Zimmerly, George

AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT

Contact information on HOME page

Direct descendant is highlighted in red

Georg Philipp Zimmerle Immigrant Ancestor

see FAMILY TREE

Born 18 Aug 1817 Wilgartswiesen-Hofstatten, Bayern, Germany

Christened: 21 Aug 1817 Wilgartswiesen-Hofstatten, Bayern, Germany

Emigrated: From Le Havre France on the ship Hebrew arriving in New York, New York on 23 Jun 1836

Married: 28 Jun 1839 to Margaret Helfter

Died: 08 Jan 1892 Olney, Richland Co., IL
Buried: Haven Hill Cemetery, Olney, Richland Co., IL

FATHER

Franciscus Baltasar (Franz) Zimmerle

MOTHER

Catharina Elisabetha Zimmerle

WIFE

Margaret Helfer

CHILDREN

1. George Zimmerly
b. 14 Apr 1840 PA

2. Margaret Zimmerly
b. 20 Jul 1841 PA

3. Frank Zimmerly
b. Abt. 1845 IN

4. Philip Zimmerly
b. 4 Jan 1846 KY

5.Christiana Zimmerly
b Abt. 1848 IN

6. Henry Zimmerly
b. 1851 IN

7. Fred Zimmerly
b. 12 Jun 1853 IN

8. Mary Zimmerly
b. Abt. 1855 IL

9. William Zimmerly
b. Abt. 1859 IL

Georg Philipp Zimmerle
by Susan Brooke
Dec 2022

     According to his obituary, George P Zimmerle was born in Wilgartsweisen, Rhenish Bavaria, in 1817. (1) The baptismal record for Georg Philipp Zimmerle in Wilgartsveisen indicated he was born on 18 Aug 1817 and that his parents were Franz and Catharina Zimmerle. (2) He was the 7th and last child and he had two older brothers. The Pfalz area was in much distress at that time and many men were starting to emigrate to America. George's older brother Johann Philipp along with his older sister Margaret, married to Jacob Hauck, had departed in July 1832. (3)
   In 1836 George Philipp Zimmele was 18 years old and oral history says that he emigrated to avoid being conscripted into the German army. (4) He joined the Smithfield Church in Pittsburgh, PA and met and married Margaret Helfer there on 28 Jun 1839. (5) Their first two children were baptized in the Smithfield Church. (6) When their daughter Margaret was christened, a Philip Zimmerli was one of the witnesses. He may have been related.   (7) His brother, Philip Jacob Zimmerle, emigrated to the United States on14 Jun 1840.
Their son Phillip Zimmerly was born in Louisville on 4 Jan 1746. (8) By 1847 Philip Jacob and George Philip were both in Harrison County, IN. Philip Jacob deeded 50 acres of land to his brother George for $150. (9) In 1850 in Harrison County, the value of George's real estate was listed as $450 and the listed children were: George, Margaret, Frank, Philip and Christina. (10)
   In 1852 his older brother, Philipp J Zimmerle and brother-in-law Jacob Hauck helped to start the German Reformed Lutheran Church of Grand Prairie in Richland County, IL   George P Zimmerle was also a member of this church.(11)
   George Zimmerle had acquired additional land in Harrison County which he sold on 25 Oct 1853. (9) He then moved to Olney, Richland County, IL. On 1 Apr 1854 his brother Philip Jacob Zimmerly sold him 120 acres of land in Richland County for $1000. (12) In the 1855 census for Richland County George had 6 children and by the 1860 census he had 7 of his 9 children still living with him and his land was valued at $1000. (13)
   His older brother, Philip Jacob Zimmerly, died in 1854 in Olney, Richland, IL. He had never married. Thus his estate was left to his siblings: George Philip Zimmerle, Philip (John P.) Zimmerle, Margaret Zimmerle Hauck, Catherine Zimmerle Doerr, and Elizabeth Zimmerle Metz. (14) George P Zimmerle received $24.66 (15)
   George Zimmerle wrote his own will on 20 Jul 1879 naming Margaret Zimmerly his widow. He died on 8 Jan 1892 of "softening of the brain" which he had had for two years. (16) His estate was distributed to: his widow and Margaret Ameter, Philip Zimmerly, Fred Zimmerly, William Zimmerly and heirs of Christine Nuding deceased.. His son, Henry Zimmerly was not mentioned. (17) George Zimmerle did not die until 8 Jan 1892. His obituary stated that he died at his residence on Whittle Avenue. The 1880 census had recorded him as being a grocer on Whittle Avenue. (18) Below is a photo of Whittle Avenue. (19)

