VI-36 Wilhelm GIRAUD (William Shero) (10 Feb 1825-5 Oct 1882) on 14 Jul 1846 m. Christina SIEBENPFEIFFER (Siebenpfeifer) (8 Dec 1830-1 Jan 1914).

Issue born died
VII-272 Christina SHERO 5 May 1847 Aug 1916
VII-273 Magdalena SHERO 16 Jul 1848 15 Jul 1857
VII-274 William Leroy SHERO 1 Mar 1850 10 Oct 1921
VII-275 Philip SHERO 30 Dec 1852 17 Feb 1934
VII-276 Louis SHERO 3 May 1854 9 Jul 1915
VII-277 Isaac K. SHERO 28 Aug 1856 6Aug 1922
VII-278 Christopher Columbus SHERO 30 Dec 1859 2 Mar 1946
VII-279 Henry SHERO 15 Jul 1862 7 May 1907
VII-280 Charles E. SHERO 5 Jan 1866 6 Jan 1931

Wilhelm Giraud, third oldest surviving child of Johann Jakob Giraud (V-24,1784-1870+) was born in Friedrichstal (Baden) in 1825 and was baptized ten days later. His sponsors were the same as for his eldest brother Jakob.

Wilhelm was 10 years old in 1835 when the family emigrated to America. Five years later, at age 15, he presumably is included in a household headed by his brother Johannes, in Erie County, New York. The 1845 state census has apparently not been searched.

Wilhelm married on July 14, 1846, at the church in Eden, Erie County. The entry appears in the "Copulations Protocoll" for that year on page 153:

Wilhelm Giraud, legitimate son of Johann Giraud of Boston and his wife Christina, born Lacroix, was joined with his bride Christina Siebenpfeifer, legitimate daughter of Philipp Siebenpfeiffer and his wife Catharina, born Buhr. Witnesses were Phil. Siebenpfeiffer and Joh. Giraud.

That was the translation from the writing below:

Wilhelm Giraud, ehel, Schn des Johann Giraud in Boston, und dessen verstorb. Ehefr. Christina Geb. Lacroix, mit seimem Braut Christina Siebenpfeifer. ehel Tochter des Philipp Siebenpfeifer und dessen Ehefrau Catharina, born Buhr. Zeugen, l. Phil. Siebenpfeiffer, 2. Joh. Giraud.

Both fathers were witnesses at the wedding. Theirs was only the third wedding that year in the small congregation, Wilhelm's eldest brother Jacob being married later that same year.

Christina Siebenpfeifer (Sievenpfeiffer, Sevenpfifer) was one of six children, all born 1828-1841 to Phillippe Siebenpfeiffer (27 Sep 1801-20 Oct 1855) and wife Catherine Burr (7 Mar 1803-11 Aug 1874). The Siebenpfeifer family can be traced to the early 1600's. At least four generations lived in the Saar, in Germany. Christina's line moved to the village of Siewiller, France where her father was born. Her parents married in 1828 and appear to have emigrated to America sometime after 2 March 1838 when permission to make the trip was granted. Daughter Christina was but an infant. There is a strong likelihood that the father had preceded the family in light of the fact that on 2 March 1835 he filed an intention to become a naturalized citizen as a resident of Erie County. He was naturalized on 18 September 1838 (his signature reads "Ziebenpfeiffer"). Significant land purchases and sales in the Boston area date between 1838 and 15 December 1854 indicate that the family had some means.

The 1840 Federal Census confirms the presence of his wife Catharine (b.1803), sons Phillip ( b. 1831),Christopher ( b. 1836), Henry ( b. 1835), and Charles ( b. 1840), and daughters Christina ( b. 1830), and Charlotte ( b. 1837). The 1850 census again recorded the family in Boston. Philip was aged 50 with a personal estate worth $l,000. Five children remained with the family, Christina had married William Giraud/Shero in 1846 as noted.

Philip Siebenpfeifer made his first Canadian land purchase on 2 March 1854, buying a part of Lot 21, first Concession, Haldimand County ("reserving the mill pond") for 500 pounds. Clearly, the family with son-in-law William Shero moved to Canada together. Philip died c. 1855-60. Mother-in-law Catharine appears as a widow in the 1861 Canadian Census, living in Rainham Township. She is again listed in 1871, aged 68, with her birthplace given as France. The family was Lutheran and two of the sons were carpenters. The same sources give the United States as the place of birth for all of the sons although their country of birth is given as Germany.

The Shero's had their first child in 1847, born at Boston again the church "Tauf Protocoll" (pg. 5): (This Boston, is in New York and not Mass.).

