Jacob H. Striffler

Notes:

At the time of the 1880 census, it appear that he and his wife, Sophia, were living with his widowed father and younger siblings.

Cass City Chronicle
July 1, 1904
Local Items
Page 4

J. H. Striffler has built a stone foundation on his property on east Main Street, onto which he intends to move the barn which stands on the place. Workmen are busy this week getting the barn ready to be moved.


Cass City Chronicle
Friday, July 21, 1911
Local Happenings
Page 4


Mrs. A. A. Ricker of Detroit arrived Monday to spend a few days with her parents, Mr.and Mrs. J. H. Striffler. On Wednesday, she returned to Detroit accompanied by her sister, Miss Margaret Striffler. Later in the week the two ladies and Mr. Ricker will leave that city for Buffalo, where they will spend a month with friends and relatives.

Cass City Chronicle
Friday, July 31, 1914

Mrs. Henry Frantzman of Townline, N.Y. and Mrs. William Bockstedt and Earl Bockstedt of Buffalo, N.Y., who have been visiting at the home of J.H. Striffler, returned home Wednesday.

Cass City Chronicle
Friday, June 5, 1925

J.H. Striffler Passed Away-
Long Prominent in the Community as Auctioneer and Business Man-
Served Cass City and Elkland Township as Office for Many Years

Cass City lost a prominent citizen, one who has been long connected with the business and political affairs of the community, in the death of Jacob H. Striffler, who passed away at his home on East Main street Sunday evening, May 31. Mr. Striffler, in his 45 years of residence here, has been unusually active as a business man and through his tireless energy has done much to bring the Cass City community to the front in a business way.
Mr. Striffler was born in Lancaster, N.Y. on Jan. 6, 1851. On January 22, 1880, at Lancaster, he was united in marriage with Miss Sophia Helwig and the following March they came to Cass City, settling on the Striffler homestead just east of the corporation line of the village.
Mr. Striffer established a farm implement business here in 1882 which he conducted for a period of 19 years. At the age of 19 years, when still a resident of Lancaster, he commenced his activities as an auctioneer, and shortly after coming here, he entered in earnest into his career in this profession which he followed for about 35 years in this community. Many a sale had "Jake" Striffler in charge in that long period and he found it very difficult to give up auctioneering eight or ten years ago when his health made it advisable for him to do so, because he enjoyed the work and so many were insistent that he at least continue until their sales were made.
Engaged as a farmer, implement dealer, cattle buyer and auctioneer, all at one time, Mr. Striffler still found time to give attention to political affairs of the community. He served his township as supervisor, treasurer and highway commissioner and Cass City as village president and trustee.
After a life of unusual activity, Mr. Striffler found it extremely trying to give up his hard work when ill health forced him to "ease up" four years ago.
Funeral services were held at the Evangelical church of which Mr. Striffler was a member on Wednesday afternoon conducted by the pastor, Rev. C.F. Smith. Interment was made in Elkland cemetery.
Besides his widow, he leaves give children, Mrs. O.W. NIQUE of Decker, Mrs. A.A.RICKER and Calvin J. Striffler, both of Cass City, Mrs. Fred SMILEY of Evart, and Mrs. Laura LAWTHER of Flint; one granddaughter, Eleanor NIQUE; one brother, Chas. D. Striffler, and one sister, Mrs. Peter BURG, both of Cass City.
Relatives and friends from a distance in attendance at the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. Samuel HELWIG of Lancaster, N.Y., Mrs. Elizabeth BOCKSTEDT of Buffalo, N.Y., Mr. and Mrs. Frank SIMMET and Harley SIMMET of Middleton, Mich., Miss Bertha SIMMET of Ithaca, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. MANN, Mrs. Elizabeth MANN and daughter, Lucile, Mr. and Mrs. Fred BROWN and Mrs. O. DENT, all of Carson City, Mrs. Caroline HELWIG, Marion HELWIG, Mr. and Mrs. Russell ERB and Chester LOESCHE, all of Bad Axe.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, Winter 2007)

(Research):Census Information:

