THE FRONT ROW OF THE SOUTH APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CEMETERY

STONE 1 CONRAD WENGER, SR. 1808 - 1888

CONRAD WAS THE FIRST PERSON BURIED IN THIS CEMETERY, AND VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HIM, ALONG WITH OTHERS BURIED HERE SO LONG AGO. HE WAS BORN IN BADEN, GERMANY IN 1808, WORKING AS A SHOEMAKER. HE CAME TO AMERICA WITH HIS WIFE MAGDALENE (STONE 2) AND HIS CHILDREN, AUGUSTINA, BARBARA, CONRAD, JR., ANNA CHARLES AND WILHELMINA. THE FAMILY FIRST SETTLED IN MORTON, THEN CONGERVILLE, AND FINALLY MOVING NEAR FAIRBURY.

STONE 2 MAGDALENE WENGER 1811 - 1893

MAGDALENE WAS THE WIFE OF CONRAD WENGER (STONE 1). SHE WAS ALSO BORN IN BADEN, GERMANY. SHE CAME TO AMERICA WITH HER HUSBAND AND FAMILY, IN TIME SETTLING NEAR FAIRBURY.

STONE 3 MARGARET SCHINI ROTH AUG. 16, 1865 - OCT. 6, 1895

MARGARET WAS BORN AUGUST 16, 1865 IN BADEN, THE DAUGHTER OF JOHN AND BARBARA KENGER SCHINI. SHE MARRIED SAMUEL L. ROTH (STONE 34) ON JANUARY 23, 1887. FOUR CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THE COUPLE , ANNA, LYDIA (STONE 27), MARY AND SAMUEL, JR. IN OCTOBER 6, 1895, MRS. ROTH DIED FROM TYPHOID FEVER AND PNEUMONIA.

STONE 4 ANNA ZEHR SEPT. 29, 1844 - DEC. 31, 1895

ANNA ZEHR WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ANDREW AND ANNA ZIMMERMAN ROTH. SHE WAS BORN IN OHIO, WHERE THE FAMILY SETTLED BEFORE COMING TO ILLINOIS. SHE MARRIED JACOB ZEHR, HAVING THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN: SAMUEL, LYDIA, ANNA, ANDREW, JOSHUA, KATHERINE AND JOSEPH.

STONE 5 NANCY BECKLEY APR. 1, 1870 - MAR. 22, 1896

NANCY WAS THE DAUGHTER OF MICHAEL AND ANNA YODER FARNEY. SHE MARRIED HENRY BECKLEY, WHO IS BURIED IN EAST GRACELAND CEMETERY, IN FAIRBURY.

STONE 6 URSULA KIEFER APR. 20, 1850 - JUN. 24, 1896

MRS. KIEFER WAS THE DAUGHTER OF FAIRBURY ELDER JOHN G. STEIDINGER, AND SISTER TO SALOME BITTNER (STONE 10). SHE MARRIED GEORGE KIEFER AND HAD TWO DAUGHTERS.

STONE 7 EMMA G. BITTNER OCT. 10, 1882 - OCT. 11, 1896

EMMA WAS THE OF DAUGHTER VALENTINE (STONE 11) AND SALOME STEIDINGER (STONE 10) BITTNER.

STONE 8 JOSEPHINE WAIBEL 1827 - 1896

JOSEPHINE BILLER WAIBEL WAS THE SISTER OF STEPHANE BILLER (STONE 9) AND THE WIFE OF THADDAUS WAIBEL, WHO IS BURIED IN GRACELAND CEMETERY, IN FAIRBURY. SIX CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THEM, AS FOLLOWS: MATHILDA, MARY, NICKOLAS, GOTTFRIED, FRED AND LOUISE (STONE 32). MRS. WAIBEL WAS BORN MARCH 5, 1827 IN GERMANY, DYING DECEMBER 17, 1896.

STONE 9 STEPHANE BILLER 1828 - 1897

SHE WAS THE SISTER TO JOSEPHINE BILLER WAIBEL (STONE 8).

STONE 10 SALOME KELLER SOHN JUL. 11, 1836 - NOV. 10, 1898

SALOME WAS THE WIFE OF PHILIP SOHN. MOTHER TO JACOB, PHILIP AND MARY SOHN.

STONE 11 VALENTINE BITTNER DEC. 10, 1846 - MAY 22, 1899

VALENTINE WAS THE SON OF FREDERICK AND BARBARA BITTNER OF ROANOKE, ILLINOIS. VALENTINE CAME TO THIS COUNTY FIRST LIVING WITH HIS BROTHER NICHOLAS BITTNER, SOUTH OF FAIRBURY. VALENTINE MARRIED SALOME STEIDINGER.

