Friday, January 31, 2020

Katharina Kleiner 1584-1627

Where did Katharina Kleiner come from? The Swiss Surname index says early Kleiner's came from Maschwanden. The village is just south of Ottenbach and may be a likely spot. The other Kleiner families in Ottenbach came from Mettmenstetten. This village is 4 miles south and a little east of Ottenbach. Katharina married Johannes Sidler and together they had eleven children. Her first five children lived to adulthood which is unusual. Her daughter Anna's first five children died in infancy.

What happened to her children?
Hans Sidler b 1606-1682 married Adelheid Lichtin, had 2 children one of whom married, lived to be 75 years 11 months 16 days
Jakob Sidler b1608-1693 married Vronegg Urmi from Rifferswil or Baaragg, had 7 children, lived during persecution of the Mennonite Church, lived to be 85.5, large posterity
Ludwig Sidler b 1610-1688 married Elsbeth Schneebeli and Verena Grob, 11 children with first wife, 5 children married, lived to be 77 years 11 months 29 days
Rudolf Sidler b 1612-1675 married Veronica Frey, 4 children, 3 married, large posterity, lived 63 years 7 months 12 days
Fridle Sidler b 1613-1666  married a  Lunern Obfelden girl named Barbara Stähli on 12 October 1641. They had 10 children, 7 married, large posterity lived to be 52 years, 1 month 26 days.
Hans Heinrich Sidler b 1615 infant death
Anna Sidler b 1617-1665 her mother Katharina died when Anna was 12 years old, married Jakob Bär, according to FS has 15 children (unverified), her first 5 children died in infancy, some twins, lived 47 years 10 months 13 days.
Verena Sidler b 1619 infant death
Othmar Sidler b 1621 infant death
Barbara Sidler b 1623-1623 lived 3 months
Walthar Sidler b 1625-1628 lived 3 years 

Katharina died 3 November 1627 in Ottenbach. Her husband, Johannes, is listed on her death record as noted by her Ottenbach Parish Pastor, Beatus Eggstein.  Her death record says she was pregnant, suddenly attached by birth aches, recovered and suddenly died. Johannes outlived Katharina.

During their lifetime:
1620 Kleinhanserchtold von Wasterkingen showed scant respect for the authorities, wanting them to be struck by lightning.  Jorg Haupt from Steinmauer was even more explicit in 1650. He swore that lighting should strike the authorities, and "by a thousand sacraments and the sacrament of blood, he wanted thunder and hail to strike the Ottenbach (the local prison).  Unsurprisingly, this insubordinate subject found himself in court. (Dealings with God: From Blasphemers in Early Modern Zurich to a Cultural History of Religiousness By Prof Dr Francisca Loetz)

Translation of her death record:
war schwanger, - was pregnant
eins? mals von Kindswehen überfallen - suddenly attacked by birth aches
gnäsen (genesen) - recovered
und eins? wägs gestorben - and suddenly died.

Documents related to Katharina Kleiner:


Sidler and Hegetschweiler Temple Record Book by Julius Billeter page 7


Katharina Kleiner death 3 November 1627 film 8014328 page 177
It took me hours to find this. The breakthrough was finding
the spelling of her name in script on her child's births.
The K in her first and last name look like S's. I will
need to remember this for future searching in German documents.