Berner, Jacob F.

BERNER, MILLER, MATTEY, SHANER, SCHINDEL, HAUFF, ZIMMERMAN

Posted By: Ardythe Rees Stoesz (email)
Date: 9/22/2007 at 22:13:17

Jacob F. Berner Family

Jacob Berner was the eldest son of Gottlieb and Katharina Berner. He was born in Jackson County, Iowa, on October 1, 1860. He had 4 brothers: Gottlieb, Christian, Daniel, and William, and 2 sisters: Louise (Mrs. George Zimmerman) and Mary (Mrs. Henry Schindel). The Berner family moved to Plymouth County about 1867 where they homesteaded on land southeast of Merrill.

Jacob Berner married Christina Schindel, born September 1, 1861, daughter of Peter and Mary Schindel, a pioneer family who homesteaded in the Melbourne vicinity and lived on the farm now occupied by Don Reilly. They were married March 12, 1885. They had to postpone the wedding for 3 days as the Floyd River was high; it had washed out the bridge between the Schindel home and the church, and they had to wait for the water to recede. They lived on a farm east of Merrill in the Stanton community and attended the Stanton church. They lived to celebrate their 63rd wedding anniversary. They were the parents of two children, Urban and Ruth, Mrs. Dwight Hauff.

Jacob and Christina moved to Merrill from the farm in 1898. Jacob Berner formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, John Schindel, and they built the brick building that now houses the Auction Shop and opened a hardware store there. Later they sold the building to Henry Nigg who operated a drug store in that location. In 1909 he purchased a farm north of Merrill and moved there in 1910. Jacob Berner served for a number of years on the town council, and was mayor for a short time. He was also a member of the school board. He was justice of the peace for over 20 years, a member of the Merrill Methodist church from the time he moved to Merrill until his death, and served many years on the church board. He died August 9, 1952; his wife preceded him in death on November 9, 1948.

Urban Berner was born in Merrill on Feb. 17, 1900. He moved to the farm north of Merrill in 1910. He married Thelma Miller of Des Moines, Iowa, a former Merrill school teacher, on November 25, 1925. They are still living on the farm north of Merrill. They are the parents of of one daughter, Phyliss, Mrs. Mattey of West Covina, California, who was born August 11, 1927 at Merrill. Phyliss has one son, James Mattey, also of West Covina, California and he has a daughter, Lisa.

Urban graduated from Merrill High School, served in the Army in WWI, is a member of the Oleson-Halweg Legion Post, served on the school board for a number of years, a member of the Merrill Methodist Church and served on its board for many years. He is now retired and spends his winters in California.

Ruth (Mrs. Dwight Hauff) was born May 9, 1903. She married Dwight Hauff on April of 1931 and resides in Sioux City, Iowa. They are parents of two children, Anne (Mrs. Gary Shaner of Council Bluffs, Iowa) who has two daughters, Janet and Ellen, and Stephen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who has two sons Curt and Jarold.

Source: Le Mars Library Biography Section of Genealogical History Section.