In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1906) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1838
From Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biog (1888), Biographical review of Henry County, Iowa, containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent citizens of to-day and also of the past .. (1906)
SEBASTIAN GERIG was born in MilllLi> house, France, in 1838, and is a son of /CAV Jacob and Elizabeth (Zimmerman) Gerig. WiQJacob was a farmer, and he and his wife reared a family of thirteen children, of whom our subject was the second youngest. The parents lived and died in France. Sebastian Gerig came to
America in 1857 and settled in Davis County, Iowa. From there he went to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1862, and two years later returned to Iowa and made his home in Henry County. For five years he rented lands, and in liSGO purchased a farm of his own. He sold that farm and purchased his present homestead in 1872. In 1805 Miss Magdalena Goldsmith, of this county, became his wife, and eleven children have graced their union, nine of whom arc living, and all were born in Henry County —.Joseph, Jacob, Elizabeth, Lydia, Anna, Mary, Lavina, Eva and Emma. In 1869 Mr. Gerig, who had been for years an acceptable uiember of the Mennonite Church, was elected by the congregation of Prospect Church as their minister, and from that time to this date has been their pastor. Since his creation by the church as Bishop in 187' he has taken into the church over 100 persons; the congregation now numbers seventy'-flve families. Services are held the second and fourth Sunday in each month and Sunday-school every Sunday. Christianer and.Jacob Kable are Sujierintendents. The assistant jjastor is Rev. Stejjhen Miller, who is mentioned elsewhere in this world. The church was organized by Rev. Joseph Goldsmith in 1850, who moved from Lee County, Iowa,4o Hepry County. At that time about half a dozen families composed the society, but it has always been a prosperous one. Rev. Goldsmith died in 1875 in Ins,"eigbtyfirst year, firm in the faith in which he lived.
As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Henry County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biog (1888). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
REV. SEBASTIAN GERIG.
Among the residents of Henry county, who have come from other countries to make a home in the land where freedom is every man's birthright, is Sebastian
Gerig. He resides upon a farm of thirty-seven and one-half acres near Wayland and has improved and cultivated it and added many modern appliances for the comfort and convenience of both himself and his family. Upon purchasing this property in 1903, he erected a handsome nine-room house and equipped it with closets, halls, a large cellar, a furnace and many modern conveniences.
Sebastian Gerig and his wife are both of French extraction. Mr. Gerig was born in Alsace, France, on the 27th of May, 1838. being one of a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters. His father 'was Jacob Gerig and his mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman. At the age of eight years he was left an orphan and being the second in age in the family went to live with his older brother. Vhen he reached the age of sixteen years, he left his brother's care and secured employment for one year, then, having decided to try his fortunes in America, he came to this country and eventually found his way to Alount Pleasant, arriving there in June, 1856. Soon he went to Davis county, Iowa, and for four years set himself to the task of breaking the prairie and working the land with a team of oxen. At the end of six years he went to Wayne county, Ohio, where he engaged in the same pursuits, then to Henry county, still following the life of a farmer.
On September 11, 1864, wedded Miss Magdalena Goldsmith, who was born in Lee county, Iowa, on January 22, 1847. Her father. Joseph Goldsmith, like Mr. Gerig, was also a native of Alsace, France, having been born there June 18, 1796. Her mother. Elizabeth Miller, was of German birth, the place of her nativity being Hesse Darmstadt. She was born Febrnaiy 17, 1807. Mr. Goldsmith came to this country \\hen but eighteen years of age and Mrs. Goldsmith emigrated with her parents when twelve years old. They were married in Canada and Mr. Goldsmith later became the organizer of the Mennonite church in the Canadian Willage where he lived for the following seven years. They then moved to Butler county, Ohio, and carried on farming until 1846, wien they again changed their home, this time going to Lee county, Iowa, where Mr. Goldsmith purchased a farm and continued to live upon it for nine years. While living in Lee county he devoted himself assiduously to the cause of religion and founded Mennonite churches in Lee, Henry, and Johnson counties. Alfter selling his farm in Lee county in 1855, he purchased one hundred and forty acres in Trenton township, Henry county, kept this farm until 1870, when he retired from active life and he and his wife went to live with their daughter, Mrs. Gerig. Mr. Goldsmith died in April, 1878, and Mrs. Goldsmith on August 18, 1900.
For five years succeeding his marriage, Mr. Gerig and his wife lived in Trenton township with Mrs. Gerig's parents. Mr. Gerig then purchased a farm of eighty acres in Jefferson township. Here they resided for two years, then purchased another farm of one hundred and sixty acres two and one-half miles southeast of Wayland, living upon it until 1898, when they again moved, this time to a little tract of seven acres. In 1903 Mr. Gerig sold his land and purchased the farm where he now resides.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerig have a family of ten living children: Joseph, of Johnson county. Arkansas; Jacob, of Washington county, Iowa; Elizabeth, Mrs. C. M. Roth, of Henry county; Lydia, Mrs. Jacob Eigsti, of Morton, Illinois; Annie, Mrs. William Wyse," of Jefferson township; Mollie, Mrs. D. W. Orendorff, of Wayne township; Levina, Mrs. Amos Wyse, of Jefferson to\Anship; Eva, Mrs. Daniel Leichty, of Washington county, Iowa; Emma and Wlinnie, at home. Two children died in childhood; Samuel, born November 7, 1876, died March 30, 1878; and Helena, born February 5, 1875, and died January 19, 1880.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
Sebastian Gerigis a self-educated man, a man who has made much of his life, who has devoted his talents and energies to the duties before him. He has been successful as a farmer and man of business and has contributed his efforts to the cause of religion, striving always to aid and benefit his fellow men and to bring them to see the lig'ht as he sees it. He has been influential in bringing many whom he has met into the right path, while his own life has been one worthy of a true and upright man.
As printed in Biographical review of Henry County, Iowa, containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent citizens of to-day and also of the past .. (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1888. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.