The Zeisset Family in Germany

Written by Loretta M. Hoerman

The Baers

The name “Baer” is very common in Germany and Switzerland and there are many who are researching the Baer family histories. Consequently there is a considerable amount of information regarding the Baer family, with many variations of spelling of the name Baer. The Mennonite Baers can be traced back to the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland in the 16th Century. They lived in an area directly south of Zürich, on and around the Albishorn which is the tallest of the hills in the Albis range. The village which the Baer family called home is Hausen (translated as “home”). Other Mennonite family names from this specific region are Landes, Funk and Hägi (Hege).

This Albis region is also remarkable for an historic event. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was the main proponent for the Reformation in Switzerland. During the troubled times of the Reformation, a war broke out between the Catholics and Protestants for a second time at Kappel am Albis, the village just south of Hausen. During this war on the 11th of October, Zwingli was killed on the battlefield along with twenty-four other Protestant pastors.

The ancestors of our Baer family left Switzerland between 1640 and 1655 because of the persecution of the Anabaptists (Mennonnites) and moved to Ittlingen, Germany. This town is just west of Heilbronn and south of Sinsheim. Dammhof is just southwest of Ittlingen. According to the “Brief History of the Bär Family” excerpts by Jane Evans Best, Felix Baer is recorded at Dammhof in 1682, so there were Baers at this estate since that time. It’s not certain how our Baer family is related to Felix Baer, but our first known relative at Dammhof was Heinrich Baehr, born around 1718.

Heinrich Baehr was married to Barbara Rassi and this couple had at least ten children. Those most interesting to the Zeisset history are the third child, Matthaeus (1760-1841) and Heinrich (1778-1853). Matthaeus Baer (1760-1841) married Barbara Schmutz (1762-1831). These were the parents of Christina Baer who was married to Johannes Zeisset of Lautenbach in 1815. The youngest child of Heinrich Baehr and Barbara Rassi was Heinrich Baer (1778-1853). He married Barbara Zeisset, the daughter of Abraham Zeisset (the younger) and granddaughter of Abraham Zeisset (the elder), our earliest documented ancestor.

Matthaeus Baer (1809-1859) was the son of Heinrich Baer (1778-1853) and Barbara Zeisset (1780-1832). Heinrich Baer and his wife Barbara Zeisset had twelve children. Most of Matthaeus Baer’s eleven siblings survived to adulthood. For the sake of “simplicity”, with the exception of two brothers, these siblings will not be discussed in this paragraph, though much is known about them as well. The oldest brother of Matthaeus Baer was named Heinrich (1801-1876) and was the father of Peter Baer (1839-1900) who emigrated to Leonardville, Kansas. Another brother, Peter, married in 1847 (to Katharina Baer) and moved to Nesselbach, just over two miles from Niedersteinach. This Peter Baer, born in 1806 in Dammhof, died at Nesselbach in 1880, and his wife Katharina lived there until her death in 1901. Katharina Baer had been born to Heinrich Baer (1788-1863) and Christina Binkele at Forsterhof, near the Bodensee or Lake Constance.

In these days, the Mennonites would typically have been living on estates rather than in towns. They worshipped separately from the Catholics and Lutherans. Sometimes the pastor of the Mennonite church would travel from congregation to congregation. A couple would be legitimately married in a civil ceremony and later married by the Mennonite pastor. Certainly people from near-by Mennonite settlements visited each other, especially if there were family ties. In this way, young people would become acquainted and romances could develop. Perhaps this explains how Matthaeus Baer (from Dammhof) and Magdalena Zeisset (from Menzingen) met.

While living at Niedersteinach, Matthaeus and Magdalena Baer raised the following children: Lena (short for Magdalena), Elisabetha, Heinrich, Katharina, Anna Barbara and Anna. There were other children born to this couple who died at a young age. Of these six children, half would leave Germany to live in America, specifically, Kansas.

Magdalena’s mother, Christina Zeisset came to live at Niedersteinach sometime after her husband, Johannes, died at Sindolsheim in 1855. In 1855, Christina’s oldest son, Jakob was living at Sindolsheim. Her oldest daughter, Magdalena, was living at Niedersteinach. Her daughter, Barbara, lived at Obersteinach (very near Niedersteinach). Her son, Matthaeus, was still living at Menzingen. One son, John, had left the previous year for America, settling in Illinois. The youngest son, Abraham, was only 17 years old and was probably still living at Sindolsheim. She may have remained at Sindolsheim until the death of her eldest son in 1861, but then she quite likely went to live with her daughter, Magdalena, at Niedersteinach. Christina died of congestive heart failure at Niedersteinach in September 1866, at the age of 68 years. She was buried at Altenberg, near Niedersteinach. The evangelical church records from Altenberg contain the births, marriages and deaths of the Baer family. These records indicate that the Baers were also buried in the cemetery at Altenberg. Yet we know that Henry Zeisset, who later lived at Niedersteinach, was confirmed at the evangelical church in Orlach, not Altenberg.

