The Family of Nicholas Kehl and Anna Zehler

Second Generation



Nicholas and Anna Kehl

, she married Nicholas Kehl at St. Cecilia's RC Church in Sheldon.  Nicholas and Anna settled in Bennington, New York, where they raised their children.

The children of Nicholas and Anna are:

---

Third Generation

i.	Helen Kehl	Helen was born on February 28, 18661.  Helen married George Beechler
ii.	Susanna Kehl	Susanna was born on March 15, 18681, and she died on September 13, 19702.  Susanna remained single.
iii.	Clara Kehl	Clara was born on January 4, 1871 1, and she died in 1946 13.  Clara married Frank Sindecuse.
iv.	Jacob Peter Kehl	Jacob was born on October 18, 18731, and he died on May 19, 19062.
v.	Frances Kehl	Frances was born on April 4, 18762, and she died on December 27, 195432.  Frances married Gerhard Ziewers.

---

Anna's Baptismal Record

Anna Zehler was born June 3, 1835⁵, in the tiny village of Nuhweiler, the third child of Peter Zehler and Anna Maria Klasen.  Her birth was registered the morning of the fourth at the district administrative center in Wadern⁵.  This record is the source for her date of birth of June 3^rd.  Anna's baptismal record⁴, however, gives her date of birth as June 4^th, a discrepancy which is common for four of her siblings.  (see Peter for additional comments).

Passenger List of the Samuel Fox

We know little about Anna's life prior to her departure for America.  The U.S. Census of 1900 shows that Anna came to America in 1855.  This is confirmed by the passenger list of the Samuel M. Fox, shown at the left, which lists Anna, age 19, along with her brother Michael, age 17 as passengers.  The Fox left from LeHavre on March 27; 1855 and arrived at the Port of New York on April 21 ^st, where it was towed into guarantine.  The crossing took a relatively short time of 24 days.

Anna's Birth Record

After arriving in America, Anna and Michael joined their brothers John and Peter in Orleans County, New York.  The 1855 New York Census lists Anna as a servant living with Elijah Root in the Town of Murry²⁴.  Just as young men often hired out as farm laborers, young women often became household servants until they married.  Our next glimpse into Anna's life comes when she married Nicholas Kehl on February 9, 1864¹, at St. Cecilia's Roman Catholic church in Sheldon.  Nicholas was born December 15, 1833⁹², in Kostenbach, Rhine Province, Prussia, the son of Peter Kehl and Anna Loch.  He came to America in 1852, and journeyed to Sheldon, New York.  His parents and brother Peter came to America in 1855, and settled in Bennington, New York.  Anna may have known Nicholas in Germany, since Kostenbach is only a few miles west of Nuhweiler, however, their relationship undoubted developed as members of the large German-American community centered on St. Cecilia's parish.

Nicholas and Anna initially settled in Bennington, where Nicholas purchased a farm on Burroughs road in Bennington, near the Sheldon town line²³.  This same farm was later owned by John Zehler.  However, a year later, Nicholas purchased a farm in Sheldon²³, and the family was living there at the time of the 1870 U.S. Census²⁶.  Finally, Nicholas purchased a third farm in 1874²³, this time back in Bennington, where he continued to live until his death on January 4, 1909².  Subsequently, Anna moved to Bennington Center, where she lived with two of her grandsons, Walter and Claude Beechler.  Anna died March 30, 1915².  Both Nicholas and Anna are buried in the cemetery of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Bennington Center.

Clara Kehl:



Anna Zehler Kehl, seated, with Clara Kehl Sindecuse and Blanche Sindecuse - about 1910

---

Clara Kehl was born January 4, 1871, in the Town of Sheldon the third child of Nicholas Kehl and Anna Zehler.  On May 26 1891

Blanche Sindecuse:

Blanche Sindecuse was born December 28, 1897², in Bennington, New York, however, most of her life she lived in Buffalo.  After the death of her father, Blanche lived with her mother until the latter's death in 1947.  Census data indicate that Blanche earned her living as a piano teacher^{77, 78}.  She died in Buffalo on April 7, 1976³⁴.

Frances Kehl was born on April 4, 1876², in Bennington, the youngest child of Nicholas and Anna Kehl.  On February 13, 1902², she married Gerhard Ziewers.  Gerhard was born on February 17, 1878², the son of John Ziewers and Barbara Meyer.  The Ziewers family were members of the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Bennington, and operated the general store in Bennington Center.

Following their marriage, Gerhard and Frances settled in Buffalo, New York, where Gerhard worked as a clerk⁷¹.  In 1910 and 1920, Gerhard worked as a salesman for a bakery ^72,73.  Then in 1930, he is working in the automotive industry⁷⁹.  In addition, he is listed in the 1914 City Directory as a partner in the firm of Beechler and Ziewers⁸⁰, a grocery store he operated along with Frances' nephew, Walter Beechler.  It would appear that Walter was largely responsible for operating the grocery store and that Gerhard and Frances provided capital to help set him up in business. 

Gerhard and Frances had one daughter, who married, but apparently had no children.  After retirement, the Ziewers returned to Bennington.  Gerhard died in the Warsaw hospital on October 26, 1954⁷⁴, and Frances died shortly thereafter, on December 30, 1954⁷⁵, at Gowanda, possibly at the state mental institution located there.

The child of Gerhard and Frances is:

Evelyn Zierwers:

Evelyn Ziewers was born in 1904¹³, presumably in Buffalo, New York.  About 1929, she married Allen C. Scharlock.  Alan lived in Blasdell, New York, where worked as a salesman for a bakery.  It is possible he met the Ziewers family through Gerhard, who also worked as a bakery salesman.  After their marriage, Alan and Evelyn settled in Buffalo, where they lived with her parents.  Evelyn died in 1947 ¹³, and Alan died in 1972 ¹³; both are buried in the cemetery at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bennington.  They apparently had no children.

These pages are our initial attempt to capture the history and genealogy of the Zehler family.  If you have comments or additional information which would add to this story, please contact us at the following address: