Below is information found in Family Search relating to the mother of Christian Abeggelen and his wife Anna Maria Marbach. Margarethe Abegglen history, revised by Chris Merkley 2021

“Rewriting History, an Extended Incomplete History of My Abegglen Family By Christon Huber Merkley, a descendant Based on “A Brief Sketch of Margaretha Abegglen” written by Margaret Huber This document is a revision and expansion of “A Brief Sketch of Margaretha Abegglen” written by Margaret Huber. Its purpose is meant to clarify her sketch and add newly available documentation to her narrative. It is not meant to be encyclopedic, so other family members should feel free to edit as I have done. 

Margaretha Gertsch Abegglen (1799-1885) was born on 25 January 1799 in Lauterbrunnen, Canton Bern, Switzerland. Her parents were Conrad Gertsch (1758-1824) and Anna von Allmen (1765-1837). She was their 6th child out of 9, but only she and two siblings survived to adulthood. Times were hard. At age 22 she married Christian Abegglen (1790-1857) in Gsteig bei Interlaken, Canton Bern on 15 June 1821. He was 31 at the time. They were blessed with 7 children of which 6 survived to adulthood and were apparently very long lived for that time. These were Christian Abegglen (1822-1889), Gotlieb Abegglen (1825-1891), Margaritha Abegglen (1827-1900), Conrad Abegglen (1829-1913), Anna Abegglen (1832-1879), Johannes Abegglen (1835-1836) and Ulrich Abegglen (1840-1915). Five of these siblings and their mother would later join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and emigrate to Midway, Utah. 

Their father, Christian Abegglen, Sr. died at age 67 in Switzerland, just three years before the family was contacted by the missionaries in 1860. Margaret Huber’s Brief Sketch of Margaretha Abegglen’s life includes the following: Grandmother was left a widow in her early life. They were devoted to each other and her husband’s death was such a shock to her. He was carrying a net full of hay on his back to put in a barn. In Switzerland they gathered the hay from the side of the mountains and have to cut with scythe and watch it, and turn it often between the rain showers. It was while gathering hay that he was stricken with death. He had packed a net full of hay up a ladder and emptied it, and came down the ladder again when he put both hands up to his face to hold his head when he died so sudden. His oldest son Christian Abegglen packed him on his back for two miles to the nearest village where they put him on a stretcher and carried him home. This almost detracted (?) Grandmother. She never married after that, but devoted her life to her sons. My impression is that this actually happened and probably represents a sudden subarachnoid hemorrhage. These occur suddenly without any warning and are described as causing the most severe headache imaginable. They often result in death, even with advanced medical care. Parts of the story don’t quite add up, but they don’t negate the basic story itself. At the time of his death in 1857, he was 67 and she was 58. This is not “early life”, but she did end up spending nearly 28 years alone and didn’t remarry. The timing is curious because he died in the early spring. It doesn’t seem accurate that he was cutting, turning, bundling, carrying and storing hay in the Alps in April. 

Margaretha Gertsch Abegglen was baptized by Elder Jabez Woodard in November 1860 according to her 1885 obituary. Other members of the family were soon baptized as well. Plans were then made to emigrate to Utah, as was the practice then. She and the families of her two sons, Conrad and Christian boarded the “Windemere” in LeHavre, France and arrived in New York City 28 April 1862. They made their way to Florence, Nebraska and joined 217 other pioneers with the William H. Dame freight train on 14 August 1862. After a 7-month world journey they arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley late in the season on 29 October 1862. Theirs was the last group of pioneers to reach the valley that year. Margaretha never remarried and lived in Midway, Utah with her sons for the rest of her life. Her obituary in the Deseret News 15 April 1885 states “She fell asleep as peaceful as little children do, surrounded by her four sons and one daughter with their numerous families, an ever faithful, true, cheerful and always good mother, grandmother and Latter-day Saint, beloved by all who knew her.” She died of “old age” in Midway, Wasatch County, Utah Territory on 30 March 1885 at age 86. 

Ulrich Abegglen Ulrich Abegglen (1840-1915) was the youngest child and probably one of the most daring. Born as the 7th child in Gundlischwand, Canton Bern, Switzerland 1 March 1840, he was baptized 1 October 1860. He was the first in the family to make the journey to the Utah Territory. He secured passage on the “Monarch of the Seas” with 954 other passengers in Liverpool, England and arrived in New York on 19 June 1861. After making his way to Florence, Nebraska, he joined the Sixtus E. Johnson ox team covered wagon company with 110 other pioneers. Elder Jabez Woodard who had baptized his mother and most likely him, was in the company as well. It probably eased the concern of his mother to know that he was traveling with an older friend. They arrived 13 September 1861. He then “came on” to the settlement of Mound City, later known as Midway. He was a farmer and made a hobby of hand casting molding models in clay. He married Magdalena Galli, also a transplanted Swiss convert, on 24 September 1863 in South Cottonwood and they had 6 children. She was 7 years his senior. “Ulrich and Magdalina came up to Midway 29 October 1864. While on their way to Provo Valley (now known as Heber Valley), Aunt Magdalina took sick in a covered wagon with ox teams near Sessions ranch. She gave birth to her first baby, a boy. It was cold and stormy. The storm came right through the wagon cover. It was in this state that their baby died, and which caused so much ill health through her life.” 

