Yuma County, Colorado
Photographs |
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Yuma County Pioneer Photographs:
John and Elizabeth (Kamraermann) Gerber ,
Copper Kettle
In 1910 Yuma County, John G. Gerber is 47, Elizabeth 46, William 17, Henry 15, Matilda 12, Emma 9, Fritz 7, and Harry 4.
Bertha Gerber Payne and her sister Rosetta Gerber McCoy - thanks to Nancy
Masimer
"Mr. and Mrs. John Gerber, highly respected pioneer citizens
of Idalia neighborhood, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary
last Sunday, March 11, 1934. Upon this happy occasion all of the
children with their families, with the exception of Harry and
Fritz Gerber, spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. Gerber. Beside
the bride and groom of fifty years ago there were present
Mr. and Mrs. Claude McCoy and family, Mr. and Mrs. Will Gerber
and family, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gerber and family,
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Doling and family, County Treasurer and Mrs. Robert Sheverbush. Harry and Fritz Gerber reside in California.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerber are both natives of Switzerland.
They were married at Bern, Switzerland, March 11, 1884.
One year later Mr. Gerber, then a young man, came to America and a
short time later Mrs. Gerber joined him in this country.
They located near the little inland town of Idalia in the pioneer days
of eastern Colorado and they have had a part in the development that
has taken place since that early day. Mr. Gerber,
now 72 years old, and his good wife is just one year his junior. Mr.
and Mrs. Gerber, rugged, honest, upright citizens that they are,
have shown the thrift so characteristic of their race.
They have spent their days in honest toil, and now as the
lengthening shadows fall across their pathway they have a
comfortable competence that will permit them to enjoy the
leisure that they have earned.
Last Sunday was a very happy day at the Gerber home.
There was a wonderful feast at noon and the day passed all
too quickly for those present. Mr. and Mrs. Gerber were
showered with congratulations and with gifts. Among the
pleasant recollections that Mr. and Mrs. Gerber will long
cherish there will be the memory of a wedding cake,
fashioned with loving hands for them by their grand daughter,
Miss Susana McCoy, who came from Bolvina where she teaches
school, to attend the golden wedding anniversary of her
grand parents. The cake was a work of art being almost two
feet high and fts flavor was par excellent.
The Rattler extends Mr. and Mrs. Gerber heartiest
congratulations and good wishes upon this happy occasion.
May the unwinding of the years bring them continued peace
and happiness."
July 5, 1935 "Mr. John Gerber of this city and long time resident of Yuma county, celebrated his 83rd birthday on Tuesday of this week. Mr. Gerber, who now makes his home with his daughter Mrs. Robert Sheverbush in Wray, came to Yuma county 63 years ago and spent the major portion of his life in the Idalia community. Mr. Gerber came to Yuma county from Montana. Five of his children reside in Yuma county, Mrs. Robert Sheverbush, Mrs. Claude McCoy, Mrs. Joe Doling, William F. Gerber, and Henry J. Gerber, two sons reside at Glendale, California, Fritz and Harry Gerber. The Rattler joins his many friends in extending congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Gerber on the occasion of his 83rd birthday."
"Mrs. Elizabeth Kamraermann Gerber, of Idalia neighborhood, wife of John Gerber, died Sunday evening, following a prolonged illness. Tlhe death of Mrs. Gerber removed another pioneer lady. Mrs. Gerber had been a resident of Idalia community for 45 years, indeed she and her husband had continued to reside on the old homestead all these years. Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 13. There was a brief service at the home at 1:30 and the service at the church in Idalia was at 2 o'clock. The remains were buried in the cemetery southeast of Idalia. Rev. Ness conducted the service. Elisabeth Kammermann, daughter of John Kammermann and Barbara Kammermann nee Bdaser was born July 24, 1863 at Trub, Switzerland. She was the second of a family of six children. At the age of three years she with her parents moved to Rothenbach, Switzerland, where she grew to womanhood, attending the public schools and being confirmed in the Protestant church to which faith she was faithful to the end.
On March 7, 1884, she was united in marriage to John Gottlieb
Gerber at Bern, Switzerland. In May 1887 she with her small
daughter Rosetta came to Kansas, where she joined her husband
who had arrived in America in April 1886. They resided on a
farm near Leavenworth until 1892 when they moved to Yuma county,
Colorado. They lived on the original homestead three miles north
of Idalia until the present time.
To this union eight children
were born, Rosetta McCoy of Idalia; Bertha Payne, who preceded
her mother in death on February 21, 1919; Will and Henry Gerber
and Matilda Doling, all of Idalia; Emma Sheverbush of Wray;
Fritz and Harry Gerber of Glendale, Calif. Besides the
husband and seven surviving children, she leaves to mourn
her departure twenty grandchildren, one great-grandchild
and a host of friends.
She was a faithful wife and mother, always on duty,
always trying to make things easier for her family.
She sacrificed her entire life for her children who
were ever foremost in her thoughts. For the past two
years she had been in failing health and on Sunday evening,
April 11, 1937 she fell peacefully into the eternal sleep,
at the age of 73 years, 8 months and 17 days."
