Thursday, February 6, 2020

Anna Sidler 1827- 1862



Anna Sidler was born to Susanna Jenta and Johannes Sidler on 14 February 1827 in the little village of Ottenbach, Zürich, Switzerland. She was their second child and five years later she would welcome her little sister Susanna. Her childhood included learning how to pray, memorizing the 10 commandments and passing off the small and large Confirmation books. Her pastor Rudolf Tappolet eventually wrote a T and a C next to her name in the Ottenbach church record. Her confirmation day was a big one. At 18 Anna qualified to partake of the sacrament of our Lord's Supper and her God parents had a celebration with the family. It was a big day. (See civil record below)

Father's Death
In 1834 when Anna was 7 years old her father Johannes died leaving her care to her mother Susanna Jenta. What Susanna did for a living is unknown but she very well may have worked in some of the textile shops or did tailor work like her husband Johannes.

At the beginning of 1847 when she was 20 she was intimate with one Jacob Hegetschweiler and 9 months later on 29 September 1847 she gave birth to her daughter Anna Hegetschweiler. Anna never knew her father.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Two years before Anna’s mother died four members of their family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the 19th century converts of the Church in Ottenbach were baptized in the River Reuss and this is the most likely place for their baptisms.:

Anna Sidler age 29 was baptized 1 January 1856 in Ottenbach by D Bonnelli, confirmed H Bar. Shortly thereafter Anna’s daughter, sister Susanna and niece also joined the church. (FamilySearch page 21 microfilm 128145, Emma Scholl, History of Anna Hegetschweiler)

When Anna H. was twelve years old and Anna was 33 they emigrated to America. It took about six weeks to cross the ocean on the ship Underwriter. After arriving at Iowa City, they were fitted out with handcarts and traveled the 1,300 miles to Salt Lake City on foot pulling their cart. Anna H. often spoke of her bare feet bleeding and bruised from the rough roads. They arrived in the Salt Lake area in 1860. (Emma Bachman Scholl)

Anna Sidler married Labrech Bar and gave birth to a baby sister in 1861. The family joined a cult headed by Joseph Morris who moved into Kingston Fort, now called South Weber. The sect numbered five or six hundred. Some wanted out of the order but were captured by Morris and imprisoned in Kingston Fort. A written message was sent into the fort calling upon Morris to surrender the prisoners. Morris returned with a "revelation" forbidding them to yield to the demands of the posse, promising them not one of his faithful followers should be destroyed. The members of the fort assembled, the "revelation" was read, but before it could be discussed a cannon ball crashed into the fort, killing her mother, Anna Sidler Bar and her new baby sister. Anna H. then fourteen years old had to pick up the bones of her mother and half sister. (Emma Scholl, Anna's granddaughter)

Events during Anna's lifetime:
1830 Pastor Locher obtains the construction of the first poorhouse in Ottenbach.
(Ottenbach Municipality Website)
1833 Separation of the school communities Ottenbach, Wolsen and Lunnern from the church meinde Ottenbach.
I 835 Construction of the new schoolhouse next to the church.
The poorhouse is abolished, the poor are moved to Kappel.
1836 The Ottenbacher Müiler builds the Kanai to make better use of the water power.
1839 On July I, the district authorities move from Knonau to Affoltern.
In September, a conservative turnaround in Zürich ("Zuriputsch").
1845 Liberal turnaround in Züirich.
1847 Separation of Obfelden and Ottenbach: the fiinf hamlets are merged to form the political municipality of Obfelden, the Miihle Rickenbach is annexed to Ottenbach.
1847-48 In the Sonderbund skrieg, the reformed liberal states defeat the catholic conservatives. (Obfelden, Gedenkschrift zum 50-jährigen Bestand der Gemeinde, October 1897 )

Birth Date
There is some confusion on her birthday. Her baptismal record says 4th of February 1827 and her family record below says 17 February 1827 and next to it says 14 March 1827 which is her christening date. A  search has been made in the Ottenbach Parish records for her exact birth date but it was not located. The page where her birth should be listed is on FamilySearch film 8126955 page 951. I contacted the Zürich Archives the they found, as I did, it the entry was not on the page of births for 1826.  However they did look in another book called the Baptismal Register where her birthdate and baptismal date were recorded with Johannes Sidler and Susanna Jenta's name clearly written. The 17th of February stands.

Baptismal record:
The baptismal record lists Johannes Sidler and Susanna Jenta on the left, Anna's name, the god parents Jacob Sidler from Ottenbach, Anna Sidler "g" (the g stands for the word geborene meaning birth name or maiden name) Schneebeli, and under village name on the right it says Maschwanden village and/or Parish. In the same column other villages are listed such as zu Langnau, Canton of Zürich, zu Höngg today Zurich, zu Horgen, Canton of Zurich, Bei St. Peter Zürich (church), zu Hütten, Canton of Zurich, zu Suhr Canton Aargau, zu Wollishofen today Zurich zu Dernau. Why these villages are listed is not completely understood. However Anna's younger sister Barbara was born in Maschwanden so it may be that she was born in Maschwanden and baptized in Ottenbach. This could be the reason she is not listed in the Ottenbach birth register for 1827.


Anna Sidler's temple card says:
Born: 17 March 1827
Died: 13 June 1862
Married: Lebrick Bear
Baptized: 1856
Endowed: 16 Jan 1933

Work done by: Joseph Bachman

Controversy
There is a huge controversy over Anna's death. A page has been set aside for a discussion of that topic. Anna's Death

Documents relating to Anna Sidler


Anna Sidler birth and baptism 1827 from Baptismal Register E_III_88_6_Ottenbach_teil


Anna Sidler birth and baptism 1827 from Baptismal
Register E_III_88_6_Ottenbach_teil

Anna Sidler birth and baptism 1827 from Baptismal Register E_III_88_6_Ottenbach_teil

Johannes and Susanna Ottenbach Family Church Record:
Zürich Archives E III 88. 19, S 434

Johannes Sidler 1777 civil entry which was written formally after viewing the Parish record.


Johannes and Susanna Ottenbach Family Church Record:
Zürich Archives E III 88. 19, S 434


Passport from the Zürich Archives collection
Anna and company leave February 20, 1860


Underwriter NY Passenger List 14 April 1860 - 11 May 1860 page 298


Underwriter NY Passenger List 14 April 1860 - 11 May 1860page 298



It is interesting that Lebrecht Bär was married to Susanna
(already married to Lebrecht in Switzerland) and 
yet this author says he is getting married to his "intended."
His intended could be Anna Sidler.