Zimmerman

 

 

Henricus Zimmerman 

 

Henricus Zimmerman and his wife Maria Jannert were the first of the Foster’s Meadow Zimmerman family to arrive in the United States.  Henricus was born on November 9, 1825 in Heimbach, Neuwied in the former German state of Prussia, to Johann Zimmerman and Anna Maria Wertgen.  Neuwied is located on the east bank of the Rhine River which separated Prussia from France.  He was one of at least six children, and possibly the only one to survive into adulthood.    

 

Maria V. Jannert 

 

Maria Veronika Jannert was born on September 26, 1825 in Sinkt Sabastian, Engers, Neuwied, Prussia to Johannes/Henricus Jannert and Anna Margaretha Moskopp.  Some official and family records indicate Maria was born in France.   

 

Henricus and Maria were married on November 25, 1851 at Katholisch, Heimbach, Neuwied, Rheinland, Prussia.  They immigrated to America in early 1856.  

 

Records indicate that Henricus was first employed as a shoemaker or bootmaker – but there is some indication that he worked as a farm laborer to supplement his income - and that in 1860 they lived in Islip.  By 1870 they were living in Fosters Meadow – next to the Herman’s Hotel.  Henricus died on September 19, 1908 in Fosters Meadow and according to his death certificate was buried in a cemetery in Elmont.  Maria died around 1900, also in Fosters Meadow.  

 

Henricus and Maria had at least six children, as follows:

 

  • Henry Zimmerman (1856-1948) married Magdalena Richter (1863-1938).  

Henry Zimmerman was born on May 14, 1856 in Islip, Long Island.  Records indicate that as early as the age of 14 he worked as a farm laborer.  Both Henry and Magdalena grew up in Fosters Meadow – and on April 24, 1883 he married Magdalena - also known as “Lena”.  Henry farmed on Three Mile Mill Road in Fosters Meadow and he and Lena had 15 children over the next 24 years.  The first four children were baptized at St. Boniface, but there is some indication the family changed their allegiance to St. Monica’s RC Church in Jamaica.  In 1910 he lived with Lena and their many children on a farm in Foster’s Meadow Queens, which they rented.   At that time he was a “truck farmer” who “trucked” his farm products to markets - and his sons were laborers.  

 

By 1915 they had moved with their children to Riverhead, and in 1918 lived on Jamesport Road in Riverhead.  In 1920 they owned a farm in Riverhead, and in 1930, their farm, located at 927 Peconic Blvd in Riverhead was valued at $20,000.  

 

An interesting story about Henry is that in 1931, while plowing his fields in Jamesport, he unearthed an “Indian Tomahawk” which weighed over nine pounds and was about 11 inches long.  He donated the Indian Relic to the Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead.  

 

Henry passed away at the age of 91 on February 24, 1948 in Southampton.  Henry’s obituary noted that he was survived by 45 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.  

 

Magdalena “Lena” Richter was born on June 22, 1863 in Fosters Meadow, Queens to Johannes Richter and Anna Maria Kruetzer.  She passed away in Riverhead on January 1, 1938.  Both Henry and Magdalena are buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Riverhead.  

 

  • Dora Zimmerman (1865-1928)  Dora was born in July of 1865 in Islip, New York.  She married William Thomas Westland (1866-1898) in 1885.  Dora and William had five children.  William died in Dover, New Jersey in 1898 when Dora was 32 and she raised four young children as a single mother.  At the time of William’s death the family lived in New Jersey.  Later records indicate they were living in Brooklyn.  Dora died tragically at the age of 63 while working as a janitor when she fell from a 4th story window on November 13, 1928.  She is buried in the Cypress Hills Cemetery. 

 

  • Johannes Zimmerman (1852-1855) Johannes was born on November 5, 1852 in Heimbach, Neuwied, Germany and died at the age of 3 on November 6, 1855, also in Heimbach.

