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| Sidler coat of arms. Thanks to Andreas Sidler |
What happened to Susanna and Anna Sidler?
1. We have a Swiss marriage record of Susanna Sidler and
Lebrecht Bar.
2. Labrecht Bar is
listed as married to Susanna Sidler in their passport documents from the Zurich
Archives.
3. In Lebrecht’s journal he says that in 1859 he prayed for
a wife and found her in the branch. However he never mentions Anna Sidler's
name in his autobiography
4. Lebrecht says in his history while on the boat
Underwriter: "I was married to my betrothed by J.D. Ross, a Scotch Captain
along with another couple, brother Mark H. Forscut leading the singing.”
5. In the Emigration list for Spring, 1860.” In Brigham
Young office emigrating companies reports 1850-1862, Reports 1856-1862, image
11-18. Roster: Anna, Susanna, Anna Hegetschweiler are listed as traveling
together and Lebrecht (Sebrath Bar) as an individual.
6. If Lebrecht was married in Switzerland why would he marry
again onboard the ship?
7. Anna and Susanna Sidler emigrated from Switzerland on the
ship Underwriter in 1860 with Anna's daughter Annie Hegetschweiler. Both
Susanna and her sister Anna Sidler are listed as “spinsters” on the company
roster and the ship manifest. If Susanna
was married in Switzerland why is she listed as a spinster?
8. Labracht Bar wrote an autobiography which vividly
describes the death of his wife and 16 month old child. (page 28 and 29) He
states that his wife paid tithing and was the "number one dress maker.”
His wife and child were buried, in what used to be a water ditch, by the Swiss
brethren at midnight about June 15, probably in the confines of the Kingston
Fort seeing as they were still under siege.
9. The Morrisite membership records show an Anne Bar and
Labracht Bar. It seems unlikely
Anna would use her sister's name as her own nickname.
10. Emma Bachman
(Anna's grandchild) records the memories of her mother Anna Hegetschweiler, who
was 15 at the time and was an eye witness to the Morrisite War and her mother’s
death. She says Lebrecht and Anna had a 16 week old child and both Anna and the
child were killed by a canon ball. Anna Hegetschweiler was an eyewitness to her
mother's death.
11. The book extract below lists the Bar’s and their child
as those killed in the Morrisite War.
12. Emma Scholl’s journal:
In January 1921, mother took bronchial pneumonia. Annie and Will Ingles
came to see mother. They stayed with George and took care of Audrey and I went
up and stayed with mother. She was very cheerful and happy. The missionaries
from the California mission came often and sang for her. She loved music and
could sing well herself. One day, she said to me, "Emma, do you know the
greatest regret I have?' I said, "No, mother." She said, "It is
because I haven't done the temple work for my dead." I said, "Mother,
I don't know anything about temple work, and I am married out of the church and
have a foot in the grave. But, If you will help me, I will see what I can
do." The last week in January we took her in an ambulance to a small
sanitarium on west 7th Street and hired a special nurse for her. I went to see
her every day. She never seemed to have any pain only the cough was bad, as it
had been ever since I could remember her, I didn't notice much change in her.
On the morning of February 1st I got there very early and no one was in the
room. I was alone with her when she breathed her last breath. She called me by
my name, so I know she was conscious. During the three weeks I stayed with her she
was never unconscious. Her death was a great loss to me and I felt very lonely.
I continued to feel more lonely as time went on.
I had W.A. Brown take care of her. He was very kind and
though I had never seen him before he told me I could send him a check when I
got to Utah or later. Her money was in an Ogden Bank. Mr. Brown's charges were
very reasonable. They held funeral services at Adams Chapel, as Annie and Will
were not going to Utah. Mother told me to give all her things and money she had
in the bank to Audrey. But I used all the money she had left later to secure
the names of 4,000 of her dead ancestors, which Julius Billeter got for $225 in
1922. Then I sent the record and $422.77 to Emuel to hire the work done in the
temple. Emuel was an ordinance worker in Salt lake Temple from 1921 until about
June 1932. He knew Julius Billiter.
Anna stayed with Bishop Chauncy West: In the fall of 1855
Brother West settled in Bingham’s fort, Weber County, and on th 29th of May
removed to Ogden, having been appointed Bishop of the First Ward. In the fall
of the same year he was appointed presiding bishop of Weber County, a position
which he held up to the time of his death. Fourteen years later.
Records from a Ward's inception to about 1948 are often available. The individual's location is needed to use these records. Start in red Jaussi Volume 2, Section 5-13 (Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507) to identify the ward and then look for the specific records starting in section 5-57 which gives the film number. You can use a Place or keyword search in FamilySearch Catalog, at https://www.familysearch.org/, for further details.
