John and Elizabeth Zimmerly Diller • Peter and Barbara Suter Diller
• Diller is an Americanized spelling of Thüler
Many Swiss pioneers came to America on the ship Boston in 1824. Including brothers John and Peter, and their widowed mother, Maria Zimmerly Thüler. Their father, Johannes, died in Florimont France on Aug. 7, 1813.
The three of them first settled in Paint Township, Holmes County, Ohio.
Then, in 1835, John, and several other men came to Putnam County searching the area to stake out some land to be cleaned and developed for farming.
John returned to Holmes County and married Elizabeth Zimmerly on Dec. 5, 1835. She is the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Steiner Zimmerly. They also came to America and settled in Green Township, Wayne County, Ohio.
In March 1836, John and Elizabeth and several other families started for Putnam County in a covered wagon. The covered wagon was still in existence and owned by the Diller family when this series was originally presented to Fred Steiner in 2000. Samuel D. Diller lived on the family farm and it was still owned by the Diller family in 2000.
John and Elizabeth had 13 children who were each born in Riley Township, Putnam County.
John’s younger brother, Peter, also came to this area, but we are not certain if he came with the same group in 1836. We know that Peter married Barbara Suter on Jan. 4, 1837, in Riley Township. Barbara, who was not married to John at that time, also came on the ship Boston in 1824, with her parents, Bishop Christian and Magdalena Steiner Suter.
Peter and Barbara had eight children each born in Riley Township.
John and Elizabeth Zimmerly Diller had 50 grandchildren and most of these families remained in the area. Peter and Barbara Suter Diller had 55 grandchildren. The Adam P. Diller family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in October 1906.
John, his wife, Elizabeth, Peter, his wife, Barbara, and their mother, Marie, are each buried in the Swiss Mennonite Church Cemetery. John and Peter’s father, Johannes, is buried in France.
Note: If birth and death locations are not mentioned the location is Riley Township, Putnam County, Ohio
John Thüler Born: Oct. 15, 1811, Cme Normanvillars Florimont France Died: June 29, 1892, Putnam County Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Spouse: Elizabeth Zimmerly Born: Jan. 12, 1814, Glashutten Canton Aargau Switzerland Died: Dec. 22, 1882 Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
John’s Father: Johannes Thüler (1785-1813) John’s Mother: Maria Luginbuhl (1783-1847) Married: December 1835
Elizabeth’s father: Peter Zimmerly (1777-1850) Elizabeth’s mother: Elizabeth Steiner (1779-1839)
Children Maria Diller Born: Jan. 4, 1837 Died: April 12, 1853
Peter D. Diller Born: May 15, 1838 Died: March 7, 1918 Spouse: Barbara Steiner The couple had 13 children
Elizabeth Diller Born: April 26, 1840 Died: April 19, 1853
Katharina Diller Born: Jan. 4, 1842 Died: July 16, 1926
David D. Diller Born: Aug. 28, 1843 Died: Oct. 23, 1907 Spouse: Susanna Hochstetler The couple had 11 children
John D. Diller Born, Dec. 23, 1845 Died: May 31, 1919, Pandora Spouse: Verna Wehrly The couple had 12 children
Verena Diller Born: Dec. 19, 1848 Died: March 30, 1927
Magdalena Diller Born: June 18, 1850 Died: July 13, 1926 Spouse: Godfrey Weber
Christian Diller Born: June 9, 1852 Died: June, 13, 1906 Spouse: Maria A. Suter
Regina Diller Born: April 29, 1854 Died: June 21, 1854
Abraham Diller Born: June 28, 1855 Died: Dec. 29, 1929
Anna Diller Born: Aug. 22, 1857 Died: March 3, 1904 Spouse: Jacob Henry Steiner The couple had 5 children
Samuel D. Diller Born: Oct. 26, 1862 Died: March 27, 1927 Spouse: Anna Amstutz The couple had 9 children
Name: Peter Pierre Thüler Born: March 3, 1813, Cme Normanvillars Florimont France Died: Sept. 10, 1866 Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Spouse: Barbara M. Tschantz Married: Jan. 4, 1837
Spouse: Barbara Suter Born: Oct. 15, 1818 Cme Le Puix Haut-Rhin Belfort France Died: April 5, 1860, Putnam County Buried: Old Mennonite Cemetery, Bluffton
Peter’s father: Johannes Thüler (1785-1813) Peter’s mother: Maria Luginbuhl (1783-1847)
Barbara’s father: Bishop Christian Sutter, Sr. (1792-1874) Barbara’s mother: Magdalena Steiner (1793-1860)
Children Christian Diller Born: Oct. 4, 1837 Died: March 2, 1852
Adam P. Diller Born: Sept. 16, 1839 Died: Feb. 7, 1919, Phoenix, Arizona Spouse: Katherine Schumacher The couple had 12 children
John G. Diller Born: Feb. 21, 1841 Died March 7, 1908, Upland, California Spouse: Elisabeth Schumacher The couple had 9 children
Magdalena Diller Born: March 7, 1843 Died: April 23, 1866 Spouse: Peter T. Steiner The couple had 2 children
Rev. Benjamin Diller Born: June 24, 1845 Died: Dec. 26, 1919 Spouse: Magdalena Steiner The couple had 1 child; Magdalena died at age 22 Spouse: Barbara Steiner The couple had 12 children
Peter Diller, Jr. Born: Sept. 14, 1847 Died: Dec. 12, 1915, Bluffton Spouse: Mary Stalder The couple had 2 children
Mary Diller Born: Sept. 1, 1850 Died: Oct. 17, 1913, Hancock County Spouse: Benjamin Geiger The couple had 11 children
David Daniel Diller Born: Aug. 27, 1856 Died: Sept. 3, 1916, Richland Township Spouse: Magdalena Steiner The couple had 6 children