Henry married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
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Christian married Lena Marie Nester on 24 Apr 1915 in Lester, Lyon County, Iowa, USA. Lena was born on 11 Sep 1887 in Hull, Sioux County, Iowa, USA; died on 11 May 1980 in Rock Rapids, Lyon County, Iowa, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Henry John

Notes:

Also note that one source (Adam Barrone) shows that he was born in Rorschach (Rorschachersberg), Switzerland. However, these villages are both located on the south side of the Bodensee.

Johann Heinrich (German)
------------------
Extracted from Kellenberger Family History and Record Book - Revised 1978

Grandfather - Christian David Kellenberger
Born December 12, 1827 in Walzenheusen, Switzerland
Died March 2, 1895 near Sabetha, Kansas
Buried Country Cemetery near Bern, Kansas
Grandmother - Marie Magdalena Tobler
Born April 4, 1828 in Heiden Kt Appenzell, Switzerland
Died February 13, 1901 near Richard, Missouri across
the line from Fort Scott, Kansas and was buried there.


This was written in 1916.

I, H. J. Kellenberger, was born at Rohrsbach Co. St. Gallen, Switzerland on the 10th day of October, 1862. When I was four years old, my father moved to Zurich. Then in 1873 we came to America. On the 1st day of August, we started off at Zurich; quite a lot of my schoolmates were at the station to bid me goodbye. It took us three days to get to LeHarvre via Paris. Then we boarded a new steamer, named Washington, to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It took us just two weeks to come across. We landed at New York. It was quite a city at that time already. They had lots of elevated railroads. Then we started on our trip again by rail; on the 3rd day we arrived at Peoria, Illinois, where we settled down as I had an uncle living there. We only stayed one year at Peoria as it was not the city to suit my father's trade, so we moved to St. Louis, Missouri. When we children grew older, we thought we would like the country life better, so we went to Tremont, Illinois -- close to Peoria again. There we lived on a farm until I was 23 years old. In the spring of 1885, the 27th day of February, I came to Neemaha County, Kansas. On the 15th day of November, I got married and started farming on my own. Then in 1898 we went to try the South -- Eastern Oklahoma and Fort Scott, Kansas.

In 1910, we left Fort Scott and came in our old locality again within a few miles of where we now live.

P. S. My first days of plowing, I done right across the road of where
I now live, 1 mile east of Bern, Kansas, but there was no town
then, as there was no railroad here. The Rock Island built the
road through here in the fall of 1886, then the townsite sprung
up fast.
------------------
Extracted from Kellenberger Family History and Record Book - Revised 1978

JOHN HENRY KELLENBERGER

Son John Henry, in German or Swiss Johan Heinrich
Born at Rohrsback K.T. St. Gallen, Switzerland - October 10, 1862
Came to America with his parents in 1873, 11 years old.

When he was 23 years old, he came to Nemaha County Kansas in February, 1885 in the neighborhood of Sabetha and Bern, Kansas to work on the farm.

November 15, 1885 he was united in marriage to Salome Strahm, daughter of Christian and Kathrina Gerber Strahm in the Apostolic Christian Church near Bern. Salome was born at Bluffton, Indiana, December 21, 1860, and came to Kansas with her parents as a child when the Indians still roamed around.

To this union five children were born:

Martha - November 25, 1886
David John - September 27, 1888
Christian Louis - August 12, 1890
Henry William - December 14, 1892
Nathan Solomon - November 26, 1894

When Henry and Salome were married they lived with her father as the mother had died many years before and Salome was keeping house for her father. The house was built onto a hillside and Martha was born at that place. Some called it a dug out - later they built rooms above.

Then November 14, 1895 the mother Salome died quite suddenly. It must have been a stroke or heart attack, after a two week mild illness.

In August 16, 1896, Henry was married to Anna Blaser, daughter of Ulrich and Magdelena Shenk Blaser. She was born in KT, Bern, Switzerland on July 31, 1865 and came to America in 1889.
Mother Anna died May 2, 1957 at Lester, Iowa.

