August H. Zellner - Paterson, NJ
I recently compiled the following biography of my great-grandfather August Zellner, from notes and interviews collected by my aunt. I am posting it here so that it can be of assistance to others, and so that if anyone has any additional info about him you can let me know.
ZELLNER FAMILY HISTORY
August Zellner was born on or about February 19, 1855 in eastern Germany.German christening records for the mid-1800’s show several possible matches, including Auguste Albertine Zellner c. 12/17/1858, August Hermann Zellner c. 9/24/1865, and possibly August Friedrich Zellmer c. 2/5/1854 (if the birth date above is incorrect).All these christenings were in Pommern (Pomerania), Nurenberg, Germany.
In his teen years August became a medical corpsman in the German (or Prussian) army.He was left for dead among the bodies in battle (“put in a heap of corpses”), and after that close call he decided to emigrate to America to avoid further military service.
August married Lina (German spelling) Opal, born 1854 in Germany (?).They made their home in Paterson, New Jersey.The first year the Zellner family appeared in the Paterson City Directory was 1884-85, at 61 Highland Street.Occupation listed as carpenter.August and Lina Zellner had seven children:
Arnold – First wife:Tillie. Second wife:Lou
Arnold & Lou had two children – Arnold Jr., Edward
Otto - Never married? Lived in Chicago in the late 1920's.
Charles - Died in infancy
Henry - Married Lily Breish.Their son Henry Jr. married Grace _____ – they had one son John.Henry died by suicide following his wife’s death.
Lena - Born August 13, 1888.Married Fred Colombo.Died May 1976 at her son Elmer’s farm in Honesdale, PA.Lena and Fred had four children:
Violet – Married Charles Travers.Children: Charles Jr., Violette (pronounced vee-o-let).Died May 11, 1978.
Leslie (son) – Married Elizabeth James.Children:Leslie Jr., Freddie
Alfred – Never married.
Elmer – Married Dorothy (Dottie) in 1971.No children.Died July 1982.
Clara - Born 11/7/1893 (but this date can’t be right if William was the youngest child – see below).Married Henry Beckert.No children.Henry and Clara were neighbors of Clara’s sister Lena and husband Fred Colombo.They lived in corner houses opposite each other on Tilt St., Haledon, NJ.
William - Born Feb. 3, 1891.
Lina Opal Zellner died February 12, 1891, age 37, when her seventh son William was 9 days old.August Zellner was at first determined to care for Willie himself, but being a working man with six other children, he found the task too difficult.After three months, he sadly and reluctantly agreed to the offer of his neighbors [John] Casper & Anna Hosfeld to care for the child, and later, to adopt him.The two families were close friends.Mrs. Hosfeld had lost her first-born infant and had been told she would be unable to have more children (although she did later have two – Elmer and George).
August, now a widower, married again, this time to a widow, Meline Werner Ditmer, already a mother of three children:
Henrietta - Married _____ Tice.Children: Hattie, who married _____ Ratzlaff; and Katherine, who married _____ Fanslau.
Louis - Married Sophie _____ .
Alma - Married _____ Gesch.
Together, August Zellner and Meline Werner Ditmer Zellner had two more children:
Melanie - Married H. L. Boer.They had one adopted child.Lived on 18th St. in Paterson in the late 1920's.In the 1960’s (?) she lived in an apartment on Oak Street in Ridgewood, NJ.
Ella - Died in her early teens.
As told by Lena Zellner Colombo, the family was desperately poor and food was scarce.Stepmother Meline gave her stepchildren bread with the water that the sausage was cooked in; her own five children were given the sausage.There were six of August’s children from his first marriage, and five of Meline’s of which two were August’s – eleven children in the household.Melanie was a sickly child.When Lena was about 10 years old she saved Melanie’s life when she had a convulsion.
Despite having so many children in the house, there were actually fewer (10) biological Zellner grandchildren.Of these ten grandchildren, seven came from just two of August’s nine children – Lena Zellner Colombo (4); and William (3), who was adopted by the Hosfelds and later changed his name to Hossfield, the name he gave to his children.Since the research supporting this family history ends with the Zellner grandchildren, whose own grandchildren must now be adults, the number of August’s great-great-grandchildren is not known.
August Zellner died October 11, 1926, age 71 (at Paterson, NJ?).
Additional information about the Zellner / Hosfeld / Hossfield connection will be posted on the Hosfield Surname forum.
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Who was August Zellner?
Bruce Hossfield 11/24/03