Zellhoefer, Johann Konrad 'Mike'-[10] ^{2 3 4 5 6 7}

   Other names for Johann were Zellhoefer, "Mike" and Zellhoefer, John Michael.

   User ID: OAB 1497i.

  General Notes:

Updated June 2004:
John Michael Zellhoefer (& his surrounding families) was RonKZ's personal reason beginning this research in 1997. After all these years of research, the wealth of information still does not reveal the whole truth nor eliminate all conflicts.

Life summary:

Our family lore knew only that JMZ was "from Germany"; nothing more. The "GGZ Autobiography" states JMZ's father as George Jacob but does not name his mother.

In the LDS IGI we find Joseph & Anna Margaretha nee:Hofmann Zellhoefer in Brachbach, Bavaria with children closely matching that said by GGZ. But our Mike was born or baptised 4 Aug 1825 as Johann Konrad, now verified in the pfarrachives of Obernzenn, but Mike's obituary in "der Christlich Botschafter" stated his birthplace as Bergbach. But "Konrad" was never seen in use thereafter! Rather he was Johann Michael, was called Mike, and in his Civil War enlistment papers he was John Michael, and born 17 May 1825. All these little differences have been hell to reconcile!

Mike was refused "permission to leave" with family in 1846, required to first fulfill his 6-year military obligation. So Mike, then "single" finally received permission to leave in March 1853, and wasted no time, landed in New York in June. There was no matching "Anna" on his ship, so apparently Mike was still single.

On his way from New York to Wisconsin, Mike may have visited his brother Frederick in Newark NJ and/or his brother Jacob in Crawford County, PA. I have searched for marriage record of JMZ/Anna all the way from Bavaria to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and finally Wisconsin, which we know only that he reached Wisconsin by May 1854. No marriage record for Mike and Anna has been found anywhere on the path.

1) John M WELHOFER & Elizabeth PFEFFER, marriage document 17 Sep 1848. Having found both this couple and JMZ/Elnora separate households with their respective families in the 1860 census, It is now conclusive that this marriage was NOT that of JMZ/Anna. Truly amazing similarity, tho, especially as census records for 1850 list Mrs Wellhofer as Elizabeth and as Ann in 1860!

corrected 1) comes from an obituary in "der Christliche Botshafter" stating "Anna of Urpershofen (UrperTshofen is very near Brachbach) died in childbirth 9 Sep 1858, leaving husband and FOUR children. No other documentation exists.

2) John Michael ZELLHOEFER & widow Elnora MILLER married 12 Mar 1859, listing her parents as John & Sophia HAVERLAND, that certificate at the hand of Rev John G Miller AFTER Mike's death. That marriage is confirmed by a minimal unsourced LDS IGI record showing an undated marriage of Michael Zellhoefer to Elenora HEILMAN, which serves to negate the Richard Heilmann of family lore.

There were numerous papers written by MGK listing the children of these families, along with some birth dates, but few and inconclusive source documents

We continue to search for missing critical documentation. My last big objective is to document the marriage to his first wife, so far only "Anna from Urphershofen". Along with that, we hope to find more about their first two children Fredrick and Annie, almost certainly also adopted by "outsiders" as were their twin siblings.

So, after all this, with two marriages and EIGHT children, in 1864 Mike enlisted for the Civil War and died in Kentucky 6 Jan 1865

There was a Zellhoefer-Klotz reunion 9 Jun 1929 referenced hereinafter as the ZKreunion, which article contains a list of attendees and may hold further some clue to the adoption of Mike/Anna's oldest 2 children.

After Mike's death, Elnora apparently liquidated his (probably meager) estate, along with JMZ's first 4 children. Family lore claims that the Twins were adopted by KLOTZ in 1863, but that makes little sense and I believe it would have been in 1865.

The 1870 census finds widow "E Zellhoefer" with 4 children: "Christina" (Augustina), Margaret, Charlotte and Laura. Note that NONE of the JMZ/Anna children were in that household -- Frederick, Annie & the twins are all missing, despite that the oldest would have been only age 16-17. Hence the logical conclusion that:

Anna, purportedly daughter of Elnora, seems actually to have been the "Unknown" daughter of JMZ/Anna. That puts the number of his children at 8, as stated in an obituary summary provided by the Dodge/Jefferson County Genealogical Society.