Anna Sidler's temple card says
Born 17 March 1827
Died 13 June 1862
married Lebrick Bear
Baptized 1856
Endowed 16 Jan 1933
Joseph Bachman
Susanna Sidler's temple card says:
born 3 december 1832
Died ?
married Johann Lebrecht
baptized 13 September 1832
Endowed 22 Sept 1832
Her parents are listed
Joseph Bachman
Hundreds of Sidler names
was done by Joseph Bachman
Research
Title: Historical Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia And Garfield Counties,
Washington Territory, and Umatilla County
Author: Gilbert T. Frank
Publication: Portland, Oregon, 1882
Page: Page 373
In his autobiography, John Lebrecht Bear 1838 - 1919 describes the incident in more detail. He then says... "We arrived at Soda Springs close to Bear River, on the 3d of June, 1863. Indians must have left there only a few hours before, as there were yet live coals in the ash heaps. That very night it snowed three to four inches deep..." In the next paragraph he says, "My sickness increased, yea, got worse from day to day. I knew the cause was that freezing I had to endure that winter up in the canyon. Barbara Dielhelm, the daughter of that widow woman who was killed and buried with my wife at Weber, took care of me while I was sick, and indeed she could not have done any better if I had been one of her own people." Note: She was probably the passenger listed as Deithelm, Catharina (Age 25).
Johnnaes SIDLER
Birth:
25 Jul 1777
Ottenbach, Zurich, Switzerland
Death:
1 Nov 1834
Ottenbach, Zurich, Switzerland
Marriage:
Dec 1824
Ottenbach, Zurich, Switzerland
Susanna JENTA
Birth:
11 Nov 1804
Wetzikon, Zurich, Switzerland
Death:
18 Mar 1858
Ottenbach, Zurich, Switzerland
Children
Marriage
1
Birth:
18 Mar 1825
Ottenbach, Zurich, Switzerland
Death:
1 Dec 1895
 |
| This canon may have killed Anna Sidler. |
Anna Sidler was killed by canon fire during the Morrisite War, 1862
Death date on church records: 13 June 1861 This date is wrong and should be 1862
She and her mother lived with her mother's parents, Johannes and Susanna Sidler. Anna's mother, Anna Sidler, was born 17 March 1827, a daughter of Johannes Sidler and Susannah Jenta. She had two sisters, Barbara born 18 March 1825, and Susanna born 3 December 1832. Her father died when she was seven years old. Her mother died in 1858.
Mormon missionaries came to Ottenbach about this time. Anna Sidler and her daughter Anna, also her sister, Susanna Sidler, accepted the teachings of the Elders and were baptized. Friday March 30, 1860, Anna Sidler, her daughter, Anna Hegetschweiler, and her sister, Susanna Sidler, sailed from Liverpool on the ship Underwriter. This was the 107th company of Church emigrants. There were 594 souls on the ship, 70 of them were from Switzerland. The fare was $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. Elder James D. Ross was president of the company. His counselors were James Taylor and John Croft. Captain Roberts was in charge of the ship. They arrived in New York 1 May 1860. On the 3rd of May they continued their journey from New York to Florence, Nebraska.
These people left Florence on the 17th of June 1860 on the second wagon train of emigrants of that year led by Captain James D. Ross. The company consisted of 249 persons, 36 wagons, 142 oxen and 54 cows. Anna and her mother walked most of the way crossing the plains, as the wagons were heavily loaded. They were bare-footed most of the time, their shoes having worn out. Their feet were often bleeding and bruised from the rough roads, but they had a pleasant journey as there were many Saints from Switzerland in the company. They were called together by Elder Ross mornings and evenings. Prayers were held before starting on the day's journey. In the evening they sang songs and sometimes held a meeting. On the Sabbath day they rested. When they arrived in Emigration Canyon they were met by Apostle George A. Smith, Lorenzo Snow and Franklin D. Richards, who held an interesting meeting with the emigrants. They arrived in Great Salt Lake 3 September 1860.
Anna Sidler met Labrecht Baer, a native of Switzerland on the ship coming to America. They were married soon after arriving in Utah. They moved to South Weber, near the mouth of Weber Canyon. In 1861 Anna Sidler Baer gave birth to a baby girl. Her daughter Anna was happy to have a little sister. But a great sorrow soon came into her life.
A Welshman, Joseph Morris, gained the confidence of a group of men in South Weber, among them the Bishop of the Ward, Richard Cook. Elders John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, of the Council of the Twelve, were sent to South Weber Ward to investigate rumors concerning their activities. A meeting of the members of the ward was held 11 February 1861. Bishop Cook, and fifteen others who declared their belief in Morris, were excommunicated. On 6 April 1861, Joseph Morris became head of the new church, with Richard Cook and John Banks as counselors. The Morrisites held their property in common. They located at "Kington Fort." The membership increased rapidly and soon numbered over three hundred; before the breaking up of the community that number had increased to between five and six hundred.