Christiane Giraud, ehel. Tochter des Wilhelm Giraud, Schreian (?), und dessen ehefrau Christine, geb. Siebenpfeifer, taufzeugen: Philipp Giraud; Michael Kohl, Margaretha Eis.

Curiously, only Wilhelm has a trade (unidentified) entered after his name. An abbreviation for this same work appears following both the marriage entries of himself and his brother, and in each instance has been crossed out in the entry.

The first two children came in rapid fashion, one being born each year. Another daughter, Magdalena, was born in Collins, Erie County, NY on 16 July 1848. In keeping with this trend, a third child, the first son, Wilhelm was born in the same community on 1 March 1850. More conventional two year spacings then came between births as son Phillip was born, this time at Boston, Erie County, New York, on 30 December 1852 and finally Louis, who was born 3 May 1854 in Ashford, Cattaraugus County, New York.

The 1850 Federal Census found the family in Boston, with three children. William a carpenter was age 25, Christina was 21, and children Christina age 3, Luny (Magdalena) 2, and William four months old. William Sr. had a property value of $700. (Erie County, 1850, roll # 500, Boston, pp. 6).

William first signs his name as "Shero" in 1850. That year he purchased land, Lot 24, range 7 of Township 8, from Charles C. and Sophronia Ayers, on 11 March for $519. This purchase was just prior to the census (on July 8), the mortgage entered into on that date valued at $700 being repeated on the schedule. William purchased the central portion of Lot 24 approximately 50 acres. Measurements are in chains and links.

Three years later George Lemmer purchased the lot, assuming the $700 mortgage on March l, 1853. William signed the document, Christina made her mark. This transaction marked the departure of the family to Canada. They were however still residing in Ashford, Cattaraugus County, New York, at the time of the birth of their fifth child, Louis, born 3 May 1854. Isaac was born in Rainham, Haldimand County, Ontario on 28 August 1856, and Christopher, born there also on 30 December 1859. Henry born 1 July 1862, was the last child born in Canada, and was born at Senaca.

We know nothing about why the family departed for Ontario. Crossing the border from New York was commonly done by New Yorkers. It is likely that the move was made by Christina's family, with the intention to join relatives already settled in Canada, and William and Christina simply tagged along. Perhaps the family went the same time the Siebenpfeifers did. One of the local church pastors in Eden was actively involved in organizing churches across the lake in Ontario. At any rate, the William Shero family alone, of all of the Shero children made the move along with all or most of the Siebenpfeifer family. Christina's parents, as noted above, made the trip at this time, as did her brothers Philip, Henry, Charles, and sister Charlotte. Her brother Christopher, born in 1836, was apparently dead by this time. Brother Charles, is listed in the family Bible in the "Familien Register", the entry reads "Charles Siebenpfeifer born in the Year of Our Lord 1841 State of New York, Erie
County, Township of Eden."

The two families owned land at opposite ends of the township by 1861. The Siebenpfeifer relations appear in the 1861 and 1871 Canadian Censuses and their descendants remain in the same area today. The close ties between them would survive well into the next century, with cousins Charlotte Honsberger, Chelious Simeon Leggett and Elizabeth Leggett writing to and visiting Texas cousin Jennie Shero as late as 1910. The Leggetts descended from Jacob Leggett and Magdalena Siebenpfeifer Leggett, the latter a daughter of Henry, brother to Christina, and Samuel Leggett and Elizabeth, sister to Magdalena. A Honsberger apparently married with Charlotte, another sister. We have been in contact with the present day Siebenpfeifers who still live in Ontario, Canada. They spell the name Sevenpifer.

In Fisherville Trinity Lutheran Cemetery (Section B, center of the second row to the east of the center road) stands a quartz slab grave marker, one foot wide, two inches thick, two and a half feet tall. The stone reads:
Magdalena Daugh. Of Wm. & Christina Shero died July 23, 1857 Aged 9 yrs, 7d's
Fisherville Trinity Lutheran Cemetery

Here the family assembled to bury their child, three years after their arrival in Canada. In truth, the family was spared the many youthful deaths almost typical in all large families of the period. One of eight would die. We cannot of course know the circumstances, but surely Magdalena's loss was a severe blow to the family. Called "Luny" in the 1850 census, her grave marks this northernmost point in the long migration of the Shero's from Germany to Texas. (I received a letter from Ron and Olinka Sevenpifer from Port Colborne, Ontario on 10 January 2000 and they had gone to Magdalena's grave and poured concrete around the base of her stone where it had been chipping away probably from the lawn mowers over the years. While there they took a photo of the stone).