Map of Niedersteinach, Orlach, Altenberg, Obersteinach, and Eichenau

From the map, it would appear that Orlach or even Obersteinach would have been more conveniently located churches. Perhaps the pastor at the Altenberg church was more welcoming. As Mennonites, the Baers would not likely have attended state church services. When Lena and Elisabeth, daughters of Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset married in 1864 and 1869 respectively, the marriages took place in Berwangen. Berwangen had a Mennonite congregation 49 miles directly west of Niedersteinach. Presumably these daughters were still practicing the Mennonite faith of their childhood.

Matthaeus Baer died at Niedersteinach in 1859. The widowed Magdalena married Jakob Buehler in 1861 at Hasselbach (where our earliest known ancestor, Abraham Zeisset had been a pastor a century earlier). Jakob Buehler’s mother was also a Zeisset, named Magdalena, no less! Magdalena and her new husband, Jakob Bühler, continued to live at Niedersteinach, until Jakob’s death in 1881. He was buried at Altenberg, as was Magdalena Zeisset Baer Buehler on her death in 1884. [insert photo of Magdalena Zeisset Baer Buehler]

The children of Matthaeus and Magdalena Zeisset Baer are important in our Zeisset history as the families interacted in a variety of ways over the years.

Magdalena (Lena) Baer The oldest daughter was named Magdalena, but called Lena. She was born in 1842 at Niedersteinach and married Peter Baer (1839-1900) in 1864 at Berwangen. Lena and Peter were not only husband and wife, but first cousins AND second cousins. Peter Baer was also born at Dammhof, like his father-in-law Matthaeus. Lena and Peter Baer moved to the Ralzhof by Salem near Lake Constance upon their marriage. This was quite some distance from Dammhof (155 miles) and even farther from Niedersteinach (175 miles away). The previous tenant of Ralzhof from 1845-1863 was Heinrich Baer (1817-1885). Heinrich Baer’s wife, Elisabetha Baer (1821-1895) was an aunt to Lena Baer (a sister to Lena’s father, Matthaeus of Niedersteinach). Heinrich Baer’s father was also named Heinrich Baer (1788-1863) and he farmed the Forsterhof which was in the same area as the Ralzhof. When the elder Heinrich Baer died in 1863, the son Heinrich took over the farming of the Forsterhof, which left the Ralzhof in need of a tenant. At that time, Peter and Lena Baer had just married and assumed the rental of the Ralzhof. According to financial records, the renter of the Forsterhof, Heinrich Baer, borrowed money from Lena Baer in 1876. It’s interesting that the money was borrowed from her rather than from her husband, Peter. Lena and Peter Baer had seven sons while living at the Ralzhof. Five of these sons survived to adulthood: Peter, Henry, Rudolph, Christian and John. The sons Henry and John were both handicapped and one wonders if this was because of the close genetic relationship of their parents. In May 1880, Peter Baer and his brother-in-law, Lena’s brother, Henry Baer (1848-1915) emigrated to America and settled in Dickinson County, Kansas. Peter and Lena Baer’s oldest son was also named Peter (1867-1933). The son Peter (1867-1933) left Germany in 1883 with Christian Bletscher and Christian’s new wife to join his father in Kansas. John Schmutz, previously mentioned son of Barbara Zeisset and Jakob Schmutz, was also with this party. On an interesting side note, this Christian Bletscher was married to Katharina Moser in January 1883 and the travelers left for America in March 1883. [insert PHOTO of Christian and Katherina ] Katharina died in January 1884 at Alida, Kansas and then Christian married Katharina’s sister, Marie, in July 1884. Marie had just arrived from Germany with her parents in June 1884. Meanwhile, Lena Baer (Peter’s wife) remained on the farm at Ralzhof. Financial records from Heinrich Baer (at Forsterhof) indicate that he continued to make payments to Lena Baer until the debt was paid in full on the 7^th of August 1884. Lena Baer then emigrated with her four other sons, Henry, Rudolph, Christian and John in September 1884, arriving in New York City on the 6^th of September 1884. [insert PHOTO of Lena Baer] The Baer party traveled with Lena’s sister, Anna Baer and her husband David Bletscher, brother to the aforementioned Christian Bletscher. Anna Baer and David Bletscher had married in 1882 and also traveled with their 2 year old son, Christian. The entire Baer-Bletscher party then made its way by train to Alida, Kansas where Lena’s husband Peter was living with Lena and Anna’s brother Henry Baer.