1880 Federal Census Household:
Name RelationMarital StatusGenderRaceAgeBirthplaceOccupatio
nFather's BirthplaceMother's Birthplace
Henry STRIFFLER Self W Male W 67 FRANCE Farmer FRANCE FRANCE
Jacob STRIFFLER Son M Male W 30 NY Farmer FRANCE BAVARIA
Sophia STRIFFLER Wife M Female W 20 NY Keeping House BAVARIA BAVARIA
Charles STRIFFLER Brother S Male W 19 NY Farmer FRANCE BAVARIA
Susan STRIFFLER Sister S Female W 28 NY Keeping House FRANCE BAVARIA
John STRIFFLER Brother S Male W 17 NY At School FRANCE BAVARIA
Source Information:
Census Place Elkland, Tuscola, Michigan
Family History Library Film 1254607 NA
Film Number T9-0607
Page Number 97A

1900 Census
Michigan, Tuscola County, Cass City Village
Enumerated 5 Jun 1900
SD 8, ED 111 Sheet 3A
52-52
Shiffler, Jacob Hd W M Jany 1851 49 M20 Ny Germany Germany Farmer and Implements
Shiffler, Sophia Wf W F April 1860 40 M 20 5/5 NY Germany Germany
Shiffler, Ida S Dtr W F Jany 1881 19 S Mich NY NY
Shiffler, Lillie Dtr W F Apr 1883 17 S Mich NY NY
Shiffler, Calvin J SOn W M May 1885 15 S Mich NY NY
Shiffler, Maggie M Dtr W F Sept 1892 7 S Mich NY NY
Shiffler, Laura E Dtr W F Apr 1896 4 S Mich NY NY
Stower, Frank Hired Man W M Mar 1870 S Mich Canada/Eng

1910 Census
Michigan, Tuscola County, Elkland Township, Cass City Village
Enumerated 14 Apr 1910
SD 8, ED 113, Sheet 8B
70-70
Striffler, Jacob Hd M W 59 M1 30 NY Germany Germany Farmer
Striffler, Sophie Wf W F 50 M1 30 5/5 NY Germany Germany
Striffler, Maggie F Dtr W 17 S Mich NY NY
Striffler, Laura F Dtr W 14 S Mich NY NY

Jacob married Sophia Helwig on 22 Jan 1880 in Lancaster, Erie County, New York. Sophia (daughter of Wilhelm "William" Helwig and Sophia Muck) was born on 17 Apr 1860 in Lancaster, Erie County, New York; died on 1 Aug 1946 in Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried on 4 Aug 1946 in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ida S. Striffler was born on 24 Jan 1881 in Michigan; died on 9 Jan 1969 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan.
2. Lillian S. Striffler was born on 18 Apr 1883 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; died on 2 Aug 1964 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried on 5 Aug 1964 in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan.
3. Calvin J. Striffler was born on 1 May 1885 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; died on 16 Mar 1961 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried in Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan.
4. Margaret M. "Maggie" Striffler was born on 21 Oct 1892 in Michigan; died in Dec 1980 in Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan.
5. Laura E. Striffler was born in Apr 1896 in Michigan; and died.

Notes:

(Research):
Census Information:

1860 Census
New York, Erie County, Lancaster, P.O. Bowmansville
Enumerated 18 June 1860
Pages 21 and 22, Stamped 750
159-159
Henry Streepler 47 M Faremer $500 France
Elizabeth 42 F Germany
Elixabeth 12 F NY
Susan 10 NY
Jacob 9 M NY
Leana 6 F NY

1870 Census
New York, Erie County, Lancaster
Enumerated 30 Jun 1870
Page 69 Stamped 401
496-489
Strinler, Henry 50 M W Farming $1600 $200 France
Strinler, Susan 20 F W Housekeeping NY
Strinler, Jacob 19 M W Work on Farm NY
Strinler, Lana 16 F W Attends School NY
Strinler, Charley 9 M W At home NY

