Marietta, Mrs. Julia Gilcher, of Marietta, Mrs. Katherina Becker, (late) of Marietta, Jacob Burtel died when a child at home, Charles Bartell died 22 years ago at his home on Pleasant Ridgem Stanleyville Route, No. 1. She was a member of St. Jacobs Evangelical church, funeral services were held there and burial was made there in the cemetery, June 19, 1926, a was done that loving hands and kind hearts and medicine could do."

Jacob C. Zimmer (1882-1893)

My grandfather, Franklin Marion Sullivan, was the adopted brother of this Jacob C. Zimmer, and so I am privileged to have many stories about this family told to me by my mother Lorene Sullivan Andris.

The details are murky, but Frank M. Sullivan's father, also named Frank D., was a riverboat Irishman born in this country. Some way or other, he hooked up with Carolina Buertel and the couple had five children, three of which survived to adulthood. However, grandpa Frank left home and never returned when Frank M. was still a young child, and within a year or two, his mother, Carolina, had died of cancer. Young Frank went to live with Elizabetha Buertel and Jacob Zimmer; they became his step parents. Frank was almost the same age as their second son, Jacob "Jakey" Zimmer.

One of the many stories I have been told is about the horrifying death of Jacob C. Zimmer. Jakey was killed in a farm accident while he and Frank were out in the evening doing farm work. They were watching over the preparation and cooking of the sorghum crop, in fact. It was early in an autumn morning (two dates exist), and Jakey and his stepbrother Frank were driving the team of oxen back home after the long night's work. A thunderstorm blew up, lightning struck, and the oxen bolted, throwing Jacob, Jr. and killing him instantly. Frank being the stepson, there were some hard feelings at first, but eventually Frank became a solid part of the family and was set to inherit his share of the family's wealth.

Carolina "Carrie" Zimmer

As if this loss weren't tragic enough, the family had lost another nearly adult daughter the previous fall. My mother was less clear on the details, but Carrie died at almost age 19 of an undisclosed illness.

More stories about Jacob and Elizabeth Buetel Zimmer

My mother says that her father, Frank, was supposed to live on the Zimmer farm and take care of Elizabeth and Jacob in their old age. However, when Frank met and married my grandmother, Clara Noe Sullivan, they moved out there for a time, when my mother was small. But the blending didn't go smoothly. There was a particularly difficult fight over whether or not my mother could have a piece of the special bread that Elizabeth baked for her husband, who was a diabetic. The result was that Frank, Clara and Lorene moved back to town. As it turned out, Frank didn't live as long as his step parents. He was to die in 1921.

I have written extensively about Jacob and Elizabeth (grosvater und grosmutter) Zimmer. I also have written about the parents of Jacob and Elizabeth as well as other Zimmers on Pleasant Ridge.