Selig, John Adam 1821-1886 & Agatha Gerst Family

SELIG, GERST, ZINHARMPG

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 7/20/2022 at 16:45:13

Selig, John Adam 1821-1886 & Agatha Gerst Family

This BIOS for the John Adam Selig family was compiled by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Their family information and stories of the life and times of those pioneers can be read about in several Sioux County Books. “The Story of Sioux County” by Charles Dyk give a very colorful account of pioneer life with it joys and hardships. The book “Siouxland A History of Sioux County” by Nelson Nieuwenhuis give a great historical account of the area. The “1908 Sioux County Atlas” also has historical accounts of the various townships of Sioux County as well as pictures of the pioneers.

RESEARCH NOTES: From a family report on ancestry.com (done by other than submitter)

Johan ‘John’ Adam Selig was born 31 Aug 1821 at Obendorf, Bavaria Germany and died 13 Nov 1886 buried in St. Anthony’s cemetery at Hopsers IA. Attempt was made by the submitter to find the names of Johan Selig’s parents but no evidence could be found in all of the data basis available. John married 8 Feb 1852 at Brady’s Bend PA to Anna Agatha Gerst

Anna Agatha Gerst was born 13 Feb 1833 Kurhessen Greis Schluchtern, Wurttemberg, Germany
She died 26 Jan 1912 at Hospers IA Her parents were Fabian Gerst 1805-1880 and Anna Catharina Petronella Zinharmpf, 1807-1889.

IMMIGRANT STORY -
This Gerst family immigrant story came from ancestry.com written by a grand child and submitted by a descendant of Agatha Gerst Selig.

Grandmother, Agatha Gerst, was born at Kurhessen, Greie Schiuchtern, Wiebert’s Dorf, Germany on Wednesday, February 13, 1833. She came to America about the year of 1848 with her father Fabian Gerst, her mother , Anna Katrine Petronella Gerst, her two brothers Peter and Gregory, and her sister Mary.

They embarked on a sailing vessel bound for America. The trip took them three months. Great grandfather and great grandmother experienced much seasickness on the voyage and Mary, the baby, but five months old, was also ill during the entire voyage. So the duties of looking after the family devolved upon the oldest child, Agatha.

It being customary in that early day for immigrants to take their food supply with them; the Gersts filled a trunk with toasted bread and that with soup obtained once a day from the ship steward was their sole food during the long journey. One rough morning when great grandmother went after their portion of the precious soup she missed her footing on the unsteady deck and fell, and spilled all the soup. As a result only bread and water served as food for this family that day.

After reaching Quebec, Canada, great grandfather and gears grandmother decided to leave the boat in order to purchase fresh provisions. They left the children behind in care of the fifteen year old, Agatha. In Quebec their first misfortunes in the new land overtook them. The baggage man, through some mistake or misunderstanding or because they saw the children’s parents leave the boat, began to put the trunk containing their food off from the boat. Agatha realizing what his would mean to them and being unable to speak to the baggage man in their language was driven to a state of frenzy. Jumping up and down, screaming and gesticulating she finally made the man understand and this saved the cherished trunk.

Although Agatha saved the trunk she was soon to meet another and greater misfortune for the boat left port before her parents returned and she with her brothers and sister were carried on while her parents were force to remain in Quebec until the next boat should take them to join their children.

Meanwhile the children were taken to Buffalo, New York and placed in a hotel until their parents should come. Every day Agatha took her sick baby sister, Mary, wrapped her in a shawl and with Peter and Gregory she walked to the wharf where she sat and cried as she waited for the boat bearing her parents. Four days later they were happily united.

They made their first home at Brady’s Bend, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania about forty-five miles northeast of Pittsburg. After a time Agatha began to work out receiving in return for her labor a dollar a week, what to her seemed like a very good wage. After giving her parents a part of what she had earned she was able by careful planning to save enough with which to buy for herself an alpaca dress, a delaine and a bolt of muslin. The latter costing her four dollars. Here in Brady’s Bend when Agatha was nineteen years old she married John Adam Selig on February 1. 1852

- End of the immigration experience -

The Story of Sioux County Book Page 122 under the heading First Site of the Town of Hospers, tells about
The Haag and Selig families loved music and like most Germans liked dancing. The Haag family had brought a little reed organ along from southern Iowa. It was probably the first organ east of the Floyd river in Sioux County. This little organ was used for dances and musicals all over the township and even in Orange City where Jake Haag and Levi Dingly fiddled for dances and John Selig (jr)played the accompaniments on the organ. They had never studied music but just picked it up, and it answered the purpose well in pioneer days. Now (1942)John Selig lives in Stuttgart AR.

The Hospers Centennial book makes reference to the John Selig family on page 16 as being charter members of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Hospers. Page 39 tells about the movement in 1894 of families from the Hospers area to the area of Stuttgart AR.

Check out the indexes list for the various Sioux county history books for the Selig names at www.iagenweb.org History books.

