Johann was a tailor. His scissors belong to Sheila Stampfli Kautt in 2001. At the time of his death, his possessions included 50 needles, all made by hand. As a wedding present, Johann made Barbara 3 silver thimbles. They were married nearly 20 years by the time Barbara died in 1845, but they only had one surviving child, born 13 years after their marriage. Johann’s house in Solothurn was being used as a convent in the 1970s when Joseph Gail and Anne Stampfli (grandchildren) visited the city.[ [456]]

He emigrated from Switzerland in 1854 with his second wife Mary, his son from first marriage Joseph and at least 2 children from that second marriage, according to the profile of his son published in the History of Cole Co, MO. The passenger list of the “Roger Stewart” (departing from Havre, France, arriving in New Orleans) lists Staempfli, Jean 50 Farmer; Anna 34; Joseph 13; Madeline 6; Franz 4; Jean 2; Baumann, Helene 22. Also on the ship was Anna (wife of Jacob) and her family. There were also a Joseph and two Jeans, all age 40.

John and his family appear in 1860 and 1870 in a neighborhood of immigrants from Bavaria and Switzerland. In the 1870 census, the second family children are still living with the family: Frank, a cigarmaker, and Adolph, a barkeeper at 17, born in Switzerland, then Edward and Louis in Missouri. Also in the neighborhood in 1870 are some other Stemphle families: Jacob and Anna, the age (and name) to be John’s brother, and Nicholas (35) and Joseph (34) (in addition to John’s son Joseph also nearby) likely the next generation. That Joseph is likely Johann’s cousin, who married Magdalene Miller and had a son, Peter Joseph Stampfli on Dec 3, 1862 in Jefferson City.

Also a child of the second family is Magdalena, m. Peter Wuelser.

1860 Cole Co, MO: John Stomfret 58 b. Germany [Tailor 500/100]; Mary 48; George 21; Madalena 13; Frank 12; Arthur 8; Adam 4, all b. Ger (hash marks). (Jefferson City, p. 363, 7/18/1860)
1870 Cole Co, MO: John Stemphle 66 b. Switz [Tailor 1000/800 parents of foreign birth]; Maria 50 b. Switz; Frank 21 Switz Cigarmaker; Adolph 17 Switz Barkeeper; Edward 14 MO; Louis 9 MO. Neighborhood of immigrants from Switzerland/Bavaria. Also in the neighborhood Jacob 64, Nicholas 35, Joseph 34 (plus son Joseph). (Jefferson City, 6/8/1870, p. 247) (9/9/00)

There are two Mary Stampfhles on the same page in the 1880 Jeff City census, several lines apart. One is 70, with son Frank, age 33. The other is 60, with son Louis, age 19. Either fits, but the former is probably this Mary’s sister-in-law, who also had a son of similar age and was 10 years older.