STONE 12 SALOME BITTNER JUN. 10, 1855 - MAY 18, 1938

SALLY WAS THE DAUGHTER OF FAIRBURY ELDER JOHN G. STEIDINGER, AND SISTER TO URSULA KIEFER (STONE 6). SHE MARRIED VALENTINE BITTNER (STONE 11) IN DECEMBER 1881. EMMA (STOEN 7), MINNIE, LOUISE, SALOME, SAM, AND LOUIS, WERE BORN TO THEM BEFORE VALENTINE’S DEATH IN MAY 2, 1899.

STONE 13 CAROLINE HUBER 1861 - 1900

CAROLINE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ULRICH (STONE 29) AND ANNA WENGER (STONE 18) STEFFEN. SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO CARL HUBER, BUT DIED SHORTLY AFTER THE UNION. NO CHILDREN WERE BRON TO THE COUPLE. CARL REMARRIED TO CAROLINE’S SISTER.

STONE 14 KATHERINA STORTZ 1858 - 1900

KATHERINA STORTZ WAS A AUNT TO BENJAMIN NUSSBAUM, WHO WROTE THE SOUTH SIDE AND NORTH SIDE CHURCH HISTORIES. SHE NEVER MARRIED AND LIVED IN THE NUSSBAUM HOUSEHOLD UNTIL HER DEATH.

STONE 15 PETER D. FARNEY 1882 - 1900 AND LYDIA M. FARNEY 1879 - 1900

PETER AND LYDIA FARNEY WERE BROTHER AND SISTER, BELONGING TO DANIEL FARNEY, WHO LATER MOVED TO WOLCOTT, INDIANA. THE TWO WERE KILLED IN A CARRIAGE - TRAIN ACCIDENT NEAR GIBSON CITY.

STONE 16 MARGARET WANNER 1863 - 1901

MARGARET WAS THE WIFE OF JOSEPH WANNER, WHO IS BURIED IN THE STRAWN CEMETERY. TWELVE CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THEM: JOSEPH, MINNIE, MARY, LYDIA, EMMA, MARTHA, BEN, SAM, MAGGIE, LEAH, TILLIE AND SARAH. TILLIE AND SARAH WERE ADOPTED BY ELDER CHRISTIAN GERBER (STONE 25) AFTER THE DEATH OF THEIR MOTHER. TILLIE MARRIED ERNEST GERBER, WHICH IS EARL GERBER’S PARENTS.

STONE 17 JOSEPH BELLA FEB. 18, 1812 - JAN. 31, 1902

JOSEPH BELLA IS ONE OF THE MORE NOTED PERSONS BURIED IN THE SOUTH CEMETERY. ELDER BELLA TRAVELLED ACROSS AMERICA SPREADING THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY GOSPEL. BELLA NEVER MARRIED, SO HE HAD NO CHILDREN TO CARED FOR HIM IN HIS OLD AGE. FORTUNATELY THE CHRISTIAN GERBER FAMILY (STONE 25) TOOK HIM IN AND CARE HIM UNTIL HIS DEATH.

STONE 18 ANNA STEFFEN FEB. 18, 1835 - MAR. 27, 1902

ANNA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF CONRAD (STONE 1) AND MAGDALENE (STONE 2) WENGER AND THE WIFE OF ULRICH STEFFEN (STONE 29). THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN WERE BORN TO HER AND ULRICH: ALBERT, CAROLINE (STONE 13), ALBERT, MARY (STONE 28), ANDREW, CONRAD (STONE 33), MINNIE AND LENA.

STONE 19 LYDIA GRIEDER STEFFEN FEB. 1, 1867 - JUN. 20, 1902

LYDIA WAS BORN IN THE PRAIRIE NEAR EUREKA, FEBRUARY 1, 1867. SHE MARRIED ANDREW STEFFEN AND HAD FIVE CHILDREN TO THIS UNION: EDWARD, LENA, ANDREW, LYDIA AND LOUISE.

STONE 20 ELIZABETH STEFFEN 1859 - 1912

LIZZIE, WIFE OF ALBERT STEFFEN, WAS BORN IN BERN, SWITZERLAND, APRIL 20, 1859, TO FRIEDRICH HARI (STONE 22) AND ELIZABETH TROCHSEL (STONE 21) HARI. SHE MARRIED HER HUSBAND ON FEBRUARY 28, 1886, HAVING: ROSA, IDA, EMMA AND ELMER (STONE 30).

STONE 21 ELIZABETH HARI OCT. 5, 1833 - JAN. 1, 1905

ELIZABETH TROCHSEL WAS BORN IN BERN SWITZERLAND AND MARRIED FRIEDRICH HARI (STONE 22), WITH FRED, JOHN, GOTTLIEB, ELIZABETH (STONE 20), MARY, MAGGIE, KATIE AND ROSA (STONE 34), BEING BORN TO THE COUPLE.

