BIOGRAPHIES

Source: 
History of Allen County, Ohio
Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns,
Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, etc.; Portraits of
Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies;
History of the Northwest Territory;
History of Ohio; Statistical and
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.
- Illustrated -
Publ. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co.
1885

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	Richland Twp. - M. E. ZELLER, harness maker, Bluffton, was born in Gilboa, Putnam Co., Ohio, Nov. 8, 1845, son of Andrew (wagon maker) and Catherine (Henderson) Zeller, natives of Germany and Pennsylvania, respectively, and who reared a family of five children.  Our subject, who is next the youngest, received a common school education, and early learned the harness-maker's trade, which has been the business of his life.  He is also an inventor, and has taken out patents  on eight articles, all pertaining to harness, except one which is a carriage improvement.  His inventions, which are all practical, will eventually come into general use, and he owns them all except one that he sold to a manufacturing company in Cleveland, Ohio.  Mr. Zeller worked at his trade in Massillon, Ill., and in 1865 came to Bluffton where he also works at harness-making, and is engaged in manufacturing a spring bed (not his patent).  He was married here in 1866, to Nancy, daughter of Joseph Reese, of Richland Township, this county, and their children are Charles P., Catherine, Winfred, Earl Scott, Jacob A. and Lillie May.  Mr. and Mrs. Zeller are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Politically he is a Democrat. Source:  History of Allen County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: by  Warner, Beers & Co., 1885 - Page 783
	Marion Twp. - JOSEPH H. ZIMERLE, justice of the peace, Delphos, was born in Ellwangen, Wurtemberg, Germany, Oct. 5, 1844.  His father, Joseph A. Zimerle, a brewer, came to this country with his family in 1853, and settled in Delphos.  His children are Joseph H.; Annie, wife of Caspar Kahl, merchant, of Defiance, Ohio; Emma, wife of John Smith, of Kansas City, Mo.; Frederick, of Cincinnati; Frances, wife of Charles Smith, of Defiance, Ohio.  The subject of this sketch engaged at an early age in merchandising in Evansport, Ohio, coming here in 1863, in connection with different mercantile pursuits, with which he has been successfully identified.  He has been an active supporter of other interests in Delphos, and has filled positions in the councils of the city and of the township, holding his present incumbency for the past year.  Mr. Zimerle married in Delphos, in 1871, Miss Lauretta Odelia, daughter of Francis Joseph Lye, merchant. They have one son living, Joseph Francis, and have buried an infant son, and two daughters—Lauretta and Anna.  Mr. and Mrs. Zimerle are regular communicants of the Roman Catholic Church. Source:  History of Allen County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: by  Warner, Beers & Co., 1885 - Page 661
	Ottawa Twp. - ADAM ZIMMERMANN, JR., brewer, Lima, was born July 22, 146, in Baden, Germany; son of Adam and Catherine (Detterer) Zimmermann, who came to America from Germany in 1863.  They had a family of seven children: Bertha (wife of H. Duval), residing in Auglaize County, Ohio), Mary, Louisa, Lewis, Michael, Henry and Adam, all living except Mary.  Adam Zimmerman, Sr., died in 1872; his widow still lives in Lima.  Our subject was married in 1873, to Miss Henrietta K. Collier of Hardin County, Ohio, and by this union has one child, Charles H.   Adam Zimmermann, Jr., commenced business with Joseph Wolf afterward engaged with his brother-in-law, and finally in 1878, along with his brother Lewis, established what is now known as the Lima Brewery, located on the railroad near the river, in the eastern part of Lima, where they conduct a brisk business. Source:  History of Allen County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: by  Warner, Beers & Co., 1885 - Page 733
	Shawnee Twp. - SAMUEL ZURMEHLY, farmer, P. O. Lima, was born in eastern Pennsylvania, Jan. 23, 1822, son of John and Susannah (Shaffner) Zurmehly, former a native of France, latter of Switzerland.  The parents immigrated to America about 1816, traveling the previous fall to the sea coast, a distance of 700 miles, with a hand-cart, but were detained until the following spring, and on their arrival in America had to work three years as a return for their passage across the ocean, the father in a stone quarry, although by trade he was a silk weaver; he afterward accumulated enough money to buy a horse and cart, and in 1823 came overland with his family to Pickaway County, Ohio, where he operated a copper still, by which, with the assistance of his wife, who spun yarn and wove cloth, he managed to support his family.  This couple died in Pickaway County, Ohio, the mother in 1835, the father four years later.  They had nine children: Robert, Frederick, Samuel, Jacob (deceased), John (deceased), Amos (deceased), Susannah (deceased), Peter (deceased), Mary (Mrs. Solomon Morgan).  Our subject left home when ten years of age, working the first year for his board; the second year he got $3 per month and board, the money received going toward the support of his father's family.  His mother dying when he was in his thirteenth year, he returned home, where he remained two years, assisting in the house work and looking after the younger members of the family.  In 1837 he went to work on a farm, at which he continued until 1841, when he began work at the carpenter's trade, and this he followed up to 1845.  In 1846 he came to this county, and settled on Section 24, Shawnee Township, where he cleared and improved a farm from what was then an unbroken wilderness, and here he resided until the spring of 1865, when he located on the farm of 168 acres he now occupies, most of which he has cleared, and on which he has made many improvements.  Mr. Zurmehly also owns eighty acres in another part of the township.  He has given a farm to one of his sons, and also to a son-in-law.  Mr. Zurmehly was married, Oct. 14, 1844, to Catherine, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Kraft) Books, of Pickaway County, Ohio, by whom he had seven children : Mary E. (Mrs. Isaac Reed), John W., Jennie (deceased), Wilson S., Peter F., Charles L. and Ida B. (Mrs. Alonzo McLain). Our subject and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  In politics Mr. Zurmehly is a Republican. Source:  History of Allen County, Ohio - Publ. Chicago: by  Warner, Beers & Co., 1885 - Page 797

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