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Susanna ZWICKEY (b c1844)

Susanna Zwickey was born in Switzerland in 1844 to German-speaking Swiss parents, Frederick and Rosanna Zwickey. The year of Susanna's birth seems firm, though her age as reported to census enumerators over the years was not always accurate. Unfortunately, I have found nothing to provide a more precise date. The 1900 US Census which was required to record month and year of birth, left the month blank and reported a year of birth of 1847. (My guess is that the informant for the household in 1900 was one of the couple's adult children.)

Susanna came to the United States as an infant, probably in late 1846 or early 1847. The 1850 US Census reported her age as 6 years and her place of birth as Switzerland. Susanna had two younger brothers, Jacob, age 4, born in Switzerland and Randolph, age 3, born in Wisconsin. This would place the year of the family's immigration between 1846 and 1847. That is consistent with the years reported in later census records.

Susanna's family had settled in Washington, Green County, Wisconsin in 1850. Her father Frederick was farming. From the reported value of Frederick Zwickey's real estate (only $100, and a good bit lower than his neighbors), it would appear that Frederick had a very modest plot of land to farm. In 1860, the family was still in the town of Washington (Monticello post office), but from the number of the dwelling and the names of neighbors, I would guess that they had moved between those two years. The value of Frederick's real estate was more in line with his neighbors in 1860. Susanna was 16. Her siblings were named as Rosanna (female, age 18), Randolf (male, age 13), Frederick (male, age 9) Heny [sic] (male, age 7), Margaret (female, age 6) and Eli (male, age 3). Barbara, who was age 10 in 1850 and would have been 20 in 1860, was no longer in the household, possibly because she had married. Jacob, who was age 4 in 1850 and would have been 14 in 1860 was also missing. Presumably, Jacob had died sometime in the intervening decade.

Susanna married Jacob J Stauffacher of Sylvester, Green County, Wisconsin on 19 Oct 1865 in Green County. Susanna was age 21. Jacob had only months earlier been discharged from almost three years of military service in the United States Civil War with Company B of the 31st Wisconsin Volunteers. He was age 24. The couple likely settled in Sylvester near Jacob's family. It was there they were living when the 1870 US Census was taken in August 1870.

Husband Jacob, like his father, was farming in 1870 and would continue to farm until he retired. Susanna tended a rapidly growing family. In 1870, they had two daughters at home, Elizabeth, age 2, and Susan age 1, as well as a young boy, age 8, named John Hobby.

By 1880, the family had grown to include six children and one young boarder, Leonard Gigas. Daughter Elizabeth was age 12 and daughter Susan age 10. Four children had been added to the family over the decade, Freddie, age 8, Frank, age 7, Emma, age 3, and Willie, age 1. All of the children save Emma and Willie were reported to be in school. Leonard, at age 13 boarder, was working on the farm. One might guess that he was a relative, but I do not know the connection.

Not until 1900 did the US Census ask women about the number of children they had given birth to and the number surviving. Susanna's answer to the census enumerator in 1900 was that she was the mother of 10 children with 7 surviving. In 1900, only Emma, then age 23, William, age 21, and Dora, age 18, were still at home. In 1910 Susanna answered that she had had 10 children and only six were surviving. Dora died in 1907 only two years after marrying Alvin Elmer.

Susanna's husband Jacob died in May 1911. Susanna lived on another five years, dying in 1916. She was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin. I have not been able to find any record of her death that would provide a more exact date.

Sources:

Note: The list of Susanna's children above does not account for all of the 10 children ever born she reported to the enumerators in the 1900 and 1910 censuses.

1850 US Census, Household of Frederick Chwika [Zwickey] (b c1820): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1850; Census Place: Washington, Green, Wisconsin; Roll: 999; Page: 292b. Content: The 1850 US Census of the town of Washington (Green) Wiscsonsin on 21 Aug 1850 shows dwelling 33 with a household composed of (1) Frederick Chwika [Zwikey], age 30, male, farmer, real estate valued at $100, born Switzerland, (2) Rosa Chwika, age 27, female, born Switzerland, (3) Barbara Chwika, age 10, female, born Switzerland, (4) Rosina Chwika, age 8, female, born Switzerland, (5) Susannah Chwika, age 6, female, born Switzerland, (6) Jacob Chwika, age 4, male, born Switzerland, and (7) Randolph Chwika, age 3, male, born Switzerland. Note: The census enumerator has obviously made a wild stab at making sense of this family's surname, but the name Chwika that he wrote clearly and carefully make this record devilishly difficult to locate on Ancestry.

1860 US Census, Household of Frederick Zwickey (b c1821): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1860; Census Place: Washington, Green, Wisconsin; Page: 489; Family History Library Film: 805411. Content: The 1860 US Census of Town of Washington [Monticello Post Office] (Green) Wisconsin on 25 Jun 1860 shows dwelling (434/424) with a household composed of (1) Frederick Sweckey, age 39, male, white, farmer, (1100/500), born Switzerland, attended school within the year, (2) Rosanna Sweckey, age 37, female, white, born Switzerland, (3) Susanna Sweckey, age 16, female, white, born Switzerland, (4) Randolf Sweckey, age 13, male, white, born Switzerland, (5) Frederick Sweckey, age 9, male, white, born WI, (6) Heny Sweckey, age 7, born WI, (7) Margaret Sweckey, age 6, female, white, born WI, (8) Eli Sweckey, age 3, male, born WI. [Note: The numbering of families on the census page suggests that the Heftys and the Sweckeys were one family, but I presume this was nothing more than an enumerator error.]

