ZILK, August ca. 1841-1856

ZILK, HUEBNER

Posted By: Diane M Scott (email)
Date: 5/29/2012 at 14:15:42

August Zilk – ca. 1841 – December 2, 1856

It happened that on the 2nd day of December, 1856, when his father Charles Zilk wished to mail a letter and the nearest post office was at West Union, but by sending the letter to Pettibone, in Howard County, a point fifteen miles distant, it would be sent forward.

August, his son, who was about fifteen years old, but large and stout for his age, offered to carry the letter. His father, at that time, had no team but oxen, so he went on foot, across an almost uninhabited prairie.

About the time of his arrival at Pettibone, a fearful storm set in, accompanied by both snow and wind. The people at Pettibone urged him not to try to make the return trip that night, telling him it was very dangerous. But feeling confident that he could make it home, he started out on his ill-fated voyage over the snow drifts. The storm increased in violence, and the falling snow soon obliterated all land marks. The following day it was found that the snow was three feet deep on a level.

As the boy did not reach home that night, the family thought he must have remained with his friends, but when he did not come the next day, they became alarmed, and started out in pursuit. Finding that he had started out the same day of the storm no doubt existed as to his fate.

A long and tedious search for his body was commenced. The father wandered over the cheerless prairie, stopping at every uneven spot, for in the surface of that great white snow mass he knew his poor son August was buried. All efforts were in vain, and the long, dreary winter wore itself away, and after the snow had melted off, the body was found only three miles from the place he left on his return trip. The remains were discovered on the 25d of April, 1857, nearly four months after the boys’ death.

[History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, 1883]

#2

August Zilk was the son of Charles “Carl” Friedrich Zilk and Mary (Huebner) Zilk.