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 day. 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 important. (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 Sihl River.
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 after a discussion with Anna Hegetschweiler, Emma's mother.)
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.
1835 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 Anna's 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.
1.8) Johannes Sidler (1777-1834)
Johannes Sidler, *25.07.1777 [§] als Sohn des Hans Rudolf (1742-1801) und der Elisabetha Sidler (1747-1807), Schneider in Maschwanden, †04.11.1834.
oo Zürich-St.Peter 13.12.1824 (Verkündungen Ottenbach / Maschwanden / Wetzikon)
Susanna Jenta (1804-1858), Tochter des Rudolf Jenta (1771-1822) und der Lisabeth Frey (1774-1816).
Kinder: (Quelle: Familienregister) Alle getauft in Maschwanden.
18.03./27.03.1825 Barbara, oo 11.12.1854 Jakob Berli (seine 2. Ehe), + 01.12.1895
17.02./04.03.1827 Anna, Konfirmation 1844, wandert 1860 in die USA aus [§§]
03.12./09.12.1832 Susanna, oo Joh. Leberecht Bär von Affoltern, wandert 1860 in die USA aus
Der unehelichen Verbindung von Johannes mit der Witwe seines Bruders Caspar (1772-1811) entstammt der Sohn Hans Jakob (1812-1869).
[§] Siehe unten für eine Unstimmigkeit beim Geburtsdatum.
[§§] Am 10.10.1847 (pdf 149) lässt eine Anna Sidler von Ottenbach in Ottenbach eine am 29.09.1847 geborene uneheliche Tochter Anna taufen - Vater "pat. ign.". Laut Passantrag von 1860 wird die 13-jährige Tochter als Anna Hegetschweiler aufgeführt. Eine entsprechende (nachträgliche) Heirat mit Hegetschweiler wurde zumindest in Ottenbach nicht gefunden.
Sidler-Passanträge-1860-Detail.jpg
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
Temple work done by: Joseph Bachman
1.8) Johannes Sidler (1777-1834)
Johannes Sidler, *25.07.1777 [§] als Sohn des Hans Rudolf (1742-1801) und der Elisabetha Sidler (1747-1807), Schneider in Maschwanden, †04.11.1834.
oo Zürich-St.Peter 13.12.1824 (Verkündungen Ottenbach / Maschwanden / Wetzikon)
Susanna Jenta (1804-1858), Tochter des Rudolf Jenta (1771-1822) und der Lisabeth Frey (1774-1816).
Kinder: (Quelle: Familienregister) Alle getauft in Maschwanden.
18.03./27.03.1825 Barbara, oo 11.12.1854 Jakob Berli (seine 2. Ehe), + 01.12.1895
17.02./04.03.1827 Anna, Konfirmation 1844, wandert 1860 in die USA aus [§§]
03.12./09.12.1832 Susanna, oo Joh. Leberecht Bär von Affoltern, wandert 1860 in die USA aus
Der unehelichen Verbindung von Johannes mit der Witwe seines Bruders Caspar (1772-1811) entstammt der Sohn Hans Jakob (1812-1869).
[§] Siehe unten für eine Unstimmigkeit beim Geburtsdatum.
[§§] Am 10.10.1847 (pdf 149) lässt eine Anna Sidler von Ottenbach in Ottenbach eine am 29.09.1847 geborene uneheliche Tochter Anna taufen - Vater "pat. ign.". Laut Passantrag von 1860 wird die 13-jährige Tochter als Anna Hegetschweiler aufgeführt. Eine entsprechende (nachträgliche) Heirat mit Hegetschweiler wurde zumindest in Ottenbach nicht gefunden.
Sidler-Passanträge-1860-Detail.jpg
Translation
1.8) Johannes Sidler (1777-1834)
Johannes Sidler, *25.07.1777 [§] as son of Hans Rudolf (1742-1801) and Elisabetha Sidler (1747-1807), tailor in Maschwanden, †04.11.1834.
oo Zurich-St.Peter 13.12.1824 (Announcements Ottenbach / Maschwanden / Wetzikon)
Susanna Jenta (1804-1858), daughter of Rudolf Jenta (1771-1822) and Lisabeth Frey (1774-1816).
Children: (source: family register) All baptized in Maschwanden.
18.03./27.03.1825 Barbara, oo 11.12.1854 Jakob Berli (his 2nd marriage), + 01.12.1895
17.02./04.03.1827 Anna, confirmation 1844, emigrates to the USA in 1860 [§§]
03.12./09.12.1832 Susanna, oo Joh. Leberecht Bär von Affoltern, emigrates to the USA in 1860
Johannes' illegitimate union with the widow of his brother Caspar (1772-1811) produced his son Hans Jakob (1812-1869).
[See below for a discrepancy in the date of birth.
[§§] On 10.10.1847 (pdf 149) an Anna Sidler of Ottenbach has an illegitimate daughter Anna born on 29.09.1847 baptized in Ottenbach - father “pat. ign.”. According to the passport application of 1860, the 13-year-old daughter is listed as Anna Hegetschweiler. A corresponding (subsequent) marriage to Hegetschweiler has not been found, at least not in Ottenbach.
Sidler-Passport-Application-1860-Detail.jpg
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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
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| 1827 Anna Sidler birth 4 Feb film 008126955 page 55 |
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| Anna Sidler birth and baptism 1827 from Baptismal Register E_III_88_6_Ottenbach_teil |
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| Anna Sidler birth and baptism 1827 from Baptismal Register E_III_88_6_Ottenbach_teil |
Wolf:
This is taken from the Ottenbach baptismal register - but it is documenting a baptism in Maschwanden.Johannes Siedler / Susanna Jenta
Anna
Jakob Siedler v(on) Ott(enbach) / Anna Siedler g(eborene) Schnebeli
(born) 17.02. / (baptised) 04.03.1827
Maschwanden
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| maschwanden-tauf-1827-0304-sidler-anna |
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| Johannes and Susanna Ottenbach Family Church Record: Zürich Archives E III 88. 19, S 434 |
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| Johannes Sidler 1777 civil entry which was written formally after viewing the Parish record. |
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| Johannes and Susanna Ottenbach Family Church Record: Zürich Archives E III 88. 19, S 434 |
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| Passport from the Zürich Archives collection Anna and company leave February 20, 1860 |
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| Underwriter NY Passenger List 14 April 1860 - 11 May 1860 page 298 |
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| Underwriter NY Passenger List 14 April 1860 - 11 May 1860page 298 |
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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.
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