My Dad's Correct Name

Quoting Uncle Fred:
Dad's correct name was Charleya August Zeebert. Mother's first name was Louisa (Louise) as she was called by most people. I do not remember her maiden surname or if she had a middle name. I can remember my grandmother, but cannot recall her name. She was 92 at death and passed away in Minnesota, probably while we lived in Le Sueur. Grandmother came to America with Dad and Mother. I am now 92. The name Seebart was adopted by the family through a suggestion by Bill (Uncle William) while we lived on the Spafford place located about half way between Emerado, North Dakota and Thompson, North Dakota and is a corruption of the proper name Zeebert.
End of Quote, 1958--E.A.S.

Brother Arthur Seebart and myself are inclined to believe that the proper spelling of our surname should be Ziebarth or Ziebarth as it appears on George Herbert Seebart Jr's baptismal certificate.

Grandpa's monument was evidently placed on their Cemetery lot sometime after the family had moved to the Spafford farm from the Ben Hall place. The name Charleya Seebart appears on the monument without the middle name August. Grandma Seebart and son Emmett are buried in the same lot. There are no records of either on the stone. The lot is approximately in the center of the Cemetery, indicating that it could have been one of the earliest burials. The Cemetery joins the lot on which the present church stands. The old church building was completely dismantled. The monument is rather tall and dark gray, similar to other stones of that time. It leans slightly toward the grave. The inscription was evidently done by one familiar with the German language as the letters are of German formation and are rather difficult to read. The Cemetery is well kept. The dark gray monument looks strangely out of place among the more recent markers. A top portion has been broken off but it does not detract from the appearance.

There was a group of Sunday School children playing in the church yard--they probably had never heard about the Seebarts and probably cared less. As I stood there on that bright and beautiful fall day, strange thoughts came to my mind.
October, 1958

During the Seebart reunion of June 1960, sisters Clara, Grace, Mae, Brother Art and myself motored to the old German church in my new Ford Falcon. No burial records could be found of Grandpa, Grandma or Uncle Emmett Seebart. it was the we learned that the present church is completely new except for what lumber could be salvaged from the old church. We do know that Uncle Emmett died before his parents passed away. Grandpa died in 1892 and Grandma passed away seven years later (1899) when the family lived on the Spafford place. I was born in 1891.

Sixty some odd years of North Dakota weather have passed over their graves--is it possible? No wonder people looked at me in a strange way when I asked them if they knew of the Seebart family. the changed spelling of the name would most certainly not be familiar.

Quoting Uncle Fred Bernard Seebart:
Dad and mother came to America in the seventies. I don't remember the name of the ship or the date they arrived. My Grandmother came with them. I do not remember her name. Dad and Mother were in their thirties when in New York State. Mother was ten years younger that Dad. From New York they moved to Long Prairie, Todd County, Minnesota.

Henry (our dad) and Bill were twins and were born in New York State. All other children were born in Minnesota, except an unnamed child which died while crossing the ocean. (It was later learned that this child was named Ernie.) The Seebarts and the Weier's lived together for several years after coming to this country.

Henry and Ella were married at Arvilla, North Dakota. They were in their thirties. Bill never married.

I can remember brother Herman carrying me on his shoulders. I fell off one day, cutting my forehead between my eyes. You can see the scar. I also remember mother preparing Herman for burial.

My grandmother died at Long Prairie. She was in her nineties. My mother died at age of ninety-two while we were on the Spafford place.
End of quote--1958--E.A.S.

A later interview with Uncle Fred:
Dad, Mother and family moved from New York State to Minnesota. I do not remember the date. While in Minnesota we lived in or near the following villages: Le Sueur (Le Sueur County), Litchfield (Meeker County), Paynesville (Stearns County), Saulk Center (Stearns County) and Long Prairie (Todd County). We moved from paynesville to Dakota Territory when I was about eight years of age. My job was to drive the cattle. I can remember my sore feet as I was barefoot. We were six weeks on the road.
Dated 1959 = E.A.S.

It is interesting to note that these Minnesota Villages are all more or less in a northwesterly and southeasterly direction from each other, which could indicate that this was the frontier in the Seebart family time. Uncle Fred often stated that his dad always moved to the frontier.
1959