Sources

(1) Obituary found in Bridgeport IL library by Harvey Zimmerle.
"George P. Zimmerly died Friday Jan 8, 1892, at his residence on Whittle Avenue. He was born in Wilgartsweisen, Rhenish Bavaria in 1817, and learned the trade of shoemaker. He came to this country in 1835, locating in Louisville, Ky., where he was married to Miss Margaret Helfer, who still survives him. He moved to Richland county in 1854. He was a member of the German Evangelical Church. Nine children were born, six boys and three girls. Three sons, Phillip, William, and Fred are still living, also one daughter Margaret Ameter. For a number of years he kept a grocery store on Whittle Ave. Times, Jan. 27, 1892

(2) Baptism of Georg Philipp Zimmerle
FHL film 0193230 image 373

Born 18 Aug 1817 Wilgartswiesen-Hofstatten, Bayern, Germany
Parents Franz Zimmerle and Catharina Zimmerle Godparents Georg Adam Zimmerle and Wilhelmina Gut�hrlein ? his wife.

Christened: 21 Aug 1817 Wilgartswiesen-Hofstatten, Bayern, Germany

Taufeintrag 18. August geboren, 21. August 1817 getauft

Georg Philipp

Eltern: Franz Zimmer und Catharina Zimmerle

Gevattern: Georg Adam Zimmerle (.....?) und Wilhelmina (Gut�hrlein ?) dessen Frau

Baptism of Georg Philipp Zimmerle

This Georg Philipp Zimmerle who was baptized in Wilgarstweisen on Aug 21, 1817 was born on the same day as the Georg Philipp Zimmerle who was baptized on Aug 19, 1817 in Annweiler. The other Georg Philipp Zimmerle was the son of his first cousin.

(3) Notes from Harvey Zimmerle
Jacob Hauck was married to Margaret Zimmerle and they came to America in 1832 with Philip (John P) Zimmerle. They departed the Port of Havre and arrived in the United States in July 1832 and became USA citizens in Knox County, Vincennes, Ind. in 1836.
Philip Jacob Zimmerle departed the Port of Havre on the 17th day of March and arrived in the Port of New York in the United States on the 14th day of June 1840. His request for citizenship was processed in Knox County, Vincennes, Indiana in 1844

Naturalization record of "Philipe Zimmerl" showing he emigrated in July 1832

(4) Georg Philipp Zimmerle Emigrated: From Le Havre France on the ship Hebrew arriving in New York, New York on 23 Jun 1836

Listed as George Zimmerle, age 18, with 1 sack

(5) Marriage of Georg Zimer to Margretha Helfer
   Smithfield Church, Pittsburgh, PA
   28 Jun 1839
   FHL film # 885046

(6) George Zimmerle
   FHL film #885046
   baptized 14 Apr 1840

(7) Margaret Zimmerle
FHL film 885046
baptized 20 Jul 1841

one of the witnesses is Philipp Zimmerli
The Phillipp Zimmerli had been a communicant in the Smithfield Church on 24 Aug 1837

(8) According to the obituary on Phillip Zimmerly, he was born 4 Jan 1846 in Kentucky. And the obituary on George Phillip Zimmerly says, incorrectly, that he married Margaret Helfer in Louisville.

