Papers (1915-1975) of Edenton NC Funeral parlor operators, including correspondence, funeral service ledger, photographs, and miscellany. 200 items.
The immigrant patriarch John H. Ziegler, born in Württemberg, Germany, came to America in 1848. He first lived in Baltimore, Maryland, and New York City, before settling permanently in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in 1856. He was married twice, first to Elizabeth Wilhelmina (1832-1862) and then to Christina U. (1841-1901). He had four children: Louis Frederick (1855-1931), Frederick H. (1859-1948), Carrie Ziegler Broughton (1871-1950), and Mary Louise Ziegler Bailey (1877-1952).
Louis Frederick Ziegler married Ella James Sawyer (1861-1944) in 1886. They had five children. Mary Elizabeth Ziegler Stevenson, Susanne 'Susie' Ziegler Eyman (1888-1967), Ada Ziegler Lee (1891-1987), Ella Ziegler Minton (1894-1963), and Heywood Sawyer Ziegler, Sr. (1896-1969).
Heywood Sawyer Ziegler, Sr. married Francis Keeter (1900-1980) in 1922. They had one child, Heywood Sawyer, Jr. (1924-1975).
Note: A more detailed family tree can be found in folder a of box 1.
This collection spans four generations of the Ziegler Family. The family was involved in the mortuary business in eastern North Carolina. John H. Ziegler owned and operated Ziegler and Hinton's Cabinet Makers & Undertakers on Broad Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, from 1856 until his death in 1889. His eldest son, Louis Frederick was the mortician of Edenton, North Carolina, from 1884 until his own death in 1931. Heywood Sawyer Sr. operated Ziegler Funeral Services of New Bern, North Carolina, until 1959.
The first series in this collection contains familial records from 1826-1992, as well as a [presumed] family tree. These ranged from both business and personal correspondence to autograph and yearbooks. Of particular note are two ledgers from Ziegler's Funeral Services dated 1945 to 1959. One is very clearly marked to not show to public, while the other, slightly different ledger is unmarked and thus assumed to be the public ledger.
The second series has photographs from circa 1800-1988 of assorted friends and family. They are separated by identified and unidentified sitters. Within the identified sitters they are ordered chronologically by Ziegler generations. One folder contains possible identifications of the sitters based on the archivist's judgement of facial similarities. Only a few negatives are included within the series.
Oversize items are undated and unsigned portraits of Wilhelmina, John, and Louis Frederick Ziegler. As well as Louis Frederick's 1901 diploma from Renouared School of Embalmers.
This collection will be most helpful to genealogists or those looking into the town histories of New Bern, Elizabeth City, and Edenton, North Carolina.
Note: Heywood Senior and Junior are also sometimes spelled Haywood throughout the collection.
Gift of James Iredell House State Historic Site
Encoded by Apex Data Services. Processed by Samantha Sheffield in 2016.
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.