 

  • Mary E. Zimmerman (1859-?)  Mary was born around 1859 in Islip, New York.  She is found in the 1870 census, but no records can be found of her after that.

 

  • William Peter Zimmerman (1860- bef. 1930)  William Peter Zimmerman was born in October of 1860, probably in Islip, New York.  He married first Katharina D. Simon (1859-1905) in St. Paul’s German Presbyterian Church in Fosters Meadow in 1887.  After Katharina died on September 30, 1905, he married Caroline Morlock (1871-?) around 1910.  William was not a farmer - but was a blacksmith, “carriage maker” and then a “machinist” in the automobile industry.   By 1892 he had moved out of Fosters Meadow to Brooklyn and by 1910 he was living with his new family in Queens.

 

  • Magdalena “Lena” Zimmerman (1868-bef. 1880)  It appears Lena was born in Fosters Meadow and may have died young as she is not noted in the 1880 census for the family.

 

 

 

 

Children of Henry Zimmerman and Magdalena Richter:

 

  1. Frank Zimmerman b. January 14, 1884, Fosters Meadow/d. April 15, 1943, Manhattan/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead. Frank did not marry.  He died in Manhattan in an accident.
  2. Magdalena Zimmerman b. August 3, 1885, Fosters Meadow/ d. August 15, 1967, Westhampton, New York/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.  Married 1908 Frederick Ruppert b. 1885/d. 1954/buried Union Cemetery, Middle Island, New York.    
  3. Henry Frank Zimmerman b. January 1889, Fosters Meadow/d. May 17, 1935, Riverhead/ buried Saint John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.   Served in WWI in France.  Did not marry.  Died while clamming in the Peconic Bay. 
  4. Anna Marie Zimmerman b. October 11, 1887, Fosters Meadow/d. December 26, 1987, Riverhead/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.   Married February 14, 1909, in St. Monica’s, Henry Peter Herman b. June 29, 1879, Foster’s Meadow/d. September 19, 1933, Riverhead/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.  Anna and Henry were both born and raised in Fosters Meadow.  After they were married, their first five children were born in Fosters Meadow.  They moved out to Riverhead sometime before Henry Frederick’s birth in 1916.  Anna and Henry operated a farm in Aquebogue. 
  5. Frederick Zimmerman  b. March 7, 1891, Fosters Meadow/d. June 1, 1971, Riverhead/ buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.  June 5, 1914 married Rita Mescal b. June 14, 1887, Ireland/d. January 9, 1978, Riverhead/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.  
  6. Christian Henry Zimmerman b. June 12, 1892, Fosters Meadow/died January 16, 1957, Dover, Delaware/ buried Holy Cross Cemetery, Dover, Delaware.  March 21, 1923 married in Smithtown, New York,  Louise Morelli b. November 20, 1904/d. 1957/ buried Holy Cross Cemetery, Dover, Delaware.  They raised their family in Setauket and then the family relocated to Delaware where they had a significant positive impact on the Delaware agricultural community.  Christian was the first Long Island potato grower to relocate to Delaware.  
  7. William John Zimmerman b. September, 1892, Fosters Meadow/d. September, 1973 in Eastport, New York. In Riverhead married Mary Genther (b. 1896 in Poland/Russia).  They worked as farmers on eastern Long Island.
  8. Maria Veronica Zimmerman b. 1893 Fosters Meadow/d. September 14, 1894 in Fosters Meadow.  Per St. Boniface Church records death may have been due to childhood diptheria.  
  9. Jacob Paul Zimmerman b. December 26, 1894 in Fosters Meadow/d. June 18, 1987, Dover, Delaware.  Married on April 27, 1919 in Riverhead, Charlotte Elizabeth Whittington b. March 12, 1902, Jamesport, New York/d. November 30, 1991 Greenport, New York.   By 1925 the family had moved to St. James/  Smithtown. Jacob worked as a farmer.  Jacob, Charlotte and their son, Robert James are buried in Saint Patrick’s Cemetery in Smithtown.
  10. Marie Elizabeth Zimmerman b. September 20, 1896 in Fosters Meadow/d. 1898 in Fosters Meadow possibly due to childhood diphtheria.
  11. John Frank Zimmerman b. January 13, 1898 in Fosters Meadow/d. March 6, 1975 in Dover, Delaware/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.  Married on February 4, 1927 in Port Jefferson, Sophie Zoltoski b. April 29, 1908 in Jamesport/d. December 30, 2002 in Port Jefferson/buried St. Johns Cemetery, Riverhead.  The family lived in the Riverhead area for many years and John worked as a farmer.  
  12. Elizabeth Veronica Zimmerman b. May 29, 1899 in Fosters Meadow/d. April 10, 1995 in Calverton, NY/buried Riverhead Cemetery.  Married on September 7, 1919 in Riverhead, Charles Zeh b. July 9, 1893/d. May 2, 1972 in Calverton/buried Riverhead Cemetery.  Elizabeth and Charles were strawberry and potato farmers in Calverton.  
  13. Mary Margaret Zimmerman b. December 10, 1901 in Fosters Meadow/d. February 15, 1972 in Southampton, NY/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead.  Married on May 5, 1928 in Riverhead, John Pallas Marrin (1902-1955).  The Marrin’s operated the Marrin Baking Company on Peconic Bay Blvd. in Riverhead.  
  14. Florence Zimmerman b. May 16, 1904 in Fosters Meadow/d. March 28, 1993 in Riverhead/buried St. John’s Cemetery, Riverhead. On August 13, 1923 married in New York City, Stephen Francis Richter (1897-1960).  
  15. Mary Mildred Zimmerman b. March 13, 1906 in Fosters Meadow/d. October, 1969 in Valley Stream/ Married on June 2, 1928 in Riverhead, Alexander N. Stuart (1902-1974).