One would think that JMZ/Anna offspring would have been taken by any of JMZ's several siblings there in Sullivan Township, rather than being adopted out, but thus far I have been unable to find matching children in those families, neither in census records or other documentation.

  Research Notes:

Born John Konrad in Brachbach b.Obernzenn, Mittelfranken 4 Aug 1825. The name "Konrad" was never found other than in his birth record. In his "Permission to Leave" documents he was Johann Michael b. 4 Aug 1825; in his military records in Wisconsin he was John Michael Zellhoefer born 17 May 1825.

  Birth Notes:

... his name given as John Konrad
IGI lists father as Joseph & mother Anna Hofmann
Most IGI siblings match or supplement names listed by source GGZ, including
exact birthdate for George Leonhard;
same month/day for Christine; different year matches her headstone.

  Noted events:

• Alt. Birth, 17 May 1825, Bergbach, NEA. ² For unknown reason, Mike gave his birthdate as 17 May 1825 in his enlistment for the Civil War. His birth record of 4 Aug 1825 would seem to be the more authentic.

His obituary in Der Christliche Botschafter states Bergbach as his birthplace, again incorrect; Bergbach cannot be found! All church birth records for the entire family indicate Brachbach.

• Misc: permission to leave denied, 1846, Brachbach, Obernzenn, NEA. JMZ applied with his family for permission to leave in 1846. All the others were granted permission and did leave that year, but JMZ was refused because the board decided he must remain and perform his imminent 6 years of military service.

• Military: in Germany, 1846-1852, Bayern/Bavaria. JMZ was refused permission to leave with his family in 1846, because the panel decided he must perform the mandatory 6 years of military service first. The dates of service are assumed pending location of a military record. While it is believed he actually did perform his military stint in Bavaria because he did not emigrate until 1853, that record has not been obtained.

• Residence: when obtained permission to leave, Mar 1853, Oberaltenbernheim, NEA. probably living with his married sister there from whenever he was discharged from german military service until he left.

It was probably during this period that he would have made his connection with Anna of Urphertshofen, who became his wife within the following year.

• Misc: given permission to leave, 21 Mar 1853, Ansbach, Ansbach.

• Immigration: From Hamburg on the ship Celle, 13 Jun 1853, Port NewYork. Transcript of only his record was received via Bremerhaven Mueseum Dec 2003
Listed as Zollhuefer, John, Age 27, farmer, last residence "Unknown" destination "USA, staying in the USA" and that's all it says.

Included was a list of women on that same ship named "Anna", which hopefully will be of some help in searching Urphertshofen and Obernzenn to learn her birthname.

• Misc: Reopened mother's probate, 13 May 1854, Jefferson Co WI. order from the court to Leonhard Zellhoefer to show cause why John Michael had not been paid his share of the estate. (Leonhard did not include all the children in the 1847-1849 probate proceedings, in particular those who had not come to America.) This would indicate JMZ had arrived in Wisconsin before this date.

• Misc: Probate order re Mother's estate, 2 Sep 1854, Jefferson Co WI. Judge ordered that JMZ and sisters Barbara & Mary shall receive their equal share of the estate, which shall be paid by the 6 original heirs, Jacob, Frederick, George, Christina and George Sherer (surviving husband of Margaret, deceased). Each of the "new" heirs to receive $55.62.

• Census: household of JMZ & Elnora, 1860, Sullivan Twp, Jeff Co WI. The surname is very difficult to decipher, but looks most like Seilver. As the known names in this family match what is know from many sources, there is no doubt that this is the JMZ household of 1860.
JMZ, 35, farmer, b.Germany
Laura, 38, b.Germany
Frederick 6 [his w/first wife Anna, thus b.before 24 Jun 1854}
Anna or Annie 3
Teina, 2 [=Augustina, her daughter]
twins George & Sophia, 1
Harriet 3/12 [=Margaret]
All children listed as b.Wisconsin, but Augustina may have been born in Germany according to the family lore.

ancestry.com image 24/43, paper image # 62, 24 June 1860.

