George Zeller

Obituary

Funeral services were held Friday, June 12, 1942 at the Lutheran church in Eureka for George Zeller Sr.,75, who passed away suddenly at his home there about 10:30 a.m., on June 7. Services were conducted by Rev.
P. A. Hinrichs of Eureka, assisted by Rev. Gehring, of the Lutheran church, west of Eureka.

The deceased had suffered a heart attack during the night and then seemed to be somewhat improved. He suffered a relapse later in the morning, however, and passed away very suddenly.

George Zeller was born June 3, 1867 at Bessarabia, South Russia, the son of Johannes Zeller and his wife, Elizabeth nee Neher. He came to the United States with his parents in 1884, the family spending a few months at Menno before settling on a farm west of Eureka. On July 10, 1890 he was married to Rosina Grenz and to this union thirteen children were born, two daughters preceding him in death. The young couple settled on a farm, 12 miles north of Java, where they resided until 1908 when they moved to Java. They lived in the home now owned and occupied by the A. C. Schlepp family until 1916 when they moved back to their farm in Campbell county, residing there until 1925 when they moved to Eureka where they have lived since.

When he moved to Java, he opened an implement shop, which he purchased from Huether Brothers, operating the business until shortly before he moved
back to his farm, when he sold the implement concern to the Java (Continued On Page 8) Equity Exchange.  While in Java, he was prominent in civic, school and church affairs serving on the Town Board, the school board, and as deacon in the Java Lutheran church for many years. He served as commissioner of Campbell county in 1906 and 1907 and was state representative from that county in 1918 and 1919. While residing in
Java and vicinity he was also on the Board of directors of the Java Equity Exchange for many years.  He was a lifelong member and faithful worker of the
Lutheran church both in Java and Eureka. 

Burial was made at the Lutheran cemetery at Eureka. Pallbearers at the last rites were: A. W. Schumacher, John Wolff, Henry Ottmar, Adam F. Obenauer, E. R. Isaak and Emanuel Heilman. Honorary pallbearers were: Michael Yost, Jacob Bieber Sr., Christian Goehring, Casper Vetter, John Keim and Geo.Adam.

The deceased is survived by: his widow, Rosina Zeller; three sons, Gottlieb A., and John, of near Java, and George L., of Tacoma, Wash., eight daughters, Mrs. Geo. A. Wolff of Cardston, Alta., Canada; Mrs. C. F. Spiry, Java; Mrs. Henry Schnaible and Mrs. August Bender, of near Java; Mrs. Henry
Bieber, Trail City; Mrs. Herman Linders, Alberta, Canada; Mrs. Wm. Marquardt, Oakes, N.D.; and Mrs. Calvin Hamann, Eureka, Calif.; four brothers, Jacob of Carson, N.D., Gottlieb and Adolph of Leith, N.D., and
John of Mobridge; twenty-five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

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George Zeller - Notes

Left Bessarabia with his parents and the rest of the family to come to America on Oct 1, 1884.  On Ct. 30, 1884, the family arrived in Menno, South Dakota.  The first winter was spent with George Zeller's uncle, Jacob Zeller.  George, his brother Jacob, and his sister Elizabeth "worked out" for their board and room.  The next spring his father purchased a team of horses, a span of oxen, two wagons, a plow, two cows, a dog, a few necessities for house and kitchen, and the family joined the immigrant train to Ipswich, which was the end of the railroad.  The wagons were loaded there, and the pioneers set out to homestead claims, about 9 miles west of Eureka (MCPhearson Co).  a few days were needed to build a rough hut.  The mother, when she first saw her new home, wept.  They had no neighbors, no schools, no churches.  Her husband assured her they would soon have neighbors, and that churches and schools would follow.  He was right.  Soon they had neighbors on every side.  Many of them were so poor, however, that their first houses were holes in the ground with the wagon boxes inverted over them. Until 1887, the closest town was Ipswich, 55 miles away.  In that year, the railroad came to Eureka.

           During the Zeller's first year on the new homestead, they built a better house, and the boys broke up the prairie for seeding.  Potatoes, flax, and oats were planted that year.  Oxen were used to thrash the flax.  The flax was piled up to a height of about 3 feet, and the oxen walked around on it until the flax seeds separated from the straw.

          These pioneers know when Sunday came.  They had no churches and no ministers, so the father read to the family from his prayer book.  Later of course, ministers traveled from house to house, until the Hoffnungthal Church was established eight miles west of Eureka.

           George Zeller married Rosina Grenz, the daughter of a pioneer neighbor, in 1890.  The young couple started out for themselves with practically nothing.  Hard work and clean living repaid them.  At one times, they owned 9 quarter sections of land.

          In 1908, George Zeller moved to Java, South Dakota.  Until 1917 he owned a machine and implement shop there.  He returned to the farm during the war.  In 1925 he sold all of his live stock and machinery and retired.  he bought a house in Eureka and settled here with his wife and youngest children.

Napoleon, ND Centennial book page 111 (1884-1984)