ZAHNER, Jacob from the "Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa"

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Jacob ZAHNER, a prosperous farmer of Rockford Township, was born in 
Switzerland, October 2, 1819, the son of Jacob and Mary Ann (Kane) 
Zahner, natives also of that country.  The father was a lumber 
merchant, and died in 1828.  His wife, also a native of Switzerland, 
was the daughter of a blacksmith who died shortly after Napoleon 
passed with his army through that country.  In their family were six 
children: Casper Joseph, Josephine and Hersence, born in Switzerland; 
Jacob, our subject, besides a son and a daughter deceased.  Jacob, the 
eldest, was brought up to the trade of his father.  At the age of 
twenty-nine years he sailed from the port of Havre de Grace for 
America, landing in New York in 1847, and visited or resided for a 
short time at the following points: Sandusky, Ohio, until the next 
spring; in Michigan, in the pineries, one year; New Orleans a short 
time; Vicksburg, Mississippi, until March; Sandusky again a short 
time; Michigan again, working for the same lumber company as before, 
for five years; and while there, September, 1849, he married Catharine 
Mondinger, a daughter of Jacob and Catharine Mondinger, natives of 
Wirtemburg, Germany.  She was but a child when her parents died.  She 
was born October 29, 1820, and came to America in 1948, -- residing in 
New York for a time, and then in Sandusky, and then in Michigan until 
she was married.  A year afterward Mr. Zahner moved to Dubuque, Iowa, 
bought a tract of land and resided upon it three years; selling out he 
came to Pottawattamie County, crossing the State by ox teams, and, 
after remaining in Council Bluffs a few weeks in order to look around, 
on both sides of the Missouri, he finally selected his present 
locality on section 1, Rockford Township, buying eighty acres of wild 
prairie, covered in a great part with plum brush.  Here he passed 
through the almost uniform experiences of pioneer life, -- dwelling in 
a log house, cutting off the brush, breaking the prairie with oxen and 
suffering all the privations and tedious monotonies of the 
frontiersman in establishing a comfortable home for himself and 
family, and he has been thus led to witness all the changes in which, 
he has been an actor, and in which his neighbors have also 
participated in developing the county to its present high standing.  He 
now has a fine residence, barns and out-buildings, orchards and shade 
trees, etc.  But in order to produce these grand results he has had to 
exercise his pluck and energy, with at least fair health.

He is a Republican on national issues, but of course in the local 
elections he votes independently.  He has been School Director for a 
number of years.  He and his family are members of the Catholic Church 
of Honey Creek, being zealous in the cause of religion, morality and 
education.  His children are: Josephine, wife of Thomas Wilson, of 
Rockford Township; Frances, residing in Harrison County; Catharine, 
wife of Thomas Kinyon, and residing in Harrison County; Elizabeth, at 
home; Mary, Mrs. Ed Ryne, residing in Boomer Township, and John, a 
resident of Rockford County.

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If you would like more information about anyone mentioned in this
biography, please write to the Pottawattamie County Genealogical
Society at:

PO Box 394
Council Bluffs, IA 51502-0394

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