This is the biography of John Christoph Nuffer written by Alma Katherine (Kate) Scheibel Naef, granddaughter of John Christoph Nuffer. Kate’s parents are Jacob Schiebel and Regina Friederike Nuffer. I will type it exactly as it is found in the book, “We of Johann Christoph Nuffer, also known as: Neuffer, Nufer, Neufer,” The book was publiced in April 1990 by Dabco Printing and Binding Co in Roy, Utah.
When grandfather Nuffer was still in Germany, he was a dress goods weaver, did truck gardening, and also had a grave vineyard.
At that time his family consisted of my grandmother, Eva Katherina Griner Nuffer, his second wife, my mother, Frederika (Regina), her two brothers Charles August and Adolph, and two sons, Fred and John, from his first wife, Agnas Barbara Spring Nuffer, who died in Germany.
Their home was on Main Street and was made of lumber and rock.
They belonged to the Germany Lutheren Church, and were visited by mormon missionaries who came from America to preach the Gospel to them. This made their hearts rejoice and in 1879 they were converted to the mormon church o Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder John Theurer of Providence, Utah, U.S.A. was the Elder that preached the gospel to them and later baptized them.
At the time there was a canal or mill race that ran close to the back row of houses. They had planned to do the baptizing at night so they would ot cause any disturbance around the neighborhood.
At the time there was a family who had an upstairs in their house and they watched through the upstairs window and saw grandfathers family go out the back way into the canal. As soon as this family saw them, they rumored it around the neighborhood, and before morning the whole neighborhood knew that the Nuffer family had been baptized into the mormon church and of course, persecusion started.
After having been baptized, they had the desire to come to America, the promised land, to be with the main body of Saints.
My grandmother, Eva Katherina Griner Nuffer, was a woman of great faith as I have heard my mother and Uncle John Nuffer speak of many times. Uncle Fred said in his history that she was a good woman as well as a good mother.
They left Germany in 1880. While coming across the ocean, the children had the measles so it was not a very pleasant journey.
They arrived in Providence, Utah about 15, May, 1880 where they lived for three years. It was while here that Mary (Maria) was born.
Grandfather and family left Providence and moved to Mapleton or Cub River, which at that time was called St. Joseph. At the time they put the Post Office in, there was already a St. Joseph in Idaho, so they had to give it a new name. They named it Mapleton and it could well be called such for it was in the mist of so many beautiful maples. The hills and canyons were loaded with these maples.
The Nuffer ranch or homestead was located on the north-west of Mapleton which the Lord had well provided for the pioneers with black, furtile soil.
Grandfather’s farm was cut in half by the main traveled road.
On the east side was the land where his homes, stables, and orchards were located.
The orchard was on a hill side a little north-west of the second house. The orchard contained applies, different kinds of plums and prunes, cherries, pears, peaches, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currents.
On the side there were also many shade trees which furnished shade in the summer months for the buildings. Some of those trees are still standing and are about 80 years old or more.
On the west side of the road was a meadow. A creek ran through this area. The creek was loaded with bushes and willows which were used in making the fence which surrounded the homestead. Uncle Charles August ad Adolph helped Grandfather make these fences. Also they would help Grandfather with his farming.
Also on both sides of the creek grew Timothy and Red Top which Grandfather used for hay.
On a steep hill side to the west of this hay was a grove of Quaken-asp trees which were used for making fence posts.
To the south of this meadow land was a pasture. Besides being covered with short meadow grass, it had many wild violets and Johnny Jumpups.
The many colors of violets resembled a beautifully spread carpet.
This farm from one end to the other was a beautiful place, but, as time went on the hand of man destroyed this beauty.
The first winter they lived in an unfinished log house. The floor joist was in the floor, but winter came before they could get the lumber to finish it. This was a very uncomfortable winter, and they were snowed in many months at a time and could not get to town for supplies, so they had to live on what they raised on the farm.
Many times when sugar was not available, Grandmother would roast sugar beets in the oven and squeeze the joice out of them for sugar to keep her yeast alive and also for other sweetening purposes.
When flour was scarce, they would grind wheat in the coffee mills to make their bread.
The Germany people liked hot drinks, so they would roast barley or wheat and grind it to use for hot drinks.
Since bottles and sugar were so difficult to get, they would dry many of the fruits and vegetables which they raised and also wild fruits such as Chokecherries and Serviceberries.
They would also use wild gooseberries which grew along the creek and sweet them with honey when they were in season.
When coal oil was not available for lights, they would make a wick out of cloth and soak it up with grease and let it burn.
Grandmother would catch rain water in a barrel and put wood ashes in it to make the water soft when ther wasn’t any soap for washing.
They made brooms out of fine willows to clean their shoes off with.
I remember seeing these willow brooms leaning against the door.
They also made baskets from small willows for cloths baskets or for whatever the need would be.
It was in the house by the orchard on 20, February, 1893, that my grandmother, Eva Katherine Griner Nuffer died of pneumonia.
I don’t know just how long Grandfather lived in this house when he married his third wife, Anna Elisabeth Weirman Nuffer. She had three children, Fred, Ida, and Jake Weirman.
Later they moved back to the first house they built in Mapleton.
Later Grandfather built a one room log house a few rods west of the first house.
Grandfather sold his ranch to the Hull Brothers of Whitney and moved to Preston.
The home in Preston was a two-room frame house west of Uncle John’s rock house which was located in the south-east part of town. That house is still there, but has had more rooms built on to it.
The next place he moved to was Logan, Utah. It was here, 1, December, 1901, that his third wife, Anna Elisabeth Weirman Nuffer died.
While still living in Logan, Grandfather married his fourth wife, Maria Alker Nuffer.
After living in Logan for some time, they moved back to Mapleton where Uncle Charles August Nuffer built them a one-room log house in his orchard.
Uncle Charles August’s house was just over the ridge and not far from the old Nuffer home. His house could be seen from Grandfather’s orchard.
I don’t remember just how long they lived there before they moved back to Preston.
Uncle John Nuffer and some of his boys built them a two-room rock (or cement) house. It was across the street, south, and a little east of Uncle John’s old frame house.
It was here in this house that Grandfather died 12, April, 1908.
Grandfather had poor health the later fifteen or more years of his life. He had terrible headaches, kidney trouble, and other such ailments as stomach and liver. All these and more made him suffer a great deal. Just before his death, he was nearly blind.
I am grateful for my pioneer grandparents and the heritage they have given me.
Prepared and arranged June 1961 by Laurine and LaNada Hancock daughter and granddaughter of Katherine (Kate) Naef
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I wanted to add a couple of notes.
There appears some debate who had the middle name of Christoph, some believe it was only Sr, others only Jr.
Eva Katherine Greiner is the proper spelling.
Anna Elizabeth Weirman is Anna Elizabeth Reber who was a widow of Gottfried Weierman (some sourches Weiermann).
Maria Alker is Maria Anna Alker who was a widow of Conrad Schaub.