Some of you may think this marriage was quite soon. The father Henry wanted to keep his children together and housekeepers were not to be had. It would have been a scandal for a girl to keep house for a widower those days, and Anna was kind to come in and help raise the five children, which few girls would consider. Then another five children were born:

Rose Celia - August 18, 1897 - Sabetha, Kansas
Lena Emma - March 14, 1899 - Indian Territory
Hulda - July 26, 1900 - Richards, Missouri
Herman - January 27, 1902 - Hammond, Kansas
Ernest Andrew - June 16, 1906 - Hammond, Kansas

In 1899 Henry and Anna left Kansas and moved to Aften Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in hopes to have their choice of land to homestead. Then Uncle Sam changed his mind and turned this country into a Indian reservation. This is where Lena was born. It was all prairie and wild country, roads were trails across the prairie every which way. The land lord was part Indian. Then in January, 1900 they moved to Fort Scott, Kansas two years. Lived just across the line in Missouri near Richards. Here Hulda was born and the grandmother died in 1901. Then they bought a farm across the line in Kansas near Hammond or ten miles north of Fort Scott. Here Barman and Ernest were born. In 1910 they moved back to Sabetha, Nemaha County, Kansas.

By 1916 the four older boys had left for Lyon County, Iowa. Their father Henry went to visit them, liked the country, so in February, 1917, the family left for Lester, Iowa to make their home. The father. Henry wanted to keep his family together. In 1917, sons Henry and Nathan were drafted into World War I. In August 1918 son Henry sent word he would be at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, then sent across. Father Henry and Anna left September 3 for Rockville, Connecticut to visit Anna's sister and family and to see son Henry before he left for overseas. The father caught cold on the way and died at the sister's home September 13, 1918. He never saw his son Henry, as he already had left for Europe. (It was two months before Henry heard that his father had passed away). He had a bad case of hayfever for many years before and got worse every year. He was brought home and buried at the Apostolic Church Cemetery south of Lester.

Sons Henry and Nathan both came home from the army.

Later five of the boys left for Winthrop, Minnesota, then to Elgin, Illinois where David, Henry, Nathan and Barman still live at this time, 1967. Ernest worked at the Elgin Watch Factory 19 years, then bought a jewelry store at Morris, Minnesota in 1944.

Son Christian settled in the Lester, Iowa area as a young man and engaged in farming until his retirement. He is still living in Lester. Three daughters, Martha, Rose and Lena, also settled in this area. Presently, Martha is living in Lester, Rose in Larchwood and Lena in Sioux Falls.

Daughter Hulda, moved to Elgin, Illinois in 1928 with her family and passed away July 26, 1932 after giving birth to her third child.
------------------

Heinrich married Salome Strahm on 15 Nov 1885 in Nemeha County, KS. Salome (daughter of Christian Strahm and Katherine Gerber) was born on 21 Dec 1860 in Bluffton, Wells County, Indiana; died on 14 Nov 1895 in Bern, Nemaha County, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Born in Bluffton, IN

Other Events:

• : 1873

Notes:

Personal Notes: My best guess is that Christian David Sr. had two wives, Magdalena Tobler (b: 19 July 1834, m:24 Jan 1853, d: 24 May 1857) and Anna Magdalena Tobler (b: 4 April 1828, m: 19 Oct 1857). His first two children, Anna Cathrina and Christian David, were born to the first mother.


Born in Walzenheusen, Switzerland
Died in Bern, Kansas
Lutheran from Childhood but converted to Apostolic Christian.

Immigrated in 1873
----------------------
Extracted from Kellenberger Family History and Record Book - Revised 1978


Christian David Kellenberger

Born December 12, 1827 in Walzenheusen, Switzerland

Died March 2, 1895 in Bern, Kansas

His wife Marie Magdelene Tobler

Born April 4, 1828

Died February 13, 1901 at Richards, Missouri

In Heiden KT. Appenzell Switzerland to this union six children were born:

Christian David - March 24, 1856
Samuel Gotlieb - April 12, 1858
Christina Kellenberger-Brunner - September 21, 1859
John Henry - October 10, 1862
Marie Kellenberger-Volz - January 1, 1867
Daniel - December 23, 1868
Martha - 6 months old - 1873 at U. S. arrival

In 1873 the family came to America. There trade was doing embroidery on fine linens, so they had to live in the cities to get work.

They lived in Peoria, Illinois a while, then moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where they found lots of work for the rich people. They did lots of beautiful work for folks like Anhauser-Bush Canery and Brewery and the like. As the children grew older they thought they liked the country better so they moved to Tremont, but the parents kept on with their trade while the young folks learned farming and housekeeping by working for other folks as hired men and maids. The father would make two or three trips a year to St. Louis to deliver, the finished work and bring more work back with him. I remember them working initials in a man's handkerchief for $25.00 a piece, a large design in the center and corner of a linen table cloth for $75.00. They embroidered in the yolks and around sleeves and bottom of infant dresses - beautiful fine work.

