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Classification: Query
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Posting on
Ancestry.com:
I have here listed the following five children: William, David, Ann, John, and Jacob
as the children of George Zimmerly and Catherine Deck. This connection is tentative at
best, and is made from circumstancial evidence.
The absence of a namesake leaves doubt as to the parentage of the children, but with a
marriage date of 1794, and the oldest identified sibling (William b 1803), George and
Catherine may have lost other children at a young age.
Documentation from Indiana indicate that these five children are siblings. According
to various Census records they were born in either Virginia or North Carolina. Their
parents died while the children were young. They were raised by Elizabeth Zimmerly,
probably an Aunt. This Elizabeth appears to be the unmarried daughter of Jacob and Eve.
In 1819, Jacob Zimmerly Sr. names Elizabeth Zimmerly as his daughter. He also names
granddaughter Suzannah Zimmerly, by all appearences already an adult too old to be Anna
the child of George & Catherine. Neither is she a child of Jacob and Sarah, so she is
possibly an illegitamate child of Elizabeth's.
In 1820, Elizabeth was living in Scott County, Virginia with five children.
In 1850 Elizabeth born in NC in 1780 is living with Jacob Zimmerlee. This Jacob was
born in June of 1819.
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Indiana Marriages prior to 1850
Jacob Zimmerlee
m: December 20, 1844 - Wells Co., IN
Clarissa Brown
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Biographical sketch extracted from: Biographical and historical record of Adams and
Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887. pp. 765-766.
JACOB ZIMMERLEE, deceased, an early settler of Union Township, was born in Virginia.
But little is known of the history of his parents, as they both died when he was a mere
lad, and he found a home with his brother-in-law, Jacob Miller, who married his only
sister, Ann. There were three other sons, John, William and David, who settled in Rush
County, Indiana, while Mr. Miller came to Wells County, bringing Jacob with him. David
afterward moved to and died in Adams County. Jacob was reared in this county, and without
patrimony began the work of providing a home for himself. He drove a team for his
brother-in-law several years between Bluffton and Cincinnati, from which city all the
goods were transported. He was fourteen years of age when he came to the county, and at
that time there were scarcely any settlements. December 25, 1845, he was married to Clara
Brown, and they began housekeeping on the farm now belonging to the Fredrick Eichhorn
heirs. Mrs. Zimmerlee was born !
in Wilks County, North Carolina, February 1, 1824, and was a daughter of Elisha and
Elizabeth (Redding) Brown. The nationality of the Brown family cannot be ascertained, but
the Zimmerlees are of German origin. When the event of their marriage occurred, $5 would
have purchased all their united possessions. Four years after they were married he
purchased on credit forty acres of land now owned by Daniel Fisher, and worked by the
month to pay for it. During this time his good wife remained alone with her four children
and managed to support them by weaving, so that her husband?s earnings could all apply on
the purchase. After the land was paid for he commenced clearing it and had the task almost
completed when he sold it, and in 1861 removed to the farm now owned by his wife. The
following spring they went to the Robert. Miller farm on the Wabash, and returned in the
fall to the farm of J. Roe, two of their children having died during their residence on
the Wabash. Two years !
were spent on the Roe farm during which time he built the cabin that s
till stands in the door-yard. They removed to their new home in 1863, where they have
since resided. Jacob was a shoemaker by trade and during his early married life worked at
the bench during the winter season. Their first years of married life were full of
hardships, but his last purchase of 110 acres made him a comparatively wealthy man, and
after the timber was removed it made a fine farm. By will the property was bequeathed to
his wife during her lifetime and then descends to her heirs. The death of Mr. Zimmerlee
occurred October 15, 1885, and his remains were interred at Markle. They had eight
children, five of whom are living. John, who married Caroline Platt; Martha A., wife of
Peter C. Leavengood; Daniel, married Nancy A. McLure; Elijah, married Alice Ormsby, and
Mary E., wife of Daniel Walter. Elijah is the only child that has engaged in a profession.
He taught school previous to his marriage, and abandoned his profession to engage in
farming. Later he established !
a tile factory with Daniel Walter near the home farm, which he sold at the death of his
father, and he now has charge of the homestead. All are residents of Union Township, and
all reside on section 33.
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Jacob's parents are listed on
Ancestry.com as George & Catarina Deck Zimmerlee and
Clarissa is the d/o (according to posting on
ancestry.com) Elisha and Elizabeth Redding
Brown. This family is living next door to Jacob Zimmerly in the 1850 Wells Co., IN
census. Siblings to Clarissa are Nancy, John & Elisha Brown. As for Henry Brown
(age 1) it is quite possible he is a nephew to Clarissa & Jacob. Hope this helps.
Karen