Mueller History
MÜLLER (MUELLER) HISTORY

Samuel Müller Sr. was born February 24, 1853 in Hirschthal, Switzerland to Kaspar and Elisabeth (Stauber) Müller. Although from a reliable source, I have not personally confirmed this information or much of what follows. It is merely a compilation of information obtained from obituaries, newspaper articles, marriage licenses, and the like.

Paulina Marie Müller was born to Samuel and Fannie (Wirz) Müller on September 19, 1853 at Hirschthal, Switzerland where she grew to womanhood. I have not pursued research on this line, but have received information that indicates Paulina had siblings named Gottlieb, Edwin, Rudolph, Maria Elise (who married Rudolph Dubs), Adele, and Bertha (who married Ludwig Dubs). Bertha died in 1902 and, according to Paulina's obituary, her brother Edwin, who lived in Hirschthal, Switzerland, was still living at the time of her death in 1938.

Samuel Müller, Sr. married Paulina Marie Müller on December 30, 1875. Samuel farmed nearby, and they remained in their native land for 20 years after their marriage. Samuel and Pauline were the parents of 11 children (all born in Switzerland, except their youngest, Arthur), their first-born being Samuel Traugott from whom I descend.

Upon immigration to this country, the spelling of Müller was changed to Mueller, but pronounced Miller (the equivalent of Müller).

Samuel and Paulina Mueller immigrated with their children to Nebraska in 1895 and came directly to Columbus, locating first on the Dr. Heintz farm northeast of the city. They resided there a year, then moved to a farm near Oconee for a year, and then northwest of Platte Center, where they resided two years. From there they moved to a farm 11 miles northeast of Columbus. Samuel was a successful, ambitious farmer, and in 1903 he bought the old Barnum place two and a half miles southwest of town.

An article appearing in the Columbus Telegram on October 30, 1903, states:

Samuel Mueller, a prominent farmer residing northeast of this city in Colfax county, closed the contract this week for a large and perhaps the choicest tract of land belonging to the Barnum estate, south of the Loup river in this county. The tract includes the buildings, and four hundred acres of the farm land familiarly known by Columbus as the Barnum home place. The purchase price was $20,000. When the estate matters were cleared up last spring this property was bought by George F. Barnhardt, of Fort Worth, Texas, whose wife was one of the heirs. During the past year Mr. Mueller has visited various sections of the United States in search of desirable property and he selected this in preference to all which had come under his observation. His intentions for the future are not known, but it is presumed that he will engage in the ranch business.
In 1907, Samuel and Paulina returned to Switzerland to visit friends and family. They left Monday, April 22, 1907 by way of Gibraltar; visiting the Ludwig Dubs family on May 26. (Ludwig Dubs was married to Paulina's sister, Bertha.) On June 25, Ludwig's son, Alfred, went with Samuel and Paulina to Buchs, Switzerland to emigrate to America. Ludwig was also invited to go to America, but with a newborn son, they postponed the trip until fall.

In July of 1913, Samuel underwent an operation for appendicitis, but it failed to restore his failing health. Attending physicians later pronounced his trouble to be cancer of the stomach and he subsequently went to the Mayo brothers at Rochester, Minnesota for an operation. They could not give him permanent relief, however, and his health failed steadily. By mid-October, 1914, he was confined to his bed. Samuel died on November 20, 1914, at the age of 61 years, after suffering with cancer of the stomach for more than two years. He left his wife, six sons and four daughters to mourn his loss. The latter were Sam T. Mueller, who resided near Oconee; Otto, Alfred and Emil, who farmed near Columbus; Paul, who lived on the home place; Mrs. Ida Bodmer and Mrs. Rosa Kinsley, living near Columbus; Bertha and Hulda Mueller, at home. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. R. Neumarker at the German Reform church in Columbus and burial was made in the Columbus Cemetery.

Samuel's Will provided for the following bequests, subject to a life interest in favor of his wife, Paulina:

Paulina was to receive the income on the above $20,000.00, and in addition be the owner in her own right of all other property except the life insurance. All life insurance policies were gifted to Arthur Mueller. Samuel Sr., being very farsighted, had previously deeded his land to three of his sons: Emil and Paul received one tract and Alfred another tract.

On April 6, 1915, Paulina filed a pleading with the County Court stating that she was without money, and that in addition to the interest collected on the $20,000.00, she required not less than $40.00 per month for her maintenance. The Order was signed by Judge Patterson on April 7, 1915.

After the death of Samuel, Paulina lived with her daughter and son-in-law, the Jacob Kupp family. She was a devout member of the Evangelical Protestant church, and an honorary member of the Ladies Aid society.

