The End of the Line: Gottlieb Sayler
At a recent South Eastern Colorado Genealogical Society meeting, I suggested that we make an effort to remember and document our deadlines in genealogy.
We all have ancestors who never married, married but had no children, or had children but the children had no issue and the line died. These ancestors deserve to be remembered and documented.
In this case, I would like to document my grandfather’s brother, Gottlieb Sayler, my grandfather being Fred J Sayler. These are sons of Jacob Sailer/Sayler (April 16, 1847-March 2, 1923) and Christina Kautz (August 19, 1849-February 2, 1936).
There is no birth certificate for Gottlieb. On 4/9/2015, I contacted the German Russian Historical Society (GRHS) about birth records for Fred J Sayler and Gottlieb Sayler. The GHRS has the St Petersburg records, including the 1850 census from Johannestal, Odessa, South Russia, but their births occur after that. GRHS’s avenues for purchasing additional records from that area are stalled right now because of politics. All their avenues have broken down.
Gottlieb immigrated with his family on the ship SS Lahn and arrived in the United States on April 21, 1899. The manifest of the SS Lahn listed him as 17 years old. If you subtract 17 from 1899, the year of arrival, you get the birth year of 1882. There is some discussion that his age was listed incorrectly in an effort to get a discounted fare for the journey. The manifest also shows that Gottlieb was hospitalized upon arrival for a period of time.
On June 18, 1990, the 1900 U.S. Census listed Gottlieb as age 21, with a birth date of February 1889. If Gottlieb had been born in 1889, he would’ve only been 11 years old. There is reason to suspect that 1889 was a typo.
The Findagrave.com website lists Gottlieb’s date of birth as February 12, 1879. There are no sources for this information listed. There is no way to determine absolutely that this individual is related to that birth date.
Gottlieb signed his first papers to become a citizen of the United States on June 26, 1899, in Campbell County, South Dakota. He states that he was born in Russia “on or about the year of 1878” and that he wanted to become a United States citizen.
Gottlieb signed his second papers to become a naturalized citizen on August 28, 1905, also in Campbell County, South Dakota, Circuit Court, Six Judicial Circuit, that he was an alien above the age of 21, and that he was permitted to take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States and is entitled to the rights and privileges of a naturalized US citizen. That seems to support the birth year of 1879.
To file for a land grant for homestead land, an individual had to be a head of household or 21 years of age to claim 160 acres. Gottlieb filed land grant number 36997 on July 6, 1899, in Campbell County South Dakota for land description 128 N-75W W1/2SW1/4 Section 14, W1/2NW1/4 Section 23. This seems to support the birth year of 1878.
In June 1905, the 1905 South Dakota census shows Gottlieb to be age 26, a white male, single, who can’t read and is deaf. The description of his property is Section 22, T128 R75. Section 22 differs from the land description described in the court hearing. That seems to support the birth year of 1879.
On August 28, 1905, Gottlieb Sayler submitted his final proof for his Homestead claim and signed a statement before the Clerk of the Circuit Court that he was a naturalized citizen of the United States and over 21 years of age. That he is deaf and dumb and can carry on a conversation only by signs, and that he has in good faith entered the on the land for the purpose of having a home of his own. That owing to financial circumstances, he had not been able to put a better building on the land. That he owns five head of cattle of his own, and has pastured these on his land, and has cut hay on the land for the winter’s feed. That owing to the fact he cannot speak nor hear well, he keeps these cattle on his father’s farm nearby during each and every winter. During the grazing period each year, he pastures them on his land. That this land is only fit for pasture. That he relies on the land entirely for his livelihood and support, as aside from these cattle, in this land he has no other personal property.
On July 6, 1899, Gottlieb Sayler made H.E. No. 10960 for the W1/2 of SW 1/4 Sect 14, and W1/2 NW1/4 Sect 23, T128N, R75W and submitted proof thereon August 28, 1905, which proof was suspended and referred to a special agent for investigation. On September 19, 1906, Special Agent Odell T. Fellows reported that he had made a personal examination of the land and found thereon an uninhabitable cabin, a few cooking utensils, and a small stove, all valued at $20; that claimant never established residence on the land in good faith and that entryman was not qualified to make the entry being a deaf-mute, unable to read or write English and unacquainted with the deaf and dumb alphabet.