(9) Land Records
in Harrison County, IN

1847 Phillip Jacob Zimmerle to George P Zimmerle, 50 acres for $150. Harrison Co., IN Book S. p.157

4 Feb 1849 Linnart How of Floyd county to George Philip Zimmerle of Harrison county 2 tracts of land for $450. --- 120 acres BK W pg 287

25 Oct 1853 George and Margaret Zimmerle to John Gattelfinger Harrison Co., IN Book Z. p. 121

(10) 1850 Census Harrison County, IN

(11) Philip J. Zimmerle, John Jacob Hauck and others purchased a tract of land in 1852 for $800 and began erection of Lutheran Church in Olney. History of Richland County.
History of Richland Co. pg 666

Evangelical Association
In the year of 1842, this part of the country was for the first time visited by a preacher of the Evangelical Association, in the person of Christoph Augenstein, sent by the Ohio Conference. He preached in the houses, but the outlook was not very encouraging. In the year 1843, the Illinois Conference took up a mission, embracing the counties of Wabash, Clark, Owen and Richland. Christ Lindner and Nickolai were sent as missionaries. This year Mr. Henry Zwahlen was converted and joined the church. In 1844, A. Nickolai and G. G. Platz were sent by the Conference, and their effort was crowned with success. In 1845, the above Mission was divided in Dubois and Mount Carmel. Philip Prech, was sent to Mount Carmel, to which Richland County belongs, where he had good success on the Grand Prairie, six miles north of Olney; a few families were converted who organized themselves into a class and chose H. Zwahlen as their class-leader. The names of the original members were: H. Zwahlen and wife, P. P. Bauer, George Yelch and wife, W. Ameter and wife, Fred. Launer, A. Bushany, G. P. Zimmerly and wife, J. Staely. In 1846, G. Mueller and J. Trometer were sent pastors to work on the Mission. In 1847, 1848, 1849 and 1850, Christ Glaus, Samuel Dickover and H. Ragaty were the missionaries sent by the Conference, during these years, in which the membership was steadily growing.

The German Reformed Church at Grand Prairie
This church was established by about twenty families, mostly all of Swiss emigration. In the same settlement there were living a number of families known as Lutherans, and the two branches, Reformed and Lutherans, were supporting together one church and one pastor in common, for a number of years, but matters did not work all right together; the Lutherans being too orthodox for the liberal minded Reformed, and they separated. At a meeting then held by the Reformed members on the 5th day of February, 1852, a resolution was unanimously adopted to establish and form a church of their own. A few of the prominent members then, such as Peter Ingzi, Christian Ingzi, Christian Sterchi, Henry Sterchi, John Jacob Hauck, Philip J. Zimmerle and others, now all dead, took the matter in hand purchased a tract of land of twenty-four and a half acres for a building site, and the present church was then erected at a cost of $800. In 1876 or 1877, a very handsome parsonage was also erected near the church; the first pastor, Rev. G. F. Launer, a theological graduate of Berne, Switzerland. In 1874, the congregation associated itself with the German Reformed Synod of America, through the management of Rev. Fr. Judt, a graduate of the Basel Missionary Society, Switzerland, of many years ago. The present membership is large, amounting to about 100, and its pastor is Rev. Kiper.

(12) Land Record Richland County, IL
FHL film 8570844 image 925
Richland County Deed BK F page 102
Phillip Jacob Zimmerly to George Philip Zimmerly, 120 acres, for $1000

(13) 1860 Census, Preston, Richland, IL

(14) Estate of Philipp Jacob Zimmerle
He left his estate to his five brothers and sisters. The estate identified the following as the heirs to the estate: George Philip Zimmerle, Philip (John P.) Zimmerle, Margaret Zimmerle Hauck, Catherine Zimmerle Doerr, and Elizabeth Zimmerle Metz.

(15) Receipt of George P Zimmerly
Receipt from brother's estate

(16) Death Certificate George P Zimmerly

Death Certificate

(17) Below is the settlement of the estate of George P. Zimmerly. The only named heirs were Margaret Zimmerly his widow, Margaret Ameter, Philip Zimmerly, Fred Zimmerly, William Zimmerly and heirs of Christine Nuding deceased.

Will of George P Zimmerly
written 20 Jun 1879

Distribution of Estate

At right is Executor's Notice

(18) Census Records

1870 Census, Olney, Richland, IL

1880 Census, Olney, Richland, IL

(19) Whittle Avenue

Whittle Avenue

Georg and Margaret sold their land in Harrison County, IN on Oct 6, 1853 for $850. Below are their signatures to this land transaction.