Frederick "Fritz" Kieber was born 24 Jun 1844 in Alsace. His parents, Fred Kieber and Elizabeth Buerger were listed on his death certificate as speaking German and living in Germany (Alsace was under German control then). He was conscripted in the German army during the Franco-Prussian war.According to some cousins, he was wounded from lying in a trench filled with cold water. Disabled for life, in later years, he ran the family farm from a wheelchair.
Fred rose to the rank of sergeant, though he still detested being a soldier, or was it that he fell in love with a French Alsatian woman, Magdalena Grimm. Alsace being "enemy" territory to the German conquerors. At any rate, Fred emigrated in 1872, entering America through Castle Garden NY. He became a naturalized citizen on 3 Oct 1884 in Buffalo NY.

Fred acquired a 150-200 acre farm in East Amherst NY, a community where many Alsatians were settling. Fred married Magdalene Grimm on 8 or 10 Oct. 1872 in Alsace we think, though, again we have no documentation. Fred and Lena bore eleven children: Magdalena (she died at one year old), Fred sn, George, John, Emma, Martin, Margaret, Kathryne, Lena, Mary, and Clara. The one-room church where the family worshipped can be visited at the Amherst living history site: http://www.amherstmuseum.org/

Fred suffered a nasty case of pneumonia (related to his trench days possibly?) and died when only 50 years old on 20 Feb. 1895. He is buried at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church grounds on Transit Road in Amherst, NY. This plot is adjacent to the Transit Valley Country Club, the first nine holes of which were the Kieber family farm.

Submitted by: Carolyn Grady 47183755

Frederick "Fritz" Kieber was born 24 Jun 1844 in Alsace. His parents, Fred Kieber and Elizabeth Buerger were listed on his death certificate as speaking German and living in Germany (Alsace was under German control then). He was conscripted in the German army during the Franco-Prussian war.According to some cousins, he was wounded from lying in a trench filled with cold water. Disabled for life, in later years, he ran the family farm from a wheelchair.
Fred rose to the rank of sergeant, though he still detested being a soldier, or was it that he fell in love with a French Alsatian woman, Magdalena Grimm. Alsace being "enemy" territory to the German conquerors. At any rate, Fred emigrated in 1872, entering America through Castle Garden NY. He became a naturalized citizen on 3 Oct 1884 in Buffalo NY.

Fred acquired a 150-200 acre farm in East Amherst NY, a community where many Alsatians were settling. Fred married Magdalene Grimm on 8 or 10 Oct. 1872 in Alsace we think, though, again we have no documentation. Fred and Lena bore eleven children: Magdalena (she died at one year old), Fred sn, George, John, Emma, Martin, Margaret, Kathryne, Lena, Mary, and Clara. The one-room church where the family worshipped can be visited at the Amherst living history site: http://www.amherstmuseum.org/

Fred suffered a nasty case of pneumonia (related to his trench days possibly?) and died when only 50 years old on 20 Feb. 1895. He is buried at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church grounds on Transit Road in Amherst, NY. This plot is adjacent to the Transit Valley Country Club, the first nine holes of which were the Kieber family farm.

Submitted by: Carolyn Grady 47183755