Labretcht and Ann Sidler Baer, her daughter Anna Hegetschweiler, the baby sister and Susanna Sidler, who had only beenin Utah a year and who could not speak or understand the English language, followed Bishop Richard Cook and were living in the Kington Fort.
Soon some of Morris' followers desired to withdraw from the United Order and take what they had consecrated to the common fund. Several of these dissenters were captured and imprisoned at Kington Fort. Two of the prisoners were John Jenson and William Jones. On 10 June 1862 Chief Justice Kinney issued a second writ of habeaus corpus, demanding the release of these men, also a warrant for the arrest of Morris, Cook and Banks. These writs were placed in the hands of Sheriffs Robert T. Burton and Theodore McKean. Acting governor of the territory, Frank Fuller, called out several companies of the militia to aid the deputy sheriffs as a posse, 150 men being sent from Salt Lake county and 100 men from Davis county. Besides these, a great many people gathered in the vicinity of the expected conflict.
Map of FortArriving on the heights that overlook the little valley in which Kington Fort was located, a written message addressed to Morris, Banks and Cook was sent into the fort calling upon them to surrender themselves and the prisoners and urging them to remove the women and children within the fort. Morris withdrew to his dwelling and soon returned to his assembled followers with a revelation forbidding them to yield to the demands of the posse and promised them not one of his faithful people should be destroyed. The people of the fort assembled, the "revelation" was read, but before it could be discussed a cannon ball crashed into the fort, killing Anna Sidler Baer and her baby girl. Her daughter, Ann Hegetschweiler, now a fourteen year old girl, picked up the shattered bodies of her mother and little sister. The confusion in the fort was great until ex-Bishop Richard Cook advised all to go to their homes and each man protect himself and his family as best he could. General Robert T. Burton, commander of the posse, ordered the surrender of all men bearing arms in the fort. They refused upon the advice of Morris. General Burton ordered the posse to fire. He, himself, shot Morris. John Banks was also shot and died during the night. The rest of the men were arrested and later tried and sentenced to imprisonment. Labrecht Baer and his wife's sister, Susanna Sidler, returned to Switzerland.
Cemetery next to the Fort, South Weber above
Men, Motives, and Misunderstandings: A New Look at the Morrisite War of 1862**
by G. M. Howard *
Typical of such events, details of the skirmish that followed are muddled. Only a few salient points are known with some certainty. Burton commanded Morris to surrender to his custody, Morris refused, and gunplay ensued, leaving Joseph Morris and two women dead and John Banks mortally wounded. Confusion then reigned for several long minutes as the panicky crowd dashed for cover amid the screams of women and children. Only after bringing forward a cannon was Burton able to restore order. He then took ninety men prisoner, fed them and let them rest that night, and then started the two-day march back to Salt Lake City the next morning.
Passenger list from Zurich website:
Passerteilungen rich
1848 - 1870
nach Amerika und Australien
1848 - 1870
Sidler, Anna, von Ottenbach, 33, mit ihrer Tochter Anna Hegetschweiler, 13, von
Ottenbach, [gleichentags wie ihre Schwester Susanna [28] und deren Mann, Johann Lebrecht Bär, 21, von Affoltern am Albis], nach Amerika; 20.2.1860 (PP 38.54, Nr.122).
Bär, Johann Lebrecht, von Affoltern am Albis, Landwirt, 21, und dessen Frau Susanna geb. Sidler, [28], [gleichentags wie seine Schwägerin Anna Sidler, 33, von Ottenbach, undderen Tochter Anna Hegetschweiler, 13, von Ottenbach], nach Amerika; 20.2.1860 (PP 38.54,
Nr. 121)
Hegetschweiler, Anna, Jgfr., von Ottenbach, 13, mit ihrer Mutter Anna Sidler, 33, von
Ottenbach, nach Amerika; 20.2.1860 (PP 38.54,
Nr. 122).
Hegetschweiler, Friedrich, von Ottenbach, Metzger, 25, nach Amerika; 14.4.1858 (PP
38 .52, Nr. 267).Hegetschweiler, Katharina, Jgfr., von Ottenbach,-
, 36, nach Amerika; 3.9.1858 (PP 38.52, Nr. 896).
Hegetschweiler, Karl, von Ottenbach, Traiteur, 20, nach Brasilien (als Auswanderer); 2.5.1857 (PP 38.51, Nr. 413).