1865 Wisconsin Marriage Registration for Jacob Stauffacher and Susanna Zwicke: Citation: Ancestry.com. Wisconsin, U.S., Marriage Records, 1820-2004 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022. Original data:Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Historical Society; Madison, Wisconsin; Wi Marriage Records Pre-1907 Content: The record shows that Jacob Stauffacher (son of Jacob Stauffacher and Elsbeth Stauffacher, farmer, resident of Sylvester, born Glarus, Switzerland) married Susanna Zevicke (dau of Frederic Zwickey and Rosina Zwicke) on 19 Oct 1865 in Sylvester (Green), WI. Registered 28 Oct 1865.

1870 US Census, Household of Jacob Stauffacher (b c1841): Citation: Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Sylvester, Green, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1715; Page: 267B; Family History Library Film: 553214. Content: The 1870 US Census of Sylvester (Green) WI on 29 Aug 1870 shows HH (31/31) with (1) Jacob Stauffacher, age 29, male, white, farmer, (real: $3000/personal: $1700), born Switzerland, father/mother of foreign birth, citizen, (2) Susan Stauffacher, age 29, female, white, keeping house, born Switzerland, father/mother of foreign birth, (3) Elizabeth Stauffacher, age 2, female, white, born WI, father/mother of foreign birth, (4) Susan Stauffacher, age 1, female, white, born WI, father/mother of foreign birth, (5) John Hobby, age 8, male, born WI, attended school.

1880 US Census, Household of Jacob Stauffacher (b 1841): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1880 United States Federal Census. Year: 1880; Census Place: Sylvester, Green, Wisconsin; Roll: 1428; Page: 213B; Enumeration District: 145. Content: The 1880 US Census of Sylvester (Green) WI on 16 Jun 1880 shows HH (180/185) with (1) Jacob Stauffacher, white, male, age 38, married, farmer, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland, (2) Susan Stauffacher, white, female, age 38, wife, married, keeping house, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland, (3) Elizabeth Stauffacher, white, female, age 12, daughter, single, at school, , born WI, parents born Switzerland, (4) Susan Stauffacher, white, female, age 10, daughter, at school, born WI, parents born Switzerland, (5) Freddie Stauffacher, white male, age 8, son, at school, born WI, parents born Switzerland, (6) Frank Stauffacher, white male, age 7, son, at school, born WI, parents born Switzerland, (7) Emma Stauffacher, white, female, age 3, daughter, born WI, parents born Switzerland, (8) Willie Stauffacher, white, male, age 1, son, born WI, parents born Switzerland, (9) Lenard Gigas, white, male, age 13, working on farm, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland.

1900 US Census, Household of Jacob Stauffacher (b 1841): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Year: 1900; Census Place: Sylvester, Green, Wisconsin; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 0130; FHL microfilm: 1241789. Content: The 1900 US Census of Sylvester (Green) WI on 20 Jun 1900 shows HH (159/161) with (1) Jacob Stauffacher, head, male, born 1840, age 60, married 35 yrs, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland, immigration in 1846, in US 33 yrs, farmer, owns farm mortgage free, (2) Susan Stauffacher, wife, female, born 1847, age 62, married 35 yrs, 10 children, 7 living, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland, immigration in 1846, (3) Emma Stauffacher, female, born Jan 1877, age 23, single, born WI, parents born Switzerland, housekeeper, (4) Wm Stauffacher, son, male, born Oct 1878, age 21, single, born WI, parents born Switzerland, farm laborer, (6) Dora Stauffacher, daughter, male [sic], born Jul 1882, age 18, single, born WI, parents born Switzerland, (7) Freddie Zwickey, nephew, male, born Apr 1888, age 12, born WI, parents born Switzerland, at school. All can read, write and speak English.

Find a Grave Memorial 112226720 for Dora Staufffacher Elmer (b 1881).

1910 US Census, Household of Jacob J Stauffacher (b 1841): Citation: Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Year: 1910; Census Place: Monroe Ward 1, Green, Wisconsin; Roll: T624_1704; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0011; FHL microfilm: 1375717. Content: The 1910 Census of Monroe (Green) WI on 03 May 1910 shows dwelling (212/212) on 1620 Dalman, owned and mortgage free, shows a household composed of (1) Jacob J Stauffacher, head, 69, first marriage, married 44 years, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland, immigration 1847, PA, own income, (2) Susan, wife, 66, first marriage, married 44 yrs, 10 children, 6 living, born Switzerland, parents born Switzerland immigration 1847.

Find a Grave Memorial 59769007 for Jacob J Stauffacher (b 1841).

Find a Grave Memorial 59769028 for Susan Zwickey Stauffacher (b 1844).