STONE 22 FRIEDRICH HARI AUG. 12, 1830 - DEC. 13, 1909

SOUTH SIDE MINISTER FRED HARI WAS BORN IN GERMANY, WHERE HE MARRIED HIS WIFE, ELIZABETH TROCHSEL (STONE 21) IN APRIL 1856. THE FAMILY CAME TO AMERICA IN MARCH 8, 1882, SETTLING SOUTH OF FAIRBURY.

STONE 23 SARAH ZIMMERMAN 1828 - 1909

SARAH CAPP ZIMMERMAN WAS BORN IN MONTGOMERY, OHIO, OCTOBER 6, 1823. SHE MARRIED JOHN ZIMMERMAN AND HAD ANDREW, JOHN, DAVID, GEORGE, BEN, MARGARET, ELIZABETH, EMMA, LOUISA AND SARAH.

STONE 24 JOHN ZIMMERMAN 1825 - 1910

MR. ZIMMERMAN WAS BORN IN BADEN, GERMANY, OCTOBER 16, 1825. AS A BOY HIS FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA, SETTLING IN BUTLER, COUNTY, OHIO. WHILE STILL LIVING THERE HE MARRIED SARAH CAPP (STONE 23). IN TIME THEY CAME TO ILLINOIS, EVENTUALLY ARRIVING TO THE FAIRBURY AREA.

STONE 25 CHRISTIAN GERBER DEC. 12, 1847 - JUL. 14, 1910

ELDER GERBER WAS BORN IN WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO, TO JOHN AND MATHILDA (ZIMMERMAN) GERBER. THE FAMILY MOVED TO WEST BEND, IOWA AND THEN TO MORTON, ILLINOIS, WERE CHRISTIAN MARRIED BARBARA ROTH.

BARBARA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ANDREW AND ANNA ZIMMERMAN ROTH, BEING BORN NEAR WASHINGTON, ILLINOIS. SHE GREW TO YOUNG WOMANHOOD THERE, LATER MOVING TO MORTON, WHERE ON MARCH 3, 1872, SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO CHRISTIAN GERBER. MR. AND MRS. GERBER RESIDED AT MORTON FOR TWO YEARS, THEN MOVED TO A FARM NORTH OF CROPSEY, WHERE MRS. GERBER RESIDED UNTIL MOVED TO THIS CITY. THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THIS UNION: DANIEL, ANNA, JOSEPH, LYDIA, KATHERINE AND CHRISTIAN.

EDLER GERBER SERVED AS THE CHURCHES ONLY RESIDENT ELDER AT THE SOUTH CHURCH, SERVING UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1910.

STONE 26 LOIS L. HARTMAN 1887 - 1910

LOIS WAS BORN TO EDWARD AND MARY STEFFEN HARTMAN (STONE 28). DYING FROM TYPHOID FEVER.

STONE 27 LYDIA E. ROTH OCT. 4, 1890 - MAY 25, 1911

LYDIA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF SAMUEL (STONE 34) AND MARGARET SCHINI (STONE 3) ROTH. SHE DIED FROM PNEUMONIA WHICH SHE HAD FOR A SHORT TIME.

STONE 28 MARY HARTMAN 1865 - 1911

MARY WAS BORN TO ULIRCH (STONE 29) AND ANNA WENGER (STONE 18) STEFFEN, NEAR MACKINAW, ILL., AUG. 31, 1865. SHE GREW TO WOMANHOOD AT HER BIRTHPLACE AND JAN. 16, 1888, SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO EDWARD HARTMAN. THEY LIVED IN WOODFORD COUNTY FOR THREE YEARS AND THEN MOVED TO THE FARM, SOUTHEAST OF FAIRBURY, WHERE SHE RESIDED UNTIL HER DEATH. MRS. HARTMAN WAS A MOTHER TO: LILLY, LOIS (STONE 26), MARY, ESTER, SILAS, DAVID, EDWARD, JEPTHA AND EZRA.

STONE 29 ULRICH STEFFEN SEPT. 20, 1835 - JAN. 28, 1913

ULRICH WAS BORN IN SWITZERLAND ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1835. MR. STEFFEN CAME TO AMERICA IN 1856, SETTLING IN TAZEWELL COUNTY. HE MARRIED ANNA WENGER (STONE 18) IN 1859. THEY MOVED TO CROPSEY, WERE HE REMAINED UNTIL HIS DEATH IN JANUARY 28, 1913. THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN WERE BORN TO HIM: ALBERT, CAROLINE (STONE 13), ALBERT, MARY (STONE 28), ANDREW, CONRAD (STONE 33), MINNIE AND LENA.

