Matilda A (Messenger) Zimmermann (1843 - 1929)

Born 30 Nov 1843 in Reutlingen, Württemberg, Germany

Wife of Frederick Carl Zimmermann — married 14 Jun 1865 in New Britain, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Died Sep 1929 at age 85 in Dodge City, Ford, Kansas, United States

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Biography

Matilda (Messenger) Zimmermann was involved in the "Wild, Wild West," part of the westward expansion of the United States. Join the Wild Wild West Project.

Matilda was born in Nov 1843, daughter of John and Margaret Messenger, in Germany.^[1] She came to the United States with her parents in 1853^[1] and married F.C. Zimmermann at New Britain, Connecticut 14 Jun 1865.^[2]

Matilda arrived in Dodge City, Kansas in September 1872 along with her first two children. Her husband had arrived ahead in July 1872.

Some time after the death of her son in 1887 and her husband only a few months later in 1888, Matilda moved to Los Angeles, California, where she lived until returning to Dodge City in 1928 to live with her daughter, Clarrisa. She died in September 1929.^[3] Curiously there do not seem to be any newspaper obituaries. She is interred at Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City, Kansas.^[4]

Children ^[3]

• Arthur - b 1871 in Connecticut^[5] d 1887 at Dodge City after being thrown from a horse
• Clarissa - b abt 1872 in Colorado^[5] married 1/ John Churchill 2/ George B. Rose, d 1954.
• Blanche - b 1872 or 1873 in Kansas^[5] d 1881

Two other children died in infancy.

Research Notes

All that is known of her origin and birth is found in the 1890 Census record where her birth is given as Nov 1843 in Germany. Her parents names are known as John and Margaret. A possible, perhaps probable, birth record is found in Reutlingen, Württemberg, Germany where an Amalie Mathilde Mössinger was born 30 Nov 1843 to Johannes Mössinger and Christine Margarethe Vollmer.^[6] Matilda's middle initial on her grave marker is "A" and undocumented sources claim she was from Baden-Wurttemberg.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMTV-X7N : accessed 2 September 2019), Matilda Zimmerman, Dodge Township Dodge City Ward 1-4, Ford, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 49, sheet 20B, family 450, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,480.
2. ↑ Dodge City Times, Dodge City, Kansas, 26 Jan 1888, p 8 Subscription $
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Laughead, George, Kansas History, "Frederick C. Zimmermann Dodge City Gunsmith", 2003-15, [1]
4. ↑ Find-a-Grave, verified
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFPB-B2X : 12 August 2017), Matilda Zimmermann in entry for Frederick Zimmermann, 1880; citing enumeration district ED 378, sheet 569D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 0381; FHL microfilm 1,254,381.
6. ↑ "Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NCJT-CH1 : 10 February 2018), Amalie Mathilde Mössinger, 10 Dec 1843; citing ; FHL microfilm 1,569,078.