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- Died of Asthma. Johannes Zenger was born December 12, 1856 in Habkern,Bern,Switzerland. He was the son of Johannes and Margaritha (Ryser)Zenger,and grandson of Heinrich and Elisabeth (Zurbuchen) Zenger andNiklaus andMargaretha (Steck) Ryser. He and his brothers Gottleib, Friedrich, and Christian came to theU.S.in 1883 leaving behind their mother and two sisters, Margaretha,andElisabeth. Gottleib also brought his wife and 4 children, andFreidrichdeserted his wife and children to come alone and neverreturned or sentfor them. Johannes bought a homestead rite for $600.00 in Hawthorn(Haddam),Washington,Kansas from the Rosenkranz and built a dugout onthe west of apond on U.S. 36. He had to improve the homestead in 1888,so he built atwo story houseand a barn and some out buildings. About1892, PresidentCleveland sent him a title to the place. In 1911 hethen built a fourroom addition on the house andin 1912 he built a bigbarn. In 1892 he married Bertha Hotz, daughter ofFelix andSusanna(Banninger) Hotz and granddaughter of Heinrich and Barbara(Kuhn)Baenninger. Bertha was born April 6, 1856 in Nurensdorf,Zurich,Switzerland. Johannes, Bertha, 6 children, and a hired man all slept in thesameroomuntil the four room addition was built. About the turn of the century the Burlington railroad builttracksthrough Hawthorn, that was where they got their mail. It wasabout a 5mile trip all the way around. Hawthorn is now Haddam. In 1902, Johannes bought and 80 acre farm for $2000.00. Theoldhomestead still stands and was lived in by the Zenger family until1978when it was sold to another owner. On one of the stones isengravedJohannes and Berthas name and the date. They had 6 children: Martha Marie b: April 22, 1893 marriedGeorgeWharton on April 22, 1911 and died May 22, 1980 inConcordia,Kansas:Walter b: October 11, 1894 married Stella MelissaSmith on May 23, 1923and d: December 20, 1975: Herman b: May 13, 1897married Vera BlancheCongleton on October 29, 1922 and d: March 3, 1939in Cuba, Kansas as theresult of and accident. He fell of a cattletrain and the train ran overhim slicing his head. John b: March 3,1899 and d: 1925 as the result aappendix rupture. August Henry B;August 9, 1901 married Zola BelleCongleton April 1, 1925 and d: August31, 1987 in Belleville, Kansas andFrank b: October 23, 1906 and d:October 19, 1977. Frank was mentallyslow due to difficulties duringbirth. Bertha wasa very strong woman and worked in the fields along withherhusband. She wouldwork the fields during her labors and justbeforedelivering she would walk back to the house deliver the baby,clean upand feed the infant and return to the fields. She died ofdiabetes.Johannes entered into Washington county in 1884. This was told to the writer by his grandfather August Henry Zengerin1980.
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1856 - 1916 (59 years)
