IAGenWeb Project - Clayton co.
page updated
01/31/2010


Mr. & Mrs. Xavier Schaefer


Mr. and Mrs. Schafer, Garnavillo area; W.W. Donner, photographer
The Schafers
W.A. Donner, photographer, Garnavillo

~January 2010, the photo was positively identified by Connie Schaefers (email contact is in surname registry). Connie shares the following information:

The picture is my husbands great-grandparents.  We have one just like it. The photo is of Xavier Franz Schaefers (Nov. 2nd 1834-Feb. 10th 1910) and his wife Anna Berns. She was born Sept. 20th,  1846 and died June 12th 1931. They were married Sept. 21st. 1865 in Guttenberg.

They had 14 children:
Franz Henry Schaefers, born Oct 26th, 1866 .   Died April 5th 1948
Mary Helena (Lena) Schaefers, born Nov. 13th 1867.   Died Jan. 8th 1925
Mary Anna Schaefers, born July 10th 1869.   Died May 20th   1959
Xavier Herman Schaefers,  born Feb. 10th 1871.  Died July 13th, 1951
Herman Schaefers, born Aug. 27th, 1872.  Died June 8th 1873
Mathilida Rosaly Schaefers,  Born Aug 14th 1874. Died Jan. 3rd 1889
Theodore P. Schaefers,  born May 11th 1876. Died May 9th, 1956
Joseph Herman Schaefers, born Feb.11th, 1878.   Died April 8th 1955
Wilhelmina Schaefers,  born Feb. 25th  1879. Died March 4th 1965
George Franz Schaefers, born  Mar. 19th 1881. Died Feb. 28th  1889
Louis Schaefers,  born Oct. 21st  1882. Died  Dec 29th  1888
Guido Schaefers,  born Sept 12th, 1884. Died May 6th, 1958
Regina Christina Schaefers,  born May 10th  1887. Died Feb 22 1889
Regina Henrietta Schaefers,  born Oct 20th 1890. Died July 20,    1973

Xavier and Anna and four of the children are buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery at Garnavillo. Matilda, Louis, George and Christina were all taken in death during a diptheria epidemic between Dec. 1888 and Feb. 1889.

~*~*~*~

~the photo was contributed by Steve & Neva Nelson. Steve included this note with the photo: "This photo was in a box of pictures from Neva's grandfather's estate. Neva's grandfather, Sylvester W. Butts, was born in Clayton County. His parents are buried in Eastside Cemetery.  All we know is that the couple in the picture are the Schafers and the picture was taken by W.A. Donner, a photographer in Garnavillo."

~Clayton co. coordinator comments: I don't find the photographer W.A. Donner (William A.) on the 1885 Iowa State census, but he is on the 1900 Federal census, age 27, living with his wife Lena in Strawberry Point, occupation photographer.

1916 Biography & another photo of Xavier & Anna Schaefers

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