My Genealogy Hound

August Seyffert, clerk of Moniteau County, Mo., is a native of Zwenkau, Saxony, Germany, his birth occurring on the 9th of December, 1843. His parents, F. William and Mary M. (Knauff) Seyffert, were also born in Saxony, and immigrated with a family of eight children to America, taking passage on the sailing vessel, “Elisa,” at Bremen, and landing at New York City after an ocean voyage of forty-two days, and came almost directly to St. Louis, Mo., where they resided two years. While in this city the father was engaged in a furniture factory, having learned the trade of turner in his native land. In 1854 he came to Moniteau County, Mo., and although his means were very limited, he purchased a tract of land, on which was a little log cabin, in Walker Township, and during his residence there until the spring of 1873, he had made a great many valuable improvements. In that year he moved to California, Mo., where he followed his trade until the fall of 1873, when his death occurred. His wife died in the spring of 1887. They were the parents of thirteen children, seven of whom died in Germany, and three in America. Those living are August, Gustave A. and Hermann R. August Seyffert was but nine years of age when he came to America with his parents, and as they were in straitened circumstances for a number of years he was obliged to assist on the farm, and thus his early education was neglected. In 1861 he enlisted in the Home Guards, and in March, 1862, became first sergeant of Company E, of the Fifth Missouri Cavalry, and served until the close of the war. He was in several hard skirmishes, but was never wounded. On returning home he began clerking for Charles B. Maus, of Jefferson City, and remained with him four years. During his service in the army he accumulated a little capital and bought a farm adjoining the homestead of his father, intending to make farming his avocation, but his friends persuaded him to settle in California, Mo , and up to 1886, a period of fifteen years, he was engaged in clerking in that town. He is one of the leading citizens of the county, and in the fall of 1886 the people showed their appreciation of his merits by electing him to his present office. He is a member of the A. O. U. W., the I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R. On May 21, 1870, he was wedded to Minnie Twiehaus, a native of St. Louis, by whom he has four children: Ida B., Emma M., Edward A. and Augusta M.