Biography of John and Fredericka Zoeller of Pittsburgh

Zoeller

John and Fredericka Zoeller

of Pittsburgh

John's rare signature

St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery

1830 - Born on Jan. 4, presumably in Wurtemburg, Germany. The year also has been given as 1833, but we are using the date carved on his grave marker. He was the brother of Phillip Georg Zoeller.

1832 - Wife Fredericka born in March, also in Wurtemburg.

18?? - Married Fredericka. They went on to have four children -- William F. Zoeller, Joseph P. Zoeller, Charles L. Zoeller and one other whose name is lost to history.

1860 - Son William F. Zoeller born.

1862 - Son Joseph P. Zoeller born.

1865 - Son Charles L. Zoeller born on March 16. He also went by the name of “Karl.” As a young man, Charles resided on 19th Street in the 25th Ward (South Side) in Pittsburgh. Was a “promising young dentist,” said the Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph. Died of typhoid fever at age 19 on Nov. 13, 1884.

1870 - Was a “tavern keeper” in the East Birmingham section of Pittsburgh, as listed in the US Census. Name spelled “Zeller.” Birthplace listed as Wurtemburg. Real estate value $4,000. Age given as 37. Wife listed as Fredericka (age 38), son William (age 10), son Joseph (age 8), son Charles (age 5). See Census roll 1293.

1874 - Listed in the Pittsburg City Directory for the years 1874 through 1876 as keeping a “Saloon” on the corner of Sarah and 19th Streets in the South Side.

-- Resided at the corner of Sarah and 19th Streets in Pittsburgh's South Side in later years.

Obituary of their son, 1884

1880 - The U.S. census shows John and Fredericka living on 19th Street in Pittsburgh, where the 50-year-old John was a saloon keeper, and the 48-year-old Fredericka keeping house. Son William, age 20, was marked as "works in store," while 15-year-old Charles was listed as "works in Drug Store." (Note: Ancestry.com has this family erroneously indexed under the name "Zedler.")

1884 - Son Charles (a.k.a. “Karl”), a promising young dentist, died of typhoid fever at age 19. Obituary in the Chronicle Telegraph on Nov. 14. No obituary found in the Pittsburgh Post. Buried at St. Paul's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Mt. Oliver.

-- Karl's grave marker is etched with the German words “Geb” for “Born” and “Gest” for “Died.”

St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery

1888 - Jan. 5 – Wrote and signed his will, bequeathing all of his property to “my beloved wife Frederika Zoeller.”

-- Died at age 58 years, 1 month, 13 days, on Feb. 17. Death occurred at 10:45 a.m. Obituary published in the Pittsburg Post and Pittsburg Commercial Gazette on Feb. 18. Funeral held in the family home at the corner of Sarah and Nineteenth Street, South Side, on Feb. 19. Buried at St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery in Mt. Oliver.

-- Grave marker etched with the German word “ Geb ” for “Born.”

1888 - Pittsburgh City Directory lists “Frederica” as the widow of John, residing at 112 South Nineteenth. A separate entry lists “Zoeller, Jos. P, druggist,” at the same address.

1900 - In the U.S. census, "Frederika" was living in the home of her widowed daughter in law Matilda (Axt) Zoeller and grandchildren on Nineteenth Street on Pittsburgh's South Side. At the time, only one of her four children was alive. The census has only a check mark, but not the year, in the column where she should have disclosed the year of her emigration to America.

1908 - Fredericka died on March 10. Charles Zoeller (a grandson?) named executor of the estate. See Allegheny County, PA, Proceedings Index 7, page 33. Obituary not found in the Pittsburgh Gazette Times . At her death, Fredericka had $571.41 in cash on deposit in Western Savings and Deposit Bank, Pittsburgh. Burial site not known.