The Hepfer Family

11. Georg Jakob HOPFER, Sr.

Georg Jakob HOPFER, Sr. was born 15 March 1804 in Kuppingen, Herrenberg, wuerttemberg, Germany. Georg was united in marriage to Mary Ann WALTER 19 Augtust 1834 in Kuppingen, Herrenberg, Wuerttemberg, Germany. Georg and Mary were Lutheran.

February l847 Georg, Mary, and their family of five children set sail for America and they arived in the New York Harbor 30 days later. Sometime after the family arrived in America the names were changed to HEPFER and Georg became George Jacob HEPFER, Sr..

The family came immediately to Freedom Township, Washtenaw, Michigan, where George and Mary first settled near Ann Arbor, Michigan. George made his living here in Michigan as a farmer and carpenter. Here, George first rented land where they stayed for four years and George bought a tract of land in the Chelsea, Michigan area. In 1855, George and Mary moved to DeWitt Township, Clinton County, Michigan, where they purchased 120 acres on Myer Road where George farmed. They remained on this farm until 10 June 1871 when they purchased a farm from Gebhart and Catherine GIITEKUNST.

This farm was locaEed at 13830 DeWitt Road in Dewitt. Township, Clinton, Michigan, which was locaged north of Lansing and south of Dewitt, Michigan on the corner of DeWitt Road and Clark Road. The description of this land was:

SW 1/4 of SE t/4, Section 17 TsN-R2W and 3/4 of St/z of Sw a/4, Section 17 T5N-R2W EXC. beg. 776 foot North of S 1/4 post, Th N 264 foot, Th W 185 foot, Th S 264 foot, Th E 185 foot to point beginning in Clinton County.

This original parcel was 100 acres and cost $50.00 per acre. The home was built about 1854 and was remodeled about 1850, then again in 1911. George’s major crops were corn, wheat., oats and beans.

George died 25 December 1875 in DeWitt Township, Clinton, Michigan, and George was buried at the Hurd Cemetery in DeWitt Township, Clinton, Michigan. This farm on DeWitt Road was a Centennial farm.

Mary Anna WALTER, born to Johann Leonhard WALTER and Justina Dorothea BRUNNER, was born 13 Augrust 1802 in Affstadt, Herrenberg, Wuerttemberg, Germany. Mary Ann died 1 June 1873 from injuries received from a runaway horse accident, on the Clark Road, between the Henry HEPFER and Clarence BAUERLE farm houses. Mary Ann was buried at the Hurd Cemetery in DeWitt Township, Clinton, Michigan. Johann Leonhard WALTER was a Lutheran and was a citizen and farmer in Affstadt, Herrenberg, Wuertternberg, Germany. Justina Dorothea BRUNNER was a Lutheran. Johann and Justina had only one child, Mary Anna. German records indicate Johann’s daughter was born Anna Maria WALTER.

To this union, six children were born: