Nathan Zerfig

ZERFING KLOCK

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/15/2010 at 19:59:03

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Nathan Zerfing
By Muriel C Winterringer Meyer

Nathan Zerfing was born July 26, 1811, in Pennsylvania. He was married there about 1834 to Judith Amelia Klock, daughter of Elizabeth and David Klock. Four children were born to this marriage, all in Pennsylvania: Amos, born 1835; David, born 1836; Catherine, born June 1840; and Mary, born July 1843. Judith, the mother, died before 1848, whether in Pennsylvania or in Iowa is unknown. Nathan and the children had bee in Iowa eleven years by the time of the 1856 state census, so they had come west by 1845. They were in Cedar County in 1856 and 1860.

Elizabeth, wife of David Klock, named as grandchildren, Catherine, Mary, Amos and David Zerfing, in her will filed in Cedar County. Catherine and Mary acquired land in Cedar County, Iowa, described as: the undivided ½ of the S ½ of the E ½ of the NW ¼ and the SW ¼ of the NE ¼ of Section 34 in Township 81 N of Range 3 West. They sold this land to R C Nest for $640 on 18 November 1864. By that time both girls were in Woodbury County, and both were married, Catherine to Henry Clay Winterringer and Mary to Martin Livermore.

Nathan was married about 1848 in Cedar County, to Christina Meyer. She was born August 5, 1825, in Germany, and came to Iowa in 1838. She had one son, John Oertel, born about 1846, who then joined the Zerfing family, retaining the Oertel name. Christina and Nathan had nine children: Peter born 1849; Elizabeth born 1851; Hannah born 1853; Annetta born 1855; Clara born 1857; Sarah E born 1859; Margaret born 1861; Emma J born 1863; and Christina born1867. At the time of Christina’s birth, the mother Christina died. She was 41 years, 10 months and 5 days old. Her burial was at the Oto Cemetery. Her death was June 10, 1867.

It is not known when the Zerfings came to Woodbury County. In the 1870 census, Nancy is the wife; she was born in 1825; in Illinois. She brought with her five children: Margaret born 1854 in Illinois; David born 1856 in Illinois; Caroline born 1859 in Iowa; Lilli J born 1861 in Iowa and John H born 1864 in Iowa.

Nathan Zerfing died 11 December 1886; buried was in the Oto Cemetery.

I have records of some marriages: Catherine was married March 3, 1857, in Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa to Henry Clay Winterringer; Mary was married 24 March 1861 to Martin Livermore in Woodbury County. (Those two were Judith’s daughters.) Maggie was married 25 October 1880 to Charles Henry Rogers; Peter married Kate Fuller on 25 July 1872; Clara married Charles A Reed on 20 October 1872; Hannah married A B Ferguson on 1 November 1868; and Ella married E C Ice on 25 December 1877.

Catherine’s family is written up with her husband. (See Henry Clay Winterringer.)

I found Peter Zerfing in the 1925 census. From that I learned his wife, Catharine ‘Kate’ had been in Iowa, 65 years and had been born in Warsaw, New York. Her father was Hiram Fuller and her mother, Deborah Tease (both had been born in New York). Tombstones in the Oto cemetery show: Peter, 1849-1935 and Katherine, 1846-1934.

In the 1900 census I had learned Peter owned a farm free of debt. Kate was born October 1847, had given birth to six children of which five were then living. Peter was born March 1849. Their children: Maydusa, born 1874; Abbie, born 1878; Nathan, born December 1879; Mary E, born 1883; Lucius, born May 1886; and Charles, born February 1890.

I found Mary and Martin Livermore in the 1870 census. At that time they had three children: 1( Simon, born in 1864; 2( Ruth, born in 1866; and 3( Jane, born 1869.

In the 1880 census more children were: 4( Alice, born 1872; 5( George, born 1874; 6( a daughter, name unknown, born 1876; and 7( Walter, born December 1879.

In the 1900 census I found Mary was widowed and living in Kedron Township. She owned her home and ten of her twelve children were living. 8( Anna T, born January 1881; 9( Nellie, born April 1883; and 10( Stella L, born September 1885.

I found Charly Rogers and Maggie (Zerfing) in the 1900 census. Maggie had given birth to seven children and six were living. They were as listed:
Florence A, born April 1881, a single teacher, 19 years old;

Kittie M, born August 1883, single, 16 years old and a teacher;

Clyde, born 1889, age 10 in school;

Edith F, born December 1892, aged 7 years and in school.

Naomi L, born August 1897, was 2 years of age (she later became a teacher and taught at Joy School in Sioux City);

Glen was born 1899, aged 7/12 (later became a dentist and had his office in the Francis Building in downtown Sioux City).

That is the extent of my research on the Zerfing family.