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Zander family Australia New zealand |
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The harry zander 1.5 story
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Andreas Hermann Zander
Andreas Hermann later to be known as Harry, was born on February the 5th 1877 in Tucheim Magdeburg PRUSSIA. Some four months later on the 15th of June he was to embark with his parents, three older brothers, August, Fritz and Friedrich along with an older sister Dorthea Louise(Lizzy) from the German port of Hamburg. They sailed on the 402 ton barque “Peter Godeffroy”. Harry the youngest passenger on the vessel must have been a strong young individual to endure the 4 month trip to Australia, his new homeland. The family arrived at Semaphore on October the 16th 1877. According to the Adelaide Register passengers disembarked at Pt Adelaide the following day October the 17th 1877.
On arrival Harry moved with his family to Freeling then to Hamilton in South Australia, then after some four years they moved onto Waterloo. Harry was still a young child when the family was on the move again, this time to a farm near Australia Plains, where Harry received his elementary education at the Emmaus School. Several years later it was time for the family to move again, this time to a farm within the vicinity of Robertstown. While working on this farm Harry met with a rather unfortunate and painful accident when he pierced a foot with a crowbar.
When he was 13 in 1890 Harry passed the usual examination and was confirmed into St John’s Lutheran Church at Robertstown by Pastor Drauz. At this stage of his life the family was on the move again, but this time to settle for a greater period of time on what would become the family farm at Rocky Plains. Harry remained on this farm until 1942, shortly before his death, working for the family and assisting neighbours in their daily chores, horses played a great part in helping to make the life a farmer easier, ponies for transport and draught horses for working the land and pulling the wagons(usually a team of five for the wagon).
On September 15th 1915 Harry married Bertha Johanna GIERSCH at Carlsruhe. Bertha a twin sister of Anna, was born at Hoyle’s Plains, she was taught by Pastor Meyer until she moved to Waterloo with her parents Louise and Wilhelm Giersch. At the age of 14 after she was confirmed at Carlsruhe, Bertha learnt sewing in Tanunda, then worked in Adelaide for a few years before returning to work for her uncles at Hoyle’s Plains and Steelton. The happy marriage of Harry and Bertha lasted a short four years, producing a stillborn daughter in 1917 and one son Conrad Hermann born on 7th January 1918, Bertha died nine days after giving birth to her son and was buried in the Carlsruhe Lutheran Cemetery.
It was not too long before Harry found another soulmate in Anna Martha GIERSCH who for many years was believed to be a sister of his first wife. Confusion probably resulted from the fact that Bertha did have a twin sister who was called also Anna. But this Anna was born some nine years later than Bertha. Anna was born out of wedlock at Sheoak Log, being the daughter of Maria Bertha Giersch and Robert Dinegot Preuss a bootmaker. Anna’s grandparents owned the Blacksmiths at Sheoak Log, a town that had 3 hotels at this time in history. Talking about history the Giersch’s blacksmith was sold to Aherns(who still have a more than thriving business in the town today) for 150 pounds..
Harry and Anna were blessed with one daughter Ida and three sons Arnold, Edgar and Ronald, but this marriage was also to be of a brief duration as one month after the birth of her last son Ronald, Anna died and is buried in St John’s Lutheran Cemetery at Robertstown.
Some six years later on April the 12th 1932 Harry married for the third and final time, he married Alma Antonie TRAEGER who brought her son Frank into the family. Frank was accepted as a brother and was a real part of the family. Alma Antonie (who was known as TONI) in her union with Harry, produced 3 sons Wilhelm, Roy and Eric, along with 2 daughters Ella and Rosa. Harry and Toni continued to work on the farm for the next ten years, when failing health forced Harry to move to Eudunda.
During his life Harry was an active member of the St John’;s Lutheran Church Robertstown and St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eudunda. He obviously enjoyed the company and lifestyle of the many fellow community members who had emigrated from Germany and was made a life member of the Eudunda Club, a club with a German background, a club that was known as “The Eudunda Unterhaltungs Club” a name that implies recreation and mutual welfare.
After his death in 1943 Harry was buried at the Eudunda Cemetery and Toni moved to live in Hampden until her passing in 1966 some 23 years later.
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