September 19, 1906, Special Agent Odell T. Fells observed a cabin of rough boards 8 x 10, cracks battened with laths sides and roof, cracks throughout the building, not habitable; inside formerly lined with building paper now torn down and littering the ground, no floor: half window and door, few cooking utensils, board bunk about 18 inches wide, little board table 18 x 24″, no other furniture no dishes; small stove with a pipe through the roof, no tin to protect the roof. He described it as the cheapest possible excuse for a house and bearing no signs of having been occupied.
On November 9, 1906, a notice of adverse proceedings was served on Gottlieb Sayler.
On May 11, 1907, the defendant and witnesses appeared and submitted testimony before Special Agent George C Hunt.
Commissioner Pollock, of the Department of the Interior, General Land Office summarized information about Gottlieb Sayler. The claimant was single, age 29. The claimant was deaf and dumb and has been since age two. He could understand German by lip reading and can communicate by signs, could write in German and a little English. With some, he could communicate easily and with others only partially and with difficulty. He was a good field hand, was industrious, and made his own living by laboring upon his land and occasionally for his neighbors. Within six months of entry, he built a sod house on his property, moved in, and resided there until sometime later, the exact date not known, when he built a frame house upon the land. Both houses were furnished and in both, the defendant ate, cooked, and slept. His entry joins the land of his father, for whom he sometimes worked. The testimony shows, however, that he made his home on his homestead, and, when not at work too far to return, slept on his land, except on a few occasions, when he slept the night at his father’s house. He had cropped from 8 to 25 acres each year since entry gradually increasing the acreage. . His improvements were worth from $100-$150.
Seven witnesses gave testimony. Two witnesses testified for the government. John Reiner testified that the defendant had a house on the land. He does not know when it was put there. He had seen the defendant working on the place. He knew of the defendant sleeping in that house. It was habitable. He had passed the place once or twice each year.
Adam Fischer testified that in his sod house he had a spring bed chair and table. Gottlieb worked for him threshing and was paid a dollar 50 and a dollar 25 per day while thrashing and that Gottlieb could read and write in German. Gottlieb had a well 8 feet deep but had no water.
Jacob Sayler, Gottlieb’s father, stated that Gottlieb’s first house was a sod house, 10 x 12, built on the north 80. He later built a frame house 10 x 12 on the south 80 so as to be near to Jacob’s house. Gottlieb built the sod house six or seven weeks after he filed on the land, and that he lived in the sod house and used it as a residence and slept there. He had a table, plates, dishes, bed, chair, looking glass, and stove. When Gottlieb built the framed house he moved out of the sod house. The framed house was habitable and was papered inside. It had the same items as the sod home, a stove, bed, chair, looking glass, table, dishes, kettles, and the like. When Gottlieb made his proof on the claim, he had 12 acres under cultivation and then he had 25 acres broke where he dug the stones out. Jacob testified that Gottlieb had not been able to hear or talk since he was a year old from a sickness. He could converse with his son, but not as good as some people. Gottlieb talked better with Karl Bollinger and Adam Fischer and his siblings. Gottlieb could write and read in German. He could write his name in English also. Gottlieb went to a deaf and dumb school in Russia and learned German. He did not learn the deaf and dumb alphabet at the school. He learned to understand from a person talking by watching his mouth. Gottlieb could work on a farm, drive a team, and put in a crop. He harvested and did farm work in general, even better than some that could hear. He has three horses and three cows of his own. Gottlieb was absent from his land pitching, making hay, for other parties, and hauling manure. But he was never absent from his claim more than six months at a time since making his entry. Gottlieb had a stove that he could bake bread with and burned cow chips and wood. Gottlieb got them by picking up cow chips and he could get enough for his own use. Gottlieb’s bed was of wood and had springs on it. Gottlieb lived in the sod home for about a year. It was about 6 feet tall with the door and windows and door made of wood, and the roof was made of sod. Jacob stated that the wood home on Gottlieb’s land cost $25. The building came from Jacob’s land and was used as a kitchen. It was later moved by Jacob and Gottlieb to Gottlieb’s property. Jacob testified that his son was currently 26 or 27 years old but that he did not recall the date of birth.
