Barbara Mary Stadler (1844-1904)

Barbara Mary Stadler was born 172 years ago on 23 Aug 1844 in Mörtelstein, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, as the fifth child of Georg Adam Stadler and Katharina Barbara Muench. She had four siblings, namely: Johann Adam, Johann Georg, George Adam, and Katharina Margaretha. She was baptized in Binau (A. Mosbach), Baden, Germany. Her mother died shortly after Barbara was born and her father remarried, on 17 Nov 1846 to Margaretha Hauck. Her dad, Georg Adam, and his second wife, Margaretha, had five more children. The last two died at birth, but from this marriage, Barbara gained a half-sister and two half-brothers.

74847 Obrigheim, Germany

When she was only 21 years old, Barbara left Germany. She sailed from Southampton, Hamburg, Germany and arrived in New York on 26 May 1866. She traveled with her 27-year old brother, George Adam Stadler.

Not long after her arrival in America, the then 22-year old Barbara married Jacob B. Meyer, son of Bernard Meyer and Gertrud Hart, on 29 Jan 1867 in St. John Lutheran Church, Mendota, La Salle, Illinois.

Jacob B. Meyer and Barbara Mary Stadler had the following children who they had baptized in the Catholic church:

1. Jacob Meyer was born in Aug 1869 in Mendota, La Salle, Illinois.
2. Frank M Meyer was born on 05 Jan 1871 in Illinois.  He married Katharine E Vonehwegen on 04 Mar 1896 in Wall Lake, Sac, Iowa. He died on 30 Jun 1952 in Sac, Iowa.
3. Mathias Meyer was born on 04 Mar 1873 in Lee, Illinois. He married Cathrine Lady on 06 Nov 1894 in Ida Grove, Ida, Iowa. He died on 27 Oct 1928 in Odebolt, Sac, Iowa.
4. Robert Meyer was born on 18 Sep 1874 in Illinois. He married Eva Anna Barkley on 15 Jul 1896 in Ida Grove, Ida, Iowa. He died on 08 Apr 1952 in Los Angeles, California.
5. Christena Meyer was born on 09 Aug 1876 in Illinois. She married Adam Edward Schade on 13 Feb 1895 in Sac, Iowa. She died in 1951 in Iowa.
6. Katharina Meyer was born on 24 Oct 1878 in Lee, Illinois.  She married John George Schnell on 08 Jul 1897 in Richland, Sac, Iowa. She married Amos D Ingram on 15 Jul 1937 in Fort Dodge, Webster, Iowa. She died on 22 Dec 1951 in Loring Hospital, Sac City, Sac, Iowa.
7. Barbara Mary Meyer was born on 09 Jun 1881 in Mendota, La Salle, Illinois. She married Harry Allen Lawrence Fawcett on 03 Aug 1899 in Sac City, Sac, Iowa. She died on 24 Mar 1972 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota.
8. Jerome Adam Meyer was born on 29 Mar 1884 in Odebolt, Sac, Iowa. He married Ocy Mae Cornell on 15 Feb 1907 in Correctionville, Woodbury, Iowa. He died on 12 Jun 1964 in Storm Lake, Buena Vista, Iowa.
9. Hieronimus Meyer was born on 22 Oct 1886 in Odebolt, Sac, Iowa. He married Florence Gardiner on 24 Aug 1906 in Woodbury, Iowa. He died before 1964.
10. Infant Daughter. The birth date of this daughter isn’t yet known so we don’t know where she fit into the birth order of the children.

The family initially lived at Mendota, La Salle, Illinois in 1870, but by 1880 was living in Lee Center, Lee, Illinois. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Barbara, the family left Illinois and moved to Richland Township, Sac County, Iowa.

In 1887, when she was only 42 years old, Barbara became a widow. She was left to run the farm and care for her children ranging in age from six-months to eighteen-years old. Barbara was a strong woman. She fought with the Catholic Church, that they attended, over requests for money for purgatory and ended up taking her younger children with her out of that church over to the Methodist Church. She also fought with the War Department attempting to get her Civil War Widow’s pension. For that she had to go through a lot of paperwork and even had to prove that the father of her children was, indeed, Jacob Meyer. She also had to deal with the settlement of her husband’s estate and had to rein her sons in from incurring debts in her name.

In late 1903, Barbara rented out her farm, sold off a lot of farm and household goods, and moved to town.

On 20 January  1904, Barbara Mary Stadler Meyer died following a surgery in Sioux City, Woodbury, Iowa. She was only 59-years old. Her body was returned to Odebolt and she was buried on 22 Jan 1904 in the Odebolt Cemetery, Odebolt, Sac, Iowa.

Where is she in the tree?

How can I find out more?

To learn much more about Barbara, her fight for a pension, her will, the Meyer family, and her kids, see my book, The Meyer Family.

The Meyer Family