As an aside: In 1968, my husband and I moved from Lincoln to a farm northeast of Columbus that my father (grandson of Samuel and Paulina) had recently purchased. I vaguely remember that some years later Jacob and Hulda Kupp visited from out of state to see the house where they once lived; however we had built a new home in 1975 and our old house had been moved. At the time, the relationship of these people, or the fact that they once lived there, was of little interest to me. Only when gathering data for this page, 25 years later, did it occur to me that the house where I once lived was the same house in which my great-grandmother lived for over 20 years. Oh how I wish I had had an interest in my roots then!
On April 12, 1938, after an illness of three weeks' duration, and during which time she was in bed most of the time, Paulina arose and dressed for the day. Shortly before noon she suffered a stroke of apoplexy, and her death followed in a few minutes. Services were held at the Evangelical Protestant church, with Rev. J. H. Steger, pastor, officiating. Burial was made in Columbus Cemetery.

After the payment of the debts and expenses of administration of her estate, there was left in the hands of the administrator the sum of $975.80, to be divided in ten equal shares to her children. Two of her children (Otto and Bertha Gloor) were deceased, so their one-tenth share was passed on to their children.

Children of Samuel Sr. and Paulina Mueller were:

Samuel T. Mueller jr. was born May 31, 1876 at Hirschthal, Aargau, Switzerland. He and Lena Egger were married September 12, 1905 at Columbus, Nebraska. Witnesses to the marriage were Fritz Staub and Rosa Mueller. It has been told that the Mueller family was not pleased with Samuel's choice for a wife, as her family was not of the same economic or social status as the Mueller family.

In 1929, Sam and Lena made a trip to Switzerland where they spent three months visiting relatives and friends.

They were the parents of six children: Lillian Martha (m. Earl Bisson); Edward Otto (m. Delila Miller and Martha Lutjeluesche); Hulda Pauline (m. William Klink); Helen Marie (m. Gottlieb Abegglen); Lawrence Floyd (m. Marian Kamm); and Walter Emil (m. Mary Jane Engel).

Ida Mueller was born April 11, 1878 at Hirschthal. She married Alfred Henry Bodmer on March 16, 1898. Their children were: Elsie Rose (m. Arnum Carl Hinze); Martha Marie; Pauline Gertrude; Hulda Rena (m. Willard Harvey Lough); Tillie Alma; Ada Bertha; and Reuben Paul (m. LuVeda Lawes). Ida died in San Mateo, California on September 6, 1970.
Otto Mueller, born in October 1879 in Hirschthal, Switzerland, married Marie Gloor. Children born to Otto and Marie were: Otto S. (m. Dorothy Micek); Rudolph C.; Marcel H.; Clara (m. Frank A. Lisko); and Alfred (m. Martha Schaecher). Otto died in Platte County, Nebraska on December 18, 1936.
Alfred Mueller was born January 15, 1881 in Hirschthal. He first married Martha Schaecher. His second wife, whom he married in 1912, was Elsie Hunziker. Children born to Alfred and Elsie were: Gertrude Elisa (m. Harold F. Settgast); Willie Alfred Mueller (m. Anna Elizabeth Kohl); Hedwig Anna (m. Hilding C. Linn); and Rita Magdalena (m. Madison David Hartley). Alfred died in California on August 19, 1957.
Rose Mueller, born in Hirschthal on March 16, 1883, married Frank Kinzli on January 16, 1906. They had one son, Lindo Kermit. Rose died in Colorado Springs, Colorado on January 3, 1973.
Paul Mueller was born June 26, 1884 in Hirschthal. He was educated in Switzerland and in rural schools in Colfax and Platte counties, and attended Fremont Normal College. He married Anna Baumgartner on May 23, 1918 and they engaged in farming and dairying southwest of Columbus until retiring and moving to Columbus in 1949. They had one son, Casper Paul (m. Lorine Hannah Nuetzman). Paul died at the Columbus Manor on February 14, 1969 at the age of 84. He had been in failing health for several years.
Emil Mueller, born April 13, 1888 in Hirschthal, married Rose Blaser. They were the parents of: Oscar (m. Leola Krumland); Gladys; Viola (m. Clarence Schmid); LeRoy (m. Shirley Bauman); and Irene Rose (m. Raymond Henry Bargmann). Emil died on August 28, 1977.
Gotthold Mueller was born July 27, 1890 (twin to Bertha) and died in infancy.
Bertha Mueller was born July 27, 1890 (twin to Gotthold). According to her obituary, she came to this country with her parents and family at the age of five years, and they located near Columbus. She married Rudolph Gloor on March 5??, 1919. Their two sons are: Samuel R. and Daniel D. (m. Marilyn Gerken). Bertha died in Columbus on December 26, 1936 at the age of 46. She had experienced several heart attacks following a stroke, and had been confined to bed much of the time for three years prior to her death.
Hulda Mueller was born in Hirschthal, Switzerland on May 11, 1893. She married Jacob Kupp on September 20, 1917 and their children are: Jacob Otto (m. Bernice Isabel Goa) and Alice Hulda (m. Angus William Lehnhoff). Hulda died in Billingham, Washington on December 11, 1980.
Arthur Mueller was born in Columbus, Nebraska on June 9, 1902. He married Sylvia Abegglen on March 25, 1925, and on April 18, 1926 Donna Jean Mueller was born. Art died in Sunnyside, Washington on March 1, 1992.
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