Carl Bollinger testified that Gottlieb lived in the sod home. Then he grew wheat and speltz. That Gottlieb worked for Bollinger on the threshing machine. Gottlieb was a good hand, but one had to be careful with him as he was deaf and dumb.
Gottlieb’s brother, Karl Sayler, age 17, interpreted for all witnesses who spoke nothing but German.
He testified that Gottlieb is 12 years older than himself. Karl is listed in the 1900 census as having been born in 9/1887 and was 12 years old. If Karl was born in 1887, twelve years earlier would be 1875 for a birth year for Gottlieb. If Gottlieb was 12 years older, Gottlieb would have been 24 years old during the 1900 census.
Karl stated that Gottlieb had a lamp that he burned coal oil in. They would take manure from the barn and stack it. In the spring, the manure was dried and packed together hard and then cut up with the spade and put out little piles. When it was dry, it was put on larger piles and when it was all dry was put on a stack. In the spring they would put straw on it and put the horses on it to make it hard, and then it was cut up in chunks and it was called misht, which was burned as fuel.
Gottlieb testified that he had a plow to plow with, a Drake and a sod cutter with his father, and a wagon and harness. His father Jacob gave him the horses and plowed when he took the land, and he acquired a wagon later.
Konrad Munsch, listed as a witness to Gottlieb’s intention to make final proof, and direct neighbor to Gottlieb Sayler, testified that his homestead adjoined the defendant’s; that the defendant had no house on the land prior to June 1905; that the defendant, assisted by his father and brothers, had cultivated a part of the land every year. The defendant did not live on the land prior to July 1905, but at his father’s. Munsch had warned the defendant that he was not complying with the law as to residence and advised him to live on his homestead. Munsch had been to the defendant’s house. He saw a bed and blankets, but no table or stove. Munsch wrote the letter to the State of South Dakota, County of Campbell, which caused them to suspend Gottlieb Sayler’s final proof of his Homestead claim.
The Commissioner summarized that the defendant (Gottlieb Sayler) denied that the witness had ever warned him about living on his land, that there was a house on the land before June 1905, and that the houses both had stoves in them (old façade and the frame house). He summarized that the homes were furnished and that the defendant actually resided and made his home in them was established by the very great preponderance of the testimony. The Commissioner did not find it surprising that the defendant occasionally stayed at his father’s home. And taking into consideration his poverty and his afflicted condition, the Commissioner judged that a sufficient compliance with the requirements of the Homestead law had been met.
On October 23, 1907, Commissioner Pollock rendered the judgment that the government had failed to sustain its charges against the defendant, and recommended that final certification be issued to the claimant and that certification was issued April 21, 1908. Gottlieb proved his claim on December 28, 1908, according to the Government Land Office records.
Gottlieb is not listed in the 1910 census.
Gottlieb was not married and did not have children.
The Findagrave.com website shows Gottlieb to be buried at Friedens Lutheran Cemetery, McIntosh County, North Dakota, with a date of death as September 30, 1909. A gravestone for G. Sayler has a date of birth of February 12, 1879. The date of death is not shown. A cemetery map of Friedens Lutheran cemetery, mapped in July 2003, held by St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Wishek North Dakota, shows a date of death of Gottlieb Sayler as September 30, 1909. There are no church records found at this time that could show additional information that might prove this Gottlieb is related to this family.
There is no death certificate for Gottlieb in North Dakota or South Dakota. No obituary has been found. No probate record has been found.
A Campbell County Standard Atlas map, 1911, shows the land still being owned by Gottlieb Sayler. This could be attributed to how long it takes for land to be transferred when there is no will.
While the process of elimination is not necessarily the best genealogical standard of documentation, sometimes it’s all we have. At this time, I have to conclude that Gottlieb Sayler, my grandfather’s brother, son of Jacob and Christina Sayler, was born February 12, 1879, and died September 30, 1909, until further evidence can be uncovered.
On May 13, 1907, Jacob, Gottlieb’s father, was recalled for further examination. He stated that Gottlieb was 29 years old on 15 March 1907. Jacob said he did not recall Gottlieb’s exact age previously so he looked it up in the book when he went home. I am reaching out on a limb and guessing the book he looked it up in was the family Bible. Now, what am I supposed to do with that? Is that intended to be a birth date?
I appreciate any discussion on this End of the Line analysis of Gottlieb Sayler.