 

Children of Dora Zimmerman and William Thomas Westland:

 

  1. Martha Westland (1885-?)  died very young
  2. Charles Henry Westland b. 1888, possibly New Jersey/d. May 1, 1931, Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn NY/buried St. John’s Cemetery (no town noted). In 1906 married Charlotte Fern Judd (1888-1912).
  3. William Westland (Twin) b. March 10, 1891 in Brooklyn/d. March 29, 1929 in Brooklyn/buried Cypress Hills Cemetery. Married in 1917 Frances Catalano (1893-1960).  William worked as a mason and died tragically from a gas leak.
  4. Harry Edward Westland (Twin) b. March 10, 1891 in Brooklyn/d. October 10, 1984/buried Calverton National Cemetery.  Harry served in WWI from June to December 1918.  On December 14, 1919 in New York City he married Charlotte Kirchner (1897-1982). 
  5. Sarah A. Westland b. 1895 in New York/d. 1964/buried Saint Ann’s Cemetery, Wells, NY. On September 19, 1914 in Troy, NY married Edward J. Beetz (1894-1960)

 

Children of William Peter Zimmerman and Katharina D. Simon

  1. Bertha Zimmerman b. October, 1889 New York/d. after 1905
  2. Elizabeth M. Zimmerman b. May 23, 1896, Brooklyn/d. bef. 1900)

 

Children of William Peter Zimmerman and Carolyn Morlock

  1. Carolyn Zimmerman b. 1914 in New York/d. unknown.  According to 1930 census she was a clerk in the publishing industry and lived with her mother in New Hyde Park. 

 

 

This research is based on records provided to my mother, Joan Anne Bergen-Sypher by her Zimmerman cousins, as well as online records research.  If any of my Zimmerman cousins would like to provide additional information or documents, please feel free to contact me.  

 

Submitted by Kathy Castagnetta, 3rd great-granddaughter of Henricus Zimmerman and Maria Jannert Zimmerman.  

 

Email:  kathycastagnetta@gmail.com 

 

September, 2021