• Military: enlisted, 30 Aug 1864, Jefferson Twp Jefferson WI. Enlisted at Janesville in Rock County, WI

Age 39, Eyes Blue; Hair light; Complexion fair; Height 5' 3 1/4"; Farmer

Termination died 06 January 1865.
The following taken from Red Master Volume:
Born in Germany. In hospital at Nashville Tennessee since 30 December 1864 to 01 January 1865. Died 6 January 1865, Louisville, Kentucky in U.S. General Hospital of exhaustion from chronic diarrhea. Died in a foundry.
Buried Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville Kentucky, Section "C" National Cemetery, Grave 56, Row 05, # 2889. **

"Wisconsin Volunteers" - War of the Rebellion 1861 - 1865 at the Prairie du Sac Library lists:
ZELLHOEFFER, J. Michael, Private; Co. "C" Infantry; 43rd Regiment.
** Another volume listed him as being buried in Section "C", grave 67, which is incorrect.

in hospital @ Nashville TN 30 Dec 1864 to 1 Jan 1865, died in Louisville KY in US General Hospital of exhaustion from chronic diarhea. MGK notes: "..died in a foundry, Lexington KY", which makes little sense that he might have been working after 1 Jan 1865 while terminally ill, AND that he would have been in Lexington rather than in the hospital? It would make sense if JMZ did work in a foundry in Lexington, but that he died in the hospital in Louisville....!!??

Company "C" Infantry, 43rd Regiment
Blue eyes, fair complexion, height 5' 3-1/4".
burial Cave Hill Cemetery Section C, Grave 56, Row 05, #2889

State Historical Society
Archives Division
816 State St
Madison WI 53706

Room 416 CIVIL WAR RECORDS
indexed by Companies in three categories

ZELLHOEFFER, (J) Michael; Rank - Private; Enlisted 30 Aug 1864 at Janesville, Wisconsin by Captain S.J.M. Putnam; Term of (1) year; Mustered U.S. Service 30 August 1864 at Janesville, Wisconsin.

• Obituary: per Ev Assn obit DJCGS & from Mani Hertlein, 10 Feb 1865, Bergbach, NEA. "ZELLHOEFER, MICHAEL (b.Bergbach, Bavaria; d.5 Jan 1865 @ Louisville, age 39 years). He came to Rome in 1854 and served in the Civil War, enlisting on 29 Aug 1864, survived by his wife and 8 children.
* Evangelical Association obit, 10 Feb 1865."

The location "Bergbach" is probably Brachbach.

Johann married Mrs Anna Zellhoefer-[101] [MRIN: 733] est 1853. (Mrs Anna Zellhoefer-[101] was born in 1822-1823 in Uphershofen b.Steinsfeld, died on 9 Sep 1858 in Rome, Jefferson, WI and was buried in Riverview East, Rome WI.) The cause of her death was Died in childbirth.

  Marriage Notes:

This marriage is my "last" really critical brick wall, as I've exhausted every conceivable angle back around Obernzenn to find some record of "Anna" and her ancestry. We don't at all KNOW they were married in Germany, and it looks more and more as if they were married later in the USA somewhere, that being after June 1853 when JMZ landed.

Marriage certificate was ordered from Wisconsin Historical Society Jan 2003 and from Jefferson County Registrar but not found.

But JMZ stated "single" as he received his permission to emigrated in March 1853. No record of their marriage exists in their church in Obernzenn, and Urphershofen b.Steinsfeld was also check without success. There was no "Anna" listed next to JMZ on the ship to Amercia, and the few other Anna's on that ship don't fit, so apparently they were NOT married until after each had arrived in America, although a check on consulate marriage in Hamburg may be needed.

After arriving in America, it is possible that JMZ while on his way to Wisconsin stopped in New Jersey to visit brother Fredrich, and/or in Pennsylvania to vist brother Jacob, thus maybe he got married "on the path"?

All their 4 children were born in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, but again no birth certificates are of record.

Johann next married Elnora 'Laura' Haverland-[102] [MRIN: 408], daughter of John Haverland-[397] and Sylvia-[398], on 12 Mar 1859 in Sullivan Twp, Jeff Co WI.¹ (Elnora 'Laura' Haverland-[102] was born in Sep 1822 in Germany,⁸ died on 27 Feb 1889 in Jefferson Co WI and was buried in 1889 in Riverview East, Rome WI ⁹.)