June 20, 1946 "John Gottlieb Gerber, the son of Frederick Gerber
and Anna Gerber, nee Tschanz, was born near Bern, Switzerland, June 30,
1862 and departed for his eternal home Wednesday, June 12, 1946,
at the age of 83 years, 11 months and 12 days.
He was one of a family of 6 children of which only 2 survive,
a brother Jacob Gerber of Switzerland and a sister Anna Gerber
of Amazonia, Mo. At the age of three he, with his parents,
moved to Rotenbach where he grew to manhood, graduating from
high school in 1878. Here he also was confirmed in the faith
of the Reformed Evangelical church. On March 7, 1884 Elisabeth
Kammermann, a former schoolmate, became his bride.
To this union eight children were born,
Wm. F. and Henry Gerber of Idalia, Fritz and Harry Gerber of
Glendale, Calif., Rosetta McCoy and Emma Sheverbush of Wray,
Matilda Doling of Idalia and Bertha Payne who preceded her father
in death February 21, 1919.
Soon after his marriage he decided that the country
in which he lived did not offer the opportunities that
were reported to exist in America. In April 1885 he,
with his sister Anna left Switzerland and after an eleven
day ocean journey arrived in New York. From there he went to
Leavenworth, Kan., where ne secured employment on a
government farm. In May 1887 his wife and small daughter
Rosetta joined him there. In May 1892 the family came to
Yuma county and homesteaded land three miles north of
Idalia. Here he endured all of the hardships of the
early pioneer without discouragment or complaint.
He was a leader in community affairs and always
stood fearlessly for the things which he believed
to be right. He was a lifelong church member and
took an active part in the construction of both
the St. John's Evangelical church near Idalia
and the St. Paul's Evangelical church in Idalia.
He was a member of St. Paul's Evangelical
church at the time of his death. He contributed
freely to many charitable organisations.
The original homestead remained the family home until February 1944 when he came to Wray to make his home with his son-in-law and daughter,
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Sheverbush.
On April 11, 1937 his wife Elizabeth fell peacefully asleep.
Besides the surviving children he leaves to mourn his passing
twenty-two grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a
host of friends."
January 13, 1949
"A tragic aftermath of the big blizzard last week was revealed last
Friday when searchers found the frozen body of Fritz Gerber, 19,
Friday forenoon following a wide-spread hunt in the Idalia territory
for the lad whose stalled car was found on highway 36 late Thursday
afternoon. Fritz, the youngest son and the youngest child,
of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Gerber of Idalia, had been visiting
friends in St. Francis, Kansas, on Sunday, January 2nd.
When he left that city for home Sunday evening about 10:30 it
was not storming badly but the farther he drove toward home
the more the storm increased until he was in the midst of
the raging blizzard. He had left his stalled car and
attempted to walk along a fence row to make his way home
on foot - a distance of a little less than five miles.
Young Gerber's car had stalled about 8 miles west
of the Kansas state line and he had covered a distance of
about 1 1/4 miles on foot before succumbing to the storm.
Little anxiety had been felt by his parents earlier in
the week because they believed that he had probably
remained in St. Francis with friends for the duration
of the blizzard. Fritz was found by Wilson Elliott,
who was a member of the searching group combing the area
Friday morning for him. Fritz was well known in Wray
having attended the Wray high school and graduated here.
His untimely death came as a great shock to his many
relatives and a host of friends. His passing in the flower
of young manhood in such a tragic manner has brought
the deepest kind of grief to those near and dear to him."
"Funeral services were held Wednesday
for Fritz Ray Gerber, son of Mr. and Mrs. William F. Gerber,
who perished in the blizzard January 3rd. A service was
conducted at the Lockwood Mortuary in Wray at 12:30 p. m.
Wednesday, January 12th followed by another service at
2 p. m. at St. John's Evangical church at ldalia. The services
were conducted by Rev. Paul Deitrich of St. John's church.
Interment was in the church cemetery.
Fritz Ray Gerber, youngest son of William F. and Jennie Gerber,
was born at ldalia, Colorado, April 19th, 1929, where he grew to
young manhood. He was educated in the grade school at Idalia
where he enjoyed friendships with other scholars.
Upon his graduation from grade school he attended high school
at Wray, Colorado, graduating with the class of 1947
and was studying diesel engineering at the time of his death.
Being of happy disposition and enjoying life he made
many friends. He passed away in the storm, as above stated,
on January 3rd, 1949 at the age of 19 years 8 months and 14 days.
He leaves to mourn his passing his fiancee, Dolores Hill
of St. Francis, Kansas, his parents, his aged grandmother,
Mrs. Mattie Anderson, one brother, Hugh Gerber of Idalia,
two sisters, Mrs. Percy Leyland of Midland Park, New Jersey
and Mrs. Jerry Weyerman of ldalia; one nephew,
Lynn Wayne Weyerman and numerous other less near relatives
and a host of friends."
ROSETTA
Rosetta Gerber and Claude McCoy were married
October 25, 1903, at the home of the bride's
parents north of Idalia. The ceremony was
performed by Rev. Ed Th. Bettex, father of
Harald Bettex.
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