1880 Federal Census
Michigan, Tuscola County, Elkland, ED 400
Enumerated on the 14th and 15th day of June, 1880
George C. Peterhaus
Page No. Seventeen, S.D. 3d ED 400
A. 97
164-164
Striffler, Henry W M 67 Farmer France France France
Striffler, Jacob W M 30 Son Farmer NY France Bavaria
Striffler, Sophia W F 20 Drt in Law Housekeeper NY Bavaria Bavaria
Striffler, Charles W M 19 Son Farmer NY France Bavaria
Striffler, Susan W F 29 Dtr Housekeeper NY France Bavaria
Striffler, John W M 17 Son at school NY France Bavaria
(Household #165 was that of George and Catherine Kolb)

Henry married Elizabeth Wagner. Elizabeth was born after 1811 in Bayern, Germany; died after 1863 in New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Judith Muck refers to her as Elizabeth Gardner.

Notes:

According to the Rev. Roy J. Striffler, the Striffler's emigrated from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France to New York State in 1830. They were part of the German-speaking population of Alsace. Some of the older Striffler family members recalled a family joke---there were 11 boys in the family, and all of them had a sister Susanna. She married Christian Oscar Lenzner. Family genealogists have only been able to account for eight of the 12 children however. Two of the boys married Benkelman sisters. One son married Mary Rommel, and as there were several Benkelman/Rommel marriages as well, the two families became further intertwined.

Although the family originally settled in New York only Jacob's son David remained in New York. Peter pushed further west, to Kansas. Around 1880, most of the others settled in Cass City, Michigan, where they lived until their deaths. They cut off the stumps remaining on the land they built and turned the wilderness into fruitful farm land.

(Excerpted from Art Peck's THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA. He in turn references a September 4, 1950 article from the "Striffler-Benkelman Broadcast", Volume 13, Cass City, Michigan)

Both the flyleaf of the Striffler family Bible, and the tombstone of Jacob Striffler in Lancaster, showed him to be be born in Kirrberg, "departmente de Rhein." (Jacobs, p. 164). In the chapter on the Striffler family in her unpublished 1981 manuscript, BonnieMargaret Jacobs noted that widely spread family stories stated that the Striffler family originated in Switzerland (p. 164). It would appear these were either errorneous, or that the family moved from Switzerland to Alsace.


BonnieMargaret Benkelman Jacobs, in an undated family report she prepared for some of the descendants of the Striffler brothers who married Benkelmann sisters, wrote that birth records had been of the children born to Jacob and Otillia "Have been extracted from the French civil records and translated, and show 8 children born in France, two of whom died while still just children (one was only 15 months old, the other just a few months past their sixth birthday). She stated that "these official civil records support the oft repeated family joke, "There are seven brothers and each one has a sister." On page 165 of her unpublished 1981 manuscript documenting the Benkelman family, she repeated this saying, adding however that "one Striffler heard the riddle with 11 brothers and it should be noted that there is still much to be learned about this family."

With the records in France showing 8 children were born there, and census records show two known children born in the United States, it appears we can account for 10 of the 11. It is possible that records may be uncovered one day to find the final child, or that this final son may have been stillborn or died at a young age, and his memory passed down only through the family joke or riddle.

Jacob married Ottila "Odila" "Otil" Zimmerman on 4 Nov 1809 in Kirberg, Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine, Imperial Territory Of Alsace-Lorraine, Elsa?-Lothringen, Germany. Ottila was born on 10 Nov 1790 in Kirberg, Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine, Imperial Territory Of Alsace-Lorraine, Elsa?-Lothringen, Germany; died on 17 Sep 1863 in Lancaster, Erie County, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Her father was a school master.

(Research):

Census Listings;

1850 Census
New York, Erie County, Lancaster
Enumerated 23 Aug 1850
Page 200
1048-1082
Otil Strifler 59 F $2550 Germany
Jacob Strifler 30 M Farmer
Susanna Strifler 27 F
Joseph Stifler 24 M Farmer
Christian Strifler 22 m Farmer
John Strifler 17 Farmer New York (sic)
David Strifler 14

1860 Census
Not located