Darling-Huber Research 
By Don Taylor

A Brick Wall, Shattered

Eleven years ago, I wrote a post titled Brick Wall – Jacob Huber (bef. 1860–?) in which I confessed to knowing virtually nothing about my wife’s great-grandfather Jacob Huber beyond his name and the fact that he had lived somewhere in the Windlach/Stadel bei Niederglatt area of Zürich, Switzerland. I had found hints — a family photo with names on the back, a marriage record for his son John that named him as the father — but every attempt to push past those clues and into the Swiss records came up empty. I even found what I thought might be a crack in the mortar when I discovered a reference to Zürich parish registers in the FamilySearch catalog, only to learn it was a book about using parish registers, not the registers themselves. The brick wall held.

Thanks to the State Archives of Zurich, the Bürger-Familienregister der Kirchgemeinde Stadel (StAZH E III 114.20, p. 168) has shattered my brick wall completely. This single page of the Stadel parish citizen register provides not only Jakob’s birth and death dates, but also the names of his parents, the full details of his marriage, and a complete accounting of his seven children.

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List of Greats

• Great-grandfather – John Huber
• Johann Jakob Huber
• 2nd Great-grandfather – J.J. Huber

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Johann Jakob Huber (1850–1926)

Birth & Origins

Johann Jakob Huber was born on 5 February 1850 in Pfündlauf, in the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland.[¹] He was the son of J.J. Huber and his wife, whose given name appears to read Naguile or Nagele Dominr. in the register — the surname portion remains partially illegible and will require further research. Jakob is recorded in the Stadel parish register under citizen entry number 1486, indicating his family held longstanding local citizenship (Bürgerrecht) in Pfündlauf.

Marriage

On 19 March 1877, Jakob married Katharina Nüßlinger.[¹] An interesting detail emerges from the register: Katharina is identified as a Wittwe — a widow — at the time of the marriage, indicating she had been previously married before she wed Jakob. She was born on 10 October 1857 in Rüfenacht (or a similarly named locality — the register entry is partially illegible), the daughter of Heino. Nüßlinger and his wife. Katharina’s previous marriage and any children from it remain to be researched.

Occupation

The register header describes Jakob as a Landwirth — a farmer.[¹] This is consistent with the rural agricultural character of the Stadel bei Niederglatt area in the late 19th century.

Children

Jakob and Katharina had seven children, as recorded in the Stadel parish register.[¹]

Name	Born	Baptized	Confirmed	Married	Died	Notes
Jakob (1st)	24 Jul 1878	7 Aug 1878	—	—	13 Sept 1878	Died in infancy
Jakob (2nd)	30 Jul 1879	17 Aug 1879	1894	(Vol. III, p. 2/4)	—
Johann	10 Sept 1880	26 Sept 1880	1897	—	—	Emigrated to America
Frida	24 Dec 1887	5 Feb 1888	1904	Oskar Meierhofer	5 May 1908
Emil	23 Feb 1889	7 Apr 1889	—	c. 5 Jul 191_?	—	Vol. IV, p. 80
Alfons	9 Jan 1892	14 Feb 1892	—	9 Sept 1920	—	Vol. IV, p. 87
Hermann	18 Dec 1899	4 Feb 1900	16 Oct 1914	29 Mar 1926	15 May 1932	Vol. IV, p. 115

The first child, named Jakob, died after only seven weeks of life. The name was reused for the second son, a common practice in Swiss Reformed families of the era. The register’s notation in Amerika beside the name of Johann — my wife’s great-grandfather — confirms that he was the only one of the children to emigrate, exactly as family oral history held.[¹]

Frida’s story is poignant. She married Oskar Meierhofer, a vintner (Weinbauer), and died on 5 May 1908 at approximately 20 years of age — likely in childbirth or from complications shortly thereafter. Her husband’s name and occupation are noted directly in the register.

The register cross-references the later family pages for Jakob (2nd), Emil, Alfons, and Hermann in Volume IV, providing a clear pathway for continued research into those lines.

Death

Johann Jakob Huber died on 8 December 1926 in the Stadel/Pfündlauf area of Zürich, Switzerland.[¹] His wife Katharina survived him by nearly fifteen years, dying on 10 January 1941.[¹]

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Further Research

• Identify Katharina Nüßlinger’s first husband and any children from that prior marriage.
• Fully decipher the maiden name/origin notation for Jakob’s mother in the register.
• Research Volume IV entries for Jakob (2nd), Emil, Alfons, and Hermann to extend those family lines.
• Search Swiss vital records and Find a Grave Switzerland for burial information for Jakob and Katharina.
• Investigate Johann Huber’s emigration date and passenger record — now that his birth date (10 September 1880) is confirmed, a targeted passenger list search becomes possible.

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Events by Location

• Switzerland, Canton of Zürich, Pfündlauf — Birth, 1850
• Switzerland, Canton of Zürich, Stadel bei Niederglatt — Marriage, 1877; Residence; Death, 1926

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Endnotes

[¹] Bürger-Familienregister der Kirchgemeinde Stadel, Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich (StAZH), E III 114.20, p. 168 — Family of Johann Jakob Huber, Farmer, of Pfündlauf.

Disclaimer: The research presented in this post represents my current findings and conclusions based on the sources cited. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, which included transcription and translation. Grammarly was used for editorial review and copyediting. The brick wall image used in this post was generated by ChatGPT. Where evidence is incomplete, I have drawn careful inferences and have endeavored to distinguish clearly between documented fact and reasoned interpretation. Genealogical research is an ongoing process; new records may alter, refine, or overturn conclusions presented here.

All source citations are provided for transparency and verification. Cited records belong to their respective repositories and institutions. The narrative text, analysis, and editorial conclusions are my own work and are protected under copyright.

If you have additional information, corrections, or family connections relevant to this post, I welcome your contact through the blog. Genealogy is a collaborative pursuit, and I am always grateful for the contributions of fellow researchers and family members.

— Don Taylor, Family Historian