Gustav Zellmer

ZELLMER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/15/2010 at 20:01:51

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Gustav Zellmer
By Marion Hamann Rippke and Esther Hopp Hoeck
(two of the granddaughters)

Gustave Zellmer came to America in 1882. He was barely seventeen years old at the time. His parents were Ludwig and Henriette Sitz Zellmer living in Sachersburg, Germany. He was born near Kolmar, March 12, 1865. Leaving the rest of his family behind, he came to America by himself on a boat as a stowaway to escape the military because in those days all boys in Germany were expected to go into service at an early age. Tales of the ‘new land of opportunity’ in America also intrigued him. His first stopping point was LaPorte, Indiana, where he had friends. He also worked in Wisconsin at cutting, hauling hay, and whatever other work he could find. Later he came to Sioux City, Iowa, and worked on laying out and grading streets in the Morningside area for $15.00 a month.

He went back to LaPorte in 1888 to meet his mother, now widowed, and his three brothers and four sisters who at this time also came to America. While there he met and married a young lady who was working as a cook in the depot restaurant. Louis John had arrived in LaProt, Indiana, form Province Posen Gramsdorf, Germany. I born in German to Christof and Louise Kwade Johp [John], July 17, 1861. While working at the depot restaurant she baked bread. American girls called her ‘Dutchy’. She worked for $16.00 a month.

Gustav and Louise were married at the depot restaurant, February 7, 1889. Sine Louise was so well liked and an honest, hardworking girl, Mrs. Cummins, the restaurant proprietor, gave her a large wedding ad prepared the supper for them. In March the young couple moved to Moville, Iowa, where Gustav worked on the railroad. Their first son, John, was born November 5, 1889, and a daughter, Henriette ‘Hattie’, was born March 27, 1891, in the town of Moville.

That summer on June 26, 1891, the town of Moville was flooded. Men riding down the railroad tracks on horses spread the warning that a flood was coming. The family escaped to higher ground. Dr Dewey, the town’s first doctor, carried Henriette, who was only three months old at the time, to safety. Gustav had been working on the railroad between Kingsley and Moville and barely escaped with his life. Their house floated loose, listed to one side, and caught on some posts which came up through the floor. It later was moved to higher ground two blocks north of the flag pole in Moville where a great granddaughter, Libby Zellmer Rath now lives. The family moved west of Moville and remained two years while Gustav helped plant the walnut trees later known as Walnut Grove.

In 1893 they bought sixty acres of land, four and one-half miles south of Moville and moved there. The house they lived in was very small. Gustav kept adding to the land, purchasing the adjoining land to the north in 1898. They moved into the house on this property after adding a 14 x 16 foot lean-to. They used water from a spring for drinking water. The land across the road was purchased in 1901. More land was added until Gustav owned approximately 600 acres, some of which was purchased for $16.00 an acre.

Also in 1901 a fairly new house was purchased from a neighboring farm for $300, and moved in 1903 to the present site on the Zellmer farm. The moving was accomplished with a team of horses and a block and tackle. The four room house which had two rooms downstairs and two upstairs is at present the east half of grandson, Gene Zellmer’s home. In 19009 it was remodeled and added on to, but carpenter, Bert Lambert, had some bad luck. The work was delayed awhile when he fell through the chimney hole and broke his leg. By this time the couple had nine more children which completed their family: Fredrich Henry, born November 22, 1892; Edmund Gottlieb, born December 2, 1894; Ernest Herman, born April 14, 1896; Otto Paul, born November 24, 1897; Emelia Wilhelmina Frieda ‘Millie’, born March 29, 1899; Wm Theodore, born November 5, 1900, who died in infancy at six months; Gustav Herman, born April 16, 1902; Frank Emil, born November 21, 1904; and Laura Louise Gertrude ‘Gertie’, born June 22, 1906.

Gustav farmed the land but also found time for other interests. He was a charter member when the Lutheran Church in Moville was organized in 1893. He was township school director of a nine school district area and also served as a bank director at the First Trust and Savings Bank in Moville.

Louise kept busy with her family. Times were not always easy, and with a large family there was always lots of work. There were setbacks and nature such as the destroying of a barn and horses in the May, 1928, tornado, but for the most part, life was rewarding. The seven boys all became farmers, all locating in the area around Moville, Lawton, and Kingsley. The three girls also married farmers. Henriette ‘Hatti’ became a school teacher before her marriage to Hans Hamann. Millie married John Rumohr and Gertrude became Mrs Rudolph Hopp.

Louise got her wish to outlive her husband so she could care for him in his declining years because of his failing health. Gustav passed away at the age of 80 years on November 21, 1946. Louise joined him five weeks later on December 27, 1946.
At present Gustav and Louise Zellmer have approximately 250 descendants. Among their professions are ministers, missionaries, college professors, teachers, engineers, doctors of veterinary medicine, draftsmen, Navy career men, coaches, Air Force pilots, secret servicemen, hair dressers, accountants, farmers, recreation supervisors, salespersons, social workers, insurance salesmen, bookkeepers, and shipping clerks..