Christian Frederich Sapper

 

1880 Jefferson County MO Census, Victoria

Christian Sapper, Physician, Age 68, FRA FRA FRA

Mary, 48 SWZ SWZ SWZ

Christian 13 KY

Katie 12 KY

 

(please note that the doctor's great-granddaughter believes that his birth was in Merklingen, Germany, and that it should read GER, GER, GER)

 

Jefferson Democrat, FRIDAY, 8 OCTOBER 1875

James METTS, of Sandy, died last week under rather peculiar circumstances. He had chills and fever, and concluded to doctor himself. He first  took some of McLeans pills, and while the fever was at its height, and his mind doubtless deranged, he got hold of a box of Jones' ague pills, and before his wife knew what he was doing, had eaten all but three, about 25 pills in addition to the McLean pills. Dr. GAMACHE  was sent for and after he dosed him awhile, Dr. SAPPER came and tried his hand but the patient died in spite of their efforts. It is well enough to have some family remedies about the house to use in cases of ordinary and not serious sickness, but they should be kept out of the way of persons crazy with fever.  Mr. METTS was a very worthy citizen, just in the prime of life.  He leaves a wife and several small children to mourn the loss of their protector and father.

Jefferson Democrat Wednesday, 18 January 1888

Mrs. Dr. C.F. SAPPER was buried in DeSoto, Sunday. She died at their residence, near Mill Spring, Wayne county, Mo.

 

Jefferson Democrat Thursday, August 28, 1890

Dr. SAPPER, formerly of this but late of Wayne County, recently died in St. Louis. He had a large circle of acquaintances here.

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The following Information was supplied by Sondra Butler, great granddaughter

 

Dr. Christian Frederich Sapper: His parentage, date and place of birth, and immediate ancestors was obtained from an elderly transcriber of old German documents, Mr. Hahn, who was recommended to us by Revs. Dieter Bullard-Werner, a husband and wife team at the Evangelical Kirchplatz 3, 71263 Weil der Stadt, Germany. We called at their church in Merklingen, Germany. 

 

Dr. Christian Frederich Sapper was born on 6 Dec. 1822 in Merklingen, Ger. to Jacob (born 14 Jan. 1782, died 20 Nov. 1852) and Katherin Margarethe Kramerin Sapper (born 4 Mai 1784, Mottlingen. Ger, died 20 Nov. 1830, Merklingen, Ger.)

 

Christian was only 8 yrs. old when his mother died. His father remarried one year to the day, 20 Nov, 1831 following her death. The new wife’s name was Anna Catherina Rauss. Oral family history says that Christian did not get along well with his stepmother and was sent with to live with an uncle in or near Berlin. One or more siblings may have accompanied him. His youngest daughter, Katherine Sapper Wittig, said that he went to medical school in Heidelberg. He was ordained an Evangelish (Lutheran) minister in the church in Merklingen after earning a ministerial degree.

 

Information obtained in May of 1999 from the Kirchebuch from the Evangalish Kirche in Merklingen states that he went to Amerika in 1849.

 

On 3 June 1852 he married Anna Maria Jenni, (born 15 Mar. 1829, Langenbruck, Switzerland died 13 Jan. 1888, Victoria or DeSoto, MO).  Their marriage took place in Pinegrove, Schuylkill County, PA.

 

Dr. and Mrs. Sapper moved from PA to Louisville, KY, where he raised race horses in addition to practicing medicine, and eventually to Victoria, MO where he practiced medicine and raised their children who were:

 

Henrietta Maria Katherine                              06-07-1853                             Lebanon, PA

Jakob John                                                      10-09-1854                             Lebanon, PA

Albert Frederich                                             11-06-1854                       Wheeling W. VA

Gustave N.                                                      09-13-1859                             Dutytown, IN   

Jakob                                                              04-15-1861                             Dutytown, IN

Emma Ida                                                       08-14-1862                       Jeffersonville, IN

Louisa                                                             between 1863 & 1865

Christian Frederich                                        08-11-1866                             Louisville, KY

Lula                                                                08-11-1866                             Louisville, KY

Katherine Elanora Esphronea                         12-24-1867                             Louisville, KY

Elizabeth                                                        01-02-1872                             Massac, IL

 

An article in a December 1876 issue of the Jefferson County Republic tells of Dr. Sapper being called to attend the serious injuries of Russell Johnston who fell from the stack onto a wagon while stacking wheat.  Additional articles throughout several years also refer to his being called on various cases and one tells of a special birthday celebration attended by many people.