Family of Phillip G. and Margaret (Keinert) Zoeller, German Immigrants to Pittsburgh

Snapshot summary: Phillip G. and Margaret (Keinert) Zoeller were German immigrants who settled in Pittsburgh in the mid-1800s. Their eight children were John, Charles, Katherine Parker, Phillip F., Margaret, Julia, Bernhard "Ben" and Jacob Zoeller. These are their grave markers in Pittsburgh, PA.

1822 - July 18 – Phillip Georg Zöller (Americanized to "Phillip G. Zoeller"), born in Massenbach, Wurtemburg, Germany. He is believed to have been the son of Georg Philipp Zoeller (1784-1839) and Juliana Elisabethe Schmalzhaf (1793-1839), and the maternal grandson of Johannes Schmalzhaf and Rosine Naser.

1825 - April 26 – Phillip's future wife Margaret Kaenert (or “Keinert” or “Keinhart”) born in Germany.

1839 - July - Phillip sailed to the United States, at about the age of 18, and upon arriving came to Pittsburgh. His emigration is recorded in The Wuerttemburg Emigration Index, Vol. 6, by Trudy Schenk and Ruth Froekle (1992). His sisters Catherine (Zoeller) Beisel, Rosa (Zoeller) Seiferth and Christina (Zoeller) Stoltzenbach and brother John Zoeller also emigrated to Pittsburgh at some point in time, but their details are not yet known.

-- As an adult, he stood 5 feet, 10 ½ inches tall, with dark complexion, dark hair and grey eyes.

1847 - Phillip and Margaret were married in the Birmingham section of Pittsburgh by Rev. Yealey (or “Geilig”) of the German Lutheran Church. Margaret had only been in America for one year at the time of her marriage.

1848 - March 10 – Phillip declared a citizen of the United States, renouncing all loyalties to the King of Wurtemburg, Germany. James Millinger provided testimony that Phillip had resided within the U.S. “upwards of five years.”

1849 - Son John Zoeller born, the eldest of 8 children born over a 19-year span

Phillip's certificate of U.S. citizenship, granted by the District Court of the County of Allegheny in Pittsburgh, PA on March 10, 1848. Note the spelling of his surname as "Sellers."

1860 - In the US Census, the family was listed as residing in the Birmingham section of Pittsburgh. Phillip's and Margaret's birthplaces listed as Wirtemburg.

1861 - Aug. 24 - During the Civil War, enlisted in the Army. Joined the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B, commanded by Frank H. Parke. Occupation before the war: “teamster.”

-- Sept. - First stationed at Camp Wilkins (Sept. 1861). Was the teamster of the regiment.

1863 - April 4 – Potomac Creek, VA - received certificate of disability for discharge – had “contracted fever & ague at Yorktown, Va., in the month of July 1862 & rheumatism. These have produced debility to that for the last four months he has been unable to perform the duties of a soldier.” The surgeon of the 4 th PA Cavalry, J.M. Junkin, wrote that he had examined Phillip and found him incapable of performing duties of a soldier because of “chronic Rheumatism and ague. He has been suffering for four months. Medicine seems to have but slight influence upon him, no probability of a recovery while in camp or exposure to the weather.”

1864 - July and Aug. 1864 – on duty in dismounted camp at Light House Point, VA.

1864 - Discharged from Army on Sept. 5 at Petersburg, VA, after expiration of three years' service.

1868 - Son Jacob Zoeller born, the youngest of 8 children. At the time, his eldest brother John was age 19.

1880 - When the U.S. census was taken, Phillip and Margaret resided on 16th Street in Pittsburgh. Phillip was marked as "Invalid - Rheumatism." Residing in their household that year were son Charles (age 27 - glass presser), Catherine (26 - seamstress), Phillip (24 - apprentice molder), Maggie (22 - dress maker), Julia (19 - keeping house), Bernhard (12) and Jacob (11).

1890 - On July 12, applied for a federal pension as compensation for wartime illness. App. #838104; Cert #596361. Testified that he had not been able to do a full day's work in 16 years due to troubles of his back and general disability. One of his neighbors at the time was H.F. Zeiler.

-- His record in the 1890 special U.S. census of Civil War veterans has not yet been located on Ancestry.com.

1891 - On March 18, was given a physical examination by the local Board of Surgeons to determine the extent of his disabilities. Apparently his pension was approved.

-- Jan. 30, he dislocated his right arm and was not able to use it until mid-November of that year.

-- Nov. 14, he was examined again by the Board of Surgeons, and the same day was approved for a pension raise to $12 per month.

1893 - Neighbor Thomas D. Rees (age 38) testified that Phillip had heart disease, bad eyesight, fainting and “spells.”

1897 - Margaret, spelled “Margaretha Zöller,” wrote her will on Oct. 19, 1897. Was a resident of Mt. Oliver Borough at the time. Her signature witnessed by Charles Zoeller of Pittsburgh and John Zoeller of Washington, PA.

1900 - Enumerated in the federal census, residing on Walnut Street in Mt. Oliver Boro. Also in the household were wife Margretha (age 75), listed as the mother of eight children, all living; and 39-year-old single daughter Julia. The census reported that Phillip came to the U.S. in 1939, had been in the country for 61 years, and was naturalized; and that Margretha came in 1846, and had been here for 54 years.

1906 - Nov. 21 – Phillip died at age 85 at home at Koehler and Walnut Streets in Mt. Oliver. Buried at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Mt. Oliver.

-- After Phillip's death, widow Margaret applied for his pension. App. #859140, Cert #619848

1910 - Margaret died on June 15, 1910, aged 86, at her residence at Koehler and Walnut Streets, Mt. Oliver. Her obituary in the Pittsburgh Press (June 15, 1910, page 8) said she was the “widow of Philip G. Zoeller” and “was a native of Germany, but had lived the greater part of her life on the South Side and in Mt. Oliver” and “was a member of St. Paul's German Lutheran Church.” The Press said she “leaves the following children: John of Washington, Philip of Glassport, Charles and Bernhart of this city, Jacob of Reading, O., and the Misses Margaret and Julia Zoeller and Mrs. Katherine Parker, at home.” The funeral was held at the J.F. Semelrock Funeral Home.

In her will, she left $500 each to unmarried daughter Julia and each of her eight heirs received $125. Her real estate later was sold to Robert F. Renkin. Charles and John Zoeller served as co-executors of her estate.