Howell-Darling Project
Darling-Huber Line
52 Ancestors
By Don Taylor
#014 – John Huber (1880-1948) – Swiss Immigrant
I was beginning to review the life of my wife’s 2nd great-grandfather, Jakob Huber when I discovered that the information regarding his son, John Huber, was corrupted in my database. I decided before I continued with Jakob, that I should fix the sources I have for John. I wrote about John nearly 10 years ago, so I decided to also look for new facts and rewrite my Ancestor Sketch for John.
Introduction
John Huber was born on 09 Sep 1880 in Windlach, Zürich, Switzerland (the first child of Jakob Huber and Katharina Stuhlinger). He had four siblings, namely: Ernie, Hermann, Frieda, and Alfr (Alfred?). On 02 Mar 1905, he married Bertha Barbara Trümpy, (daughter of Bernhard Trümpi and Bertha Koch) in New Glarus, Green, Wisconsin. He died on 05 Oct 1948 in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan.
John immigrated when he was about 20 years old and settled in New Glarus, Wisconsin, where he married. He and his new wife migrated to Alabama for six years and then moved to James Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.
John Huber is found in my Howell-Darling-2024 Ancestry public trees[1] and is Family Search profile LKBJ-1ZR.
List of Grandparents
- Grandmother: Florence W Huber (1908-1934)
- 1st Great-grandfather: John Huber (1880-1948)
- 2nd Great-grandfather: Jacob Huber (b c. 1835…)
- 3rd Great-grandfather: Jak Huber, Sr.?[2]
Birth
John Huber was born on 9 September 1880 in Windlach, Zürich, Switzerland, the first child of Jakob and Katharina (Stuhlinger) Huber. He had four (known) younger siblings, Ernie, Hermann, Frieda, and Alfred.
Immigration
John came to America in 1901. Family oral history said he left his family in Switzerland “in a huff” leaving behind his inheritance in the Swiss farm. He settled in New Glarus, Green County, Wisconsin, a Swiss Colony that existed there since the mid-1840s.
Marriage
John married Bertha Barbara Trümpy, an immigrant from Glarus Canton, Switzerland, on 2 March 1905, probably at the Swiss Church in New Glarus in an ecclesiastical ceremony by Rev. A. Roth. Their wedding photo also shows Gebert Huber (probable best man) and Anna Altman (probable maid of honor). The 1905 Census indicates that John and Bertha were lived in nearby Primrose, Wisconsin.
In 1908, they had their first child, Florence Wilma Huber. Sometime in 1808 or 1809, John and Bertha moved to Elberta and Josephine, Alabama. Their son, Clarence Eduard Huber was born on 24 December 1909 in Alabama.
Farming in Alabama was hot, much hotter than they imagined. Also, Bertha didn’t care for the many bugs they encountered. According to family legend, John became a hobo, “riding the rails” for some time. After a bit, he came back to Bertha and said Michigan was the place they would move to. They moved to Michigan sometime between 1916 and 1918.
Censuses
The 1920 Census found John owned his mortgaged home. He was a farmer, married to Bertha, and had two children at home, Florence and Clarence.
The 1930 Census found John living on St. Charles Road with his wife and son Clarence. (Florence married Robert Harry Darling in 1929.) John was a poultry farmer and owned his farm.
The 1940 Census found John still on the farm in James Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.
Military Service – WW I
The 38-year-old John registered for the draft on 12 September 1918 in Saginaw County, Michigan. His physical description is that he was of medium height, slender, with brown hair and blue eyes. It also says he had lost one eye. He did not serve.
Military Service – WW II
On 27 April 1942, the 62-year-old registered for the draft in Saginaw County, Michigan. His physical description was 5’ 8½”, weight 136 lbs., black hair, hazel eyes, and a badly burned right hand. Again, he did not serve.
Death/Burial, etc.
John died at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan, from “a lingering illness” (Myocarditis). His funeral was at Gugel’s Funeral Home and was officiated by Rev. Fred Davis. He is buried at Oakwood Cemetery, Saginaw, Michigan.