Elisabetha Baer and Johannes Zeisset Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset’s second daughter, Elisabetha, married her cousin Johannes Zeisset in Berwangen in 1869. This couple will be discussed later in the discussion of Jakob Zeisset’s children.

Henry Baer The only son to survive of Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset was born at Niedersteinach in 1848 and given the name Heinrich. Two other sons, Johannes and Matthaeus died when they were very young. Henry left with his brother-in-law, Peter Baer (Lena’s husband) for Dickinson County, Kansas as previously mentioned. He established his farm at Alida and lived there the rest of his life. Peter Baer lived with him until 1885 after the rest of his family had arrived from Germany. The Peter Baer family then went to live in Riley County, north of Leonardville. Henry Baer married Anna Fourier at Alida in 1882. Anna Fourier’s sister Amelia later married Peter Baer, the son of Peter and Lena Baer.

Henry Baer and Anna Fourier had nine children between 1883 and 1901: Mary, born in 1883, married to Claude Marston, died in 1967 in Junction City, Kansas; Anna, born in 1885, married Edward Hasselman, died in Abilene, Kansas in 1971; Henry, born in 1887, married to Celma Hanney, died in 1947 in Junction City, Kansas; John, born in 1889, died in Alida, Kansas in 1915 in a fire; , Lena, born 1891, died 1917 at Alida; William, born 1893, married to Anna Zurmely, died 1984 in Chapman, Kansas; Fred, born 1895, married Mabel Schmutz, died 1984 in Abilene, Kansas; Arthur, born 1898, married Emma Buss, died 1995 in Junction City and Albert, born 1901, married Anna Geist, died1994 in Junction City.

Katharina Baer The third daughter of Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset was Katharina. She was born in 1850 and later married Martin Funck of Michelfeld, Baden, Germany in 1873. They lived at Beltersrot, about 15 miles west of Niedersteinach, until 1902 when they moved to Nesselbach. Martin Funck was a cooper or barrel-maker. Martin and Katharina did not have any children. They maintained contact with the families who went to Kansas. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1923 and a letter which has survived to this day discusses the celebration that was held in honor of the anniversary. [Insert PHOTO of Katharina and Martin Various pictures of their home at Nesselbach have also survived. [insert PHOTO of home]

Babette Baer The fourth daughter of Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset was named Anna Barbara, called Babette. She married David Funck in Obersteinach in 1876. They were married by the Mennonite pastor Ulrich Hege. David was a brother to Martin, who married Katharina Baer as discussed in the previous paragraph. [insert PHOTO of David and Babette] Babette didn’t live long after her marriage, dying in Waldenburg, about 16 miles west of Niedersteinach in 1882. Waldenburg was an important place in the Zeisset history as will later be discussed. Babette Baer and David Funck had one daughter, Magdalena, born at Waldenburg in 1878. Three other children died in infancy. David remarried in 1883 to Susanna Baer and emigrated with his new wife and his daughter Magdalena to Kansas in 1893. The new wife promptly died in 1894 in Clay County. David moved with his daughter to Gotebo, Kiowa County, Oklahoma where he married Barbara Dester. With his third wife, he had six more children and then David Funck died in Gotebo on Christmas Eve 1934.

Anna Baer The fifth daughter of Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset was Anna Baer, born in 1857 at Niedersteinach, only 2 years before her father’s death. Anna married David Bletscher at Niedersteinach in January 1882. While David Bletscher was born in Cappel, Germany, 21 miles west of Niedersteinach, his Bletscher family came from Dühren, Baden, Germany, which is 55 miles west of Niedersteinach. Dühren is very near Immelhausen, just on the other side of a forest. Recall that Abraham Zeisset was an elder at Immelhausen. The Bletschers had lived in Dühren since the mid-1700s. [insert PHOTO of Bletscher home Anna Baer and David Bletscher lived for a time in Dühren where they had two children before leaving Germany to come to Kansas with Anna’s sister Lena Baer and her sons. Only one of the two Bletscher children born in Germany survived: Christian, born in October 1882. The Bletschers came then to Kansas in 1884 and settled at Leonardville where they had nine more children. The children who survived infancy were: Christian, Anna (married to Vaughn Llewelyn), Martha (married to Henry Weinert), Lena (married to Dave Llewelyn), John, Henry and David.

            Family chart of Matthaeus Baer and Magdalena Zeisset - coming soon

Continue to Chapter 6