CHILDREN of Johan and Agatha: Additional info was added from their mother’s obit and from a report on ancestry.com. Most of the children moved out of the area to other part of the USA. Joe remained in the Hospers area.
1 . Mary Katherine Selig born Jan 24, 1853 Pittsburgh Mrs. Mary Kuehle of Beloit KS Find A Grave lists Mary K. Kuehle born 1853 Pennsylvania died 1939 Beloit KS . Found her spouse to be Joseph Kuehle 1836 Melrich Prussia died 7 Mar 1903 Stuttgart AR an ancestry.com report listed six children.
2 . Katherine Selig 1855 (Sister Agrada) born 18 Feb 1855 St. Joseph Marshall CO. W. Virginia Sister M. Argreda of Crofton NE at one time,
3 . John Peter Selig 1 Apr1856 St. Joseph, Marshall Co. VA died 11 Apr 1943 Stuttgart AR He married Margaretha Dries.
4 . Joseph Selig born 29 May 1859 St. Joseph, Marshall Co. VA (or W. Virginia) died 1944 (of Hospers) He married Lena Schlitz. See his obit.
5 . George Selig born 26 May 1860 St. Joseph, Marshall Co. Virginia (of Suttgart AR) His wife was Elizabeth Haag. See his obit 1860-1940
6 . Theresa Selig born 26 Feb 1862 St. Joseph, Marshall Co. VA Mrs. Martin C. (Theresa) Howard of Sherburn MN
7 . Christina Selig born 17 Jun 1864 St. Joseph, Marshall Co. VA died 2 Sep 1865
8 . Elizabeth Selig 26 Jul 1866 St. Joseph Marshall Co. VA of Seattle WA
9 . Adam Fredick Selig born 4 Sep1868 St. Joseph Marshall Co. VA died 12 Dec1959 of Stuttgart AR His wife was Leona Theresa Pierron
10. Anna Agatha Selig born 26 Oct 1870 St Joseph Marshall Co. VA died 18 Dec 1920 Hospers IA Mrs. Peter Jungers
11. Frances Marie (Sister Henrietta) Selig born 19 May 1873 Hospers IA of Stuart NE at one time.
12.. Frank William Selig born 26 Jan1877 Hospers IA died 4 Apr 1961 Hebron, Thayer, NE. ( of Campbell, NE.

OBITUARY information on John Adam Selig 1821-1886
Selig, Johan Adam died 13 Nov 1886 age 64 yrs buried in St. Anthony’s Cemetery Hospers
Research note: From a report on ancestry.com (by others) Johan Adam Selig born 31 Aug 1821 Germany died 13 Nov 1886 Hospers IA wife Anna Agatha Gerst 1833-1912. They had about 12 children
Sioux County Herald Nov 4, 1886 Hospers News Our esteemed citizen J. A. Selig is very ill with the asthma, we hope to hear of his recovery soon. Nov 11 issue stated he went to St. Paul for treatment. No further death article found in subsequent week/s. There were no existing issues for the weeks of Nov 25 and later.

OBITUARY of Agatha Gerst Mrs John Adam Selig
Alton Democrat February 3, 1912
Mrs. Agatha Gerst Selig passed away on Friday January 26th. She fought bravely for several weeks against ailments brought on by old age, and on Friday was forced to give up the hopeless struggle. Every thing had been done for her that could be done to make the last days easy.
Mrs. Agatha Gerst Selig was born at Kurhessen Greis Schluchtern, Wiebert's dorf, Germany on
Wednesday February 13, 1833. She came to America with her parents In 1849 when the California gold fever was on and people were leaving Europe for the California gold fields.
They made their first home at Braydes Bend, PA. Here Agatha Gerst was united in marriage to John A. Selig on February 1st 18B2. Their union was blessed with twelve children, eleven of whom survive.
Mr. and Mrs. Seiig moved to Pittsburgh, PA., where they lived two years. From there they moved to St. Joseph's settlement, in Marshall county, West Virginia where they resided until 1872 when they moved to Sioux county, and to a homestead in the vicinity of Hospers where they spent the hard pioneer years. On November 13th 1886 Mr. Selig died.
Mrs. Selig was left with eleven children, some of them very young. She lived to see these Children become men and women, all of them doing well, and all of them highly respected. The children are: Mrs. Mary Kuehle, Beloit Kansas; Sister M. Argreda, Crofton Nebr.; J. P. of Stuttgart, Ark.; Joseph of Hospers, George, Stuttgart, Ark.; Mrs. M. C. Howard, Sherbourne, Minn.; Elizabeth, Seattle, Wash.; Fred, Stuttgart, Ark.; Mrs. Peter Jungers, Hospers; Sister M. Henrietta, Stuart, Nebr.; and Frank, Campbell, Nebr. She is also survived by two brothers, Gregory Gerst and John Gerst of Alton and one sister Mrs. Mary Van Bergen of Granville.
The funeral services were held on Monday from St. Anthony's church and were conducted by Rev. Gehling of Rosello Iowa, Father Dries, being ill. Peter Robinet, J. P. Maiers, John Langhorst, Wm. Walgenbach, Nick Jungers and Frank Haag neighbors and friends of the deceased for many years, acted as pall .bearers. The funeral was largely attended. J. P. Selig of Stuttgart, Ark., Mrs. M. C. Howard of Sherbourne,, Sister M.Henrietta of Stuart NE and Mrs. Kuehle of Beloit were present at the funeral of their mother.
No picture of the family was found in the local archives in Sioux county. On picture section page 54 of the Story of Sioux county book there is a picture of Joseph ‘Joe’ Selig, pioneer of Hospers as pictured.

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