Events by Location
- Switzerland, Zürich, Windlach 1880 – Birth
- Alabama, Baldwin, Elberta and Josephine 1910 to 1918
- Michigan, Saginaw, James Township 1918-1948
- Michigan, Saginaw, Saginaw 1948 – Death
- Wisconsin, Dane, Primrose 1905
- Wisconsin, Green, New Glarus 1905 – Marriage
- Wisconsin, Green, York 1905
Actions / Follow-up
- Do a Deep Dive into John Huber’s immigration.
- Find the property record for their purchase of the farm in Alabama.
- Find the property record for their purchase of the farm in Michigan.
- Learn about the lives of his four siblings.
- Rev A. Roth performed the “ecclesiastical” wedding ceremony for John & Bertha. Who was he?
- Gebert Huber was apparently John’s best man at his wedding in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Investigate and determine the relationship between the two men.
Sources
- 1910 Census, Various, Alabama, Baldwin, Elberta & Josephine, ED 13, Sheet 6A, Line 18 – John Huber, Head. “United States Census, 1910”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK3V-1WJ : Sun Mar 10 23:12:24 UTC 2024), Entry for John Huber and Bertha Huber, 1910.
- 1920 Census, Various, Michigan, Saginaw, James Township, ED 164, Sheet 4B, Line 57 – John Huber, Head. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ73-B91.
- 1930 Census, Various, Michigan, Saginaw, James Township, ED 73-18, Sheet 7A, Line 3, John Huber, Head. Accessed 12 April 2024. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7MM-LFZ.
- 1940 Census (A), Ancestry, 1940 – Michigan, Saginaw, James Township – Place: James, Saginaw, Michigan; Roll: T627_1811; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 73-18. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1940usfedcen&h=85074302&indiv=try.
- Find a Grave, John Huber – Memorial #128729761. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128729761/john-huber: accessed April 17, 2024), memorial page for John Huber (9 Sep 1880–5 Oct 1948), Find a Grave Memorial ID 128729761, citing Oakwood Cemetery, Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan, USA; Maintained by Don Taylor (contributor 47627546).
- Funeral Card, John Huber )1880-1948). Personal Collection – Digitized 21 Apr 2015.
- Geo. A. Ogle & Co., Standard atlas of Saginaw County, Michigan, (1916), Internet Archive, James Township – Image 50 of 144. https://archive.org/details/2743484.0001.001.umich.edu/page/50/mode/2up?q=James.
- Lutheran (Alabama), Baptism Certificate, Clarence Eduard Huber – 26 Mar 1910. Lutheran (Alabama), Baptism Certificate, Ancestry Family Trees.
- Michigan, Dept of Public Health, Death Certificate, John Huber (1880-1948). Collections Homepage› State Government Records› Michigan Department of Health› Disease Control, Records and› Death Records›1948›Saginaw County› A-M› Huber› 005240492_01100.
- Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952, Ancestry, John Haber (1880-1948). Accessed 24 April 2024.
- Saginaw Cemetery Management Search (City of Saginaw), Internet, Huber, John – (No Image) Lot O-116-S464. Cemetery Occupant Name: Huber, John – Date of Death: 10/5/1948 | Date of Burial: 10/7/1948 | Age: 62. https://bsaonline.com/.
- Saginaw News, Genealogy Bank, 1948-08-09, Page 17 – Pvt. Clarence Huber.
- Saginaw News, Genealogy Bank, 1948-10-05, Page 19, Huber, John.
- Saginaw News, Genealogy Bank, 1968-03-23, Page A10 – Obituaries – Huber, Mrs. Bertha B.
- U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Ancestry, John Huber – 9 Sep 1880.
- U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, Ancestry, John Huber – 9 Sep 1880. Accessed 24 Apr 2024.
- Wisconsin Marriage Records; Johana Huber and Bertha Trunpe [Trümpi], 02 Mar 1905.
- Wisconsin State Censuses, 1895 and 1905, Jacob Huber – Primrose, Dane, Wisconsin. Wisconsin. Wisconsin State Census, 1905. Microfilm, 44 reels. Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin.
Endnotes
[1] Ancestry Public Trees – This number changes. It is the number of trees on the day I was writing this sketch.
[2] Speculation – I have not researched this person yet to confirm any relationship or facts regarding this individual.