STONE 30 ELMER A. STEFFEN 1896 - 1919

ELMER WAS BORN JANUARY 1, 1896, IN BELLE PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP, THE SON OF ALBERT AND (STONE 20) ELIZABETH HARI STEFFEN. HE SERVED DURING WORLD WAR I, BEING INDUCTED IN JUNE 24, 1918 AT PONTIAC, GOING TO CAMP WHEELER IN GEORGIA. ON FEBRUARY 6, 1919 HE WAS GRANTED A TEN DAY FURLOUGH AND CAME HOME TO SEE HIS FAMILY. WHILE THERE HE CAME DOWN WITH INFLUENZA FOLLOWED BY PNEUMONIA, WHICH WAS CALLED THE "SPANISH FLU". ELMER DIED FEBRUARY 21, 1919, AT HOME AMONG HIS FAMILY AND WAS BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONOR IN HIS UNIFORM.

STONE 31 NETTIE E. ROTH FEB. 11, 1898 - MAR. 1, 1919

NETTIE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF SAMUEL AND ROSA HARI ROTH (STONE 34). HER EARLY DEATH WAS DO TO THE "SPANISH FLU" EPIDEMIC DURING WORLD WAR I.

STONE 32 LOUISE WAIBEL STEFFEN 1871 - 1920

LOUISE WAIBEL STEFFEN WAS BORN IN UBENLINGEN, GERMANY, APRIL 19, 1871, THE DAUGHTER OF THADDAUS AND JOSEPHINE BILLER WAIBEL (STONE 8). SHE CAME WITH HER PARENTS TO AMERICA IN 1883, LOCATING NEAR CROPSEY. SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO ANDREW STEFFEN IN 1903, HAVING: SAMUEL, CHRIS, ALPHA, CLARA AND EZRA. MRS. STEFFEN DIED AT THE BLOOMINGTON SANITARIUM AFTER AN OPERATION FOR GOITRE.

STONE 33 CONRAD STEFFEN NOV. 24, 1869 - JAN. 17, 1922

CONRAD, THE SON OF ULIRCH (STONE 29) AND ANNA WENGER (STONE 18) STEFFEN, WAS BORN ON THE OLD HOME PLACE NEAR CROPSEY, NOVEMBER 24, 1869. HE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO KATI HARI WHO TOGETHER HAD THE FOLLOWING CHILDREN: WALTER, ANNA, MARY, TILLIE, BEN AND KATIE. CONRAD SERVED AS A MINISTER FOR THE SOUTH SIDE CHURCH UNTIL HIS DEATH IN JANUARY 17, 1922 FROM A HEART ATTACK.

STONE 34 SAMUEL L. ROTH 1859 - 1927

SAMUEL, SON OF ANDREW AND ANNA ZIMMERMAN ROTH, WAS BORN NEAR WASHINGTON, ILLINOIS, ON APRIL 11, 1859. AT THE AGE OF NINE THE FAMILY MOVED NEAR FAIRBURY, WHERE HE REMAINED. MR. ROTH WAS MARRIED THREE TIMES, FIRST TO LYDIA SCHROCK, WHO HAD KATIE; THEN TO MARGARET SCHINI ROTH (STONE 3), HAVING ANNA, LYDIA (STONE 27), MARY AND SAMUEL, JR. AND HIS THIRD MARRIAGE TO ROSA HARI.

ROSA WAS BORN IN BERN, SWITZERLAND, APRIL 15, 1871, A DAUGHTER OF FRIEDRICH HARI (STONE 22) AND ELIZABETH TROCHSEL (STONE 21) HARI, CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WHEN SHE WAS 11 YEARS OLD. SHE MARRIED SAMUEL L. ROTH IN FAIRBURY IN 1898. FIVE CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THIS UNION: JOSEPH, BENJAMIN, JOHN, HARRY AND NETTIE (STONE 3).

A REVISED VERSION OF BEN NUSSBAUM’S 1973 BOOK ABOUT THE "SOUTH SIDE" CHURCH,

IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY.

THIS NEW BOOK TAKES THE OLD TIME STORIES OF BEN NUSSBAUM’S ORIGINAL BOOK, WITH NEWLY FOUND INFORMATION I’VE COME ACROSS WHILE DOING MY RESEARCH ON THE OLD CHURCH AND IT’S CONGREGATIONS MEMBERS.

I WILL BE SELLING THE BOOK FOR $20. AN ISSUE, WHICH MAINLY COVERS PAPER, PRINT AND MAILING FEES.

________________________

THESE TOURS ARE OPEN TO ANYONE AND IS TOTALLY FREE.

I INVITE YOU TO COME AND JOIN IN ON A STONE BY STONE REVIEW OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE CHURCHES PAST IN THE FOLLOWING CHURCH CEMETERIES:

NORTH SIDE, SOUTH SIDE AND PARTS OF GRACELAND.

FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR PAYMENTS ON THESE ITEMS, PLEASE CONTACT:

BRO. DERRICK K. BABBS

P. O. BOX 24

SAUNEMIN, IL. 61769

(815) 832 - 4961