The father never learned farming or even to harness or drive a horse and mother never learned cooking or housekeeping. Father took a walk each day in the fresh air; one day he came home with some small kittens in his hat and told the hired man to kill the cat they had - he found some pretty ones, you guessed it, they were young skunks.

On February 24, 1895 he walked five or six miles to Apostolic Christian church from Bern to the country. Took sick in church and was taken to his son John Henry's home and died the following Saturday.

------------------------

Extracted from Kellenberger Family History and Record Book - Revised 1978

Christian David Kellenberger
Born December 12, 1827 in Walzenheusen, Switzerland
Died March 2, 1895 in Bern, Kansas
His wife Marie Magdelene Tobler
Born April 4, 1828
Died February 13, 1901 at Richards, Missouri
In Heiden KT, Appenzell Switzerland to this union six children were born:

Christian David - March 24, 1856
Samuel Gotlieb - April 12, 1858
Christina Kellenberger-Brunner - September 21, 1859
John Henry - October 10, 1862
Marie Kellenberger-Volz - January 1, 1867
Daniel - December 23, 1868
Martha - 6 months old - 1873 at U. S. arrival

The father and mother were Lutheran from childhood. Then one day as the mother walked home from church in the rain with an umbrella open, a man caught up with her and began to ask questions about church. She said she was in church. He wanted to know, did she believe it was the right church, the Bible's way. She said no, but she never found the church she believed the right one.

He told her he was an Elder of the church he believed in and he came to that town once a month. He would preach there in a private house in four weeks; if she feels to come, she was invited so she went and after the preaching he asked her how she felt with them. She said she believed this was what she thought was the right church. He asked her questions, proved her and then he asked the members how they felt about her. They all said they felt good. He told her to bring her husband along the next time, so he went along and said he believed too and they both repented and were baptized.

After that two sisters, a brother, a cousin, and a niece and a nephew, joined the church. Apostolic Christian church. This happened in 1859. After that all the family followed. When John Henry was born, a sister insisted he must be baptized. As the parents did not approve, a sister smuggled him out of the house and had him baptized without his father and mother knowing it. When he grew up as a young man he repented and was baptized. So we thank the dear Lord for his love and mercy for us, that we all was led to be his followers. The mother could not believe in her church because they baptized children. She said babies are innocent and the Bible says we must have faith and repent and become as a child. Her first or childhood preacher said she was right but he must please the congregation.

In later years, sorry to say, many of the younger generations turned away and found the worldly lust alluring. The path was too steep and thorny for them to follow, and too narrow.

In 1873 the family came to America. There trade was doing embroidery on fine linens, so they had to live in the cities to get work.

They lived in Peoria, Illinois a while, then moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where they found lots of work for the rich people. They did lots of beautiful work for folks like Anhauser-Bush Canery and Brewery and the like. As the children grew older they thought they liked the country better so they moved to Tremont, but the parents kept on with their trade while the young folks learned farming and housekeeping by working for other folks as hired men and maids. The father would make two or three trips a year to St. Louis to deliver the finished work and bring more work back with him. I remember them working initials in a man's handkerchief for $25.00 a piece, a large design in the center and corner of a linen table cloth for $75.00. They embroidered in the yolks and around sleeves and bottom of infant dresses - beautiful fine work.

The father never learned farming or even to harness or drive a horse and mother never learned cooking or housekeeping. Father took a walk each day in the fresh air; one day he came home with some small kittens in his hat and told the hired man to kill the cat they had - he found some pretty ones, you guessed it, they were young skunks.

On February 24, 1895 he walked five or six miles to Apostolic Christian church from Bern to the country. Took sick in church and was taken to his son John Henry's home and died the following Saturday.
----------------------

Christian married Anna Magdelene Tobler on 19 Oct 1857 in Walzenhausen, Appenzell, Switzerland. Anna (daughter of Johann Kaspar Tobler and Anna Magdalena Dutler) was born on 4 Apr 1828 in Heiden, Appenzell, Switzerland; died on 13 Feb 1901 in Richards, Vernon County, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Lutheran from Childhood but converted to Apostolic Christian.

Immigrated in 1873

Christian married Katherine Gerber on 4 May 1852 in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, USA. Katherine (daughter of Ulrich Gerber and Barbara Falb) was born on 28 Jan 1830 in Sonnenberg, Wayne County, Ohio, USA; died on 28 Jan 1881 in Bluffton, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

This marriage is confirmed in "Historical sketches of seven generations : descendants of Deacon Michael Gerber, 1763-1938"