She went on to live another 32 years, passing away 5 December 1896 in Midway. Ulrich was remarried 1 February 1900 to Anna Elizabeth Kupfer (1849- 1925) another Swiss-born convert. She was 49 and her record shows that she had a child, Mary Elizabeth Abegglen (1879-1947). The record does not reveal the circumstances of her birth but does list her father as Ulrich Abegglen. She may have assumed the Abegglen name or may have been adopted. It is possible that she was the product of an undocumented polygamous marriage. Her death certificate indicates that her occupation was “school teach/town clerk” and that she spent the last 8 years of her life at the Utah State Hospital in Provo. She died of heart failure 6 September 1947. This represents an opportunity for further research and temple ordinances. In 1901 Ulrich was called by Wilford Woodruff as a missionary in Switzerland. What a challenge for a newly remarried 61-year-old. His death certificate indicates that he died a sudden death of unknown cause on 1 July 1915 at age 75. 

Christian Abegglen, Jr. (1822-1889) was born in Gundlischwand, Canton Bern, Switzerland 14 April 1822. He married Anna Maria “Mary” Marbach in about 1842. They had no children. “He settled in Midway, lived in the Fort and was in the Ira Jacobs Infantry Company. He helped establish and maintain a cheese factory in White Pine Canyon in 1880. He is remembered as a sturdy, hard-working, honest, reliable citizen.” Anna Maria “Mary” was also a Swiss convert and arrived in the Territory of Deseret 15 September 1868 with the John Gillespie Company. She crossed the plains in a record 22 days, probably because she could take the train most of the way. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed 10 May 1869, just 8 months later. Many of the men in Midway traveled to Green River, Wyoming to work on the railroad. 

Conrad Abegglen (1829-1913) was the 4th child of Christian Abegglen and Margarethe Gertsch Abegglen and was born in Gundlischwand, Canton Bern, Switzerland 8 December 1829. At age 27 he married Elizabeth Kummer on 6 February 1857. Conrad was baptized 11 September 1860 by John Huber. His younger brother departed for Utah the following spring. He, his wife Elizabeth and 3 young children joined his brother Christian and his mother, Margarethe Gertsch Abegglen in emigrating to Utah. They had 4 children, but twin daughters died in Midway at age 10 of scarlet fever or diphtheria. They reached LeHavre, France by train and boarded the ship “Windermere” with arrival after 6 weeks in New York 28 April 1862. After reaching Florence, Nebraska, again by train, joined the William H. Dame freight train with 217 other saints on 14 August 1862 with arrival 29 October 1862. There is a more extensive history in the Memories section on FamilySearch. 

The family ultimately settled in Mound City or Midway. Mound City had two areas of settlement known as the “upper” and “lower” settlements. The Black Hawk War caused increased concern for the safety of the citizens. They debated the benefits of each location for protection and finally agreed to meet in the middle and call the new settlement “Midway.” Conrad took advantage of the Homestead Act and homesteaded 160 acres. After making some money on the sale of some prospecting claims in the hills of Midway and Park City, he discarded his log cabin with its long grass roof and built a new frame home. He and his brothers, Christian, Ulrich and Gottlieb went into business with Fred Barben making cheese in 1880. They built a creamery and sold cheese, cream, butter and milk. It seems likely (but undocumented) that all of them had dairy and cheese making skills learned in Switzerland. At age 60 he was called to serve in the Swiss-German Mission 1890- 1891. His favorite hobby was flower gardening, and he would press his special and most beautiful flowers in his large Bible. His wife died 26 April 1898. He died in Midway, 6 February 1913. 

Gotlieb Abegglen (1825-1891) was born in Gundlischwand, Canton Bern, Switzerland 8 May 1825, the second son and child of Christian Abegglen Sr. and Margarethe Gertsch Abegglen. He married Anna Gertsch (1824-1888) on 2 December 1859 in Switzerland. The record indicates baptism 26 September 1870 for him and 26 September 1872 for her. This makes one wonder if the years are correct. The LDS Church Historical Department’s Overland Pioneer Database indicates conversion in 1871 in Kindlishwand, Canton Bern. Margaret Huber’s sketch agrees with baptism in 1872 by Brother John Huber (President of Swiss-German Mission 1870-1874) and John Keller. They departed for Utah the next summer and set sail in July 1873 from Liverpool on the SS Nevada. “They left a good home in Switzerland and came for the Gospel’s sake.” They had 5 children with 2 dying in infancy. These children were Anna, Gottlieb and Margaritha. 

“My father went to the mountains” (near Midway). “Father was the first man to go to the hill, White Pines as they called it, and kept a dairy. He made cheese. He would take the people’s cows from Midway and go to the “Pines” every summer and according to the amount of milk each party had, they would get cheese in the fall of the year.” When the mines in Park City opened up and were booming, he closed the dairy. “His wife, Anna would make knapsacks for men and would sell them to the miners. She was a very hardworking woman in her day. She could work in the fields and maintain a household. She corded and spun wool, made nice yarn, spun and wove clothes. She did a great deal of knitting.” Anna Gertsch Abegglen earned this work ethic early in her life. Her mother, Maria Glaus (1804-1838) died early (childbirth complications??) at age 34 in Switzerland. Maria had married at 17 and over the ensuing years had 9 children. One of these died at age 2 years. The task fell to Anna to raise and nurture her 7 surviving siblings. Her sister, Maria was 15 and was one year older. One wonders why Anna (14) became the mother of this young family. Her father then married Maria Staeger (DOB 27 May 1792) three years later in 1841. The records show no children from this marriage, she being 49 years old at the time of marriage. Anna died 12 October 1888 in Midway. Gotlieb followed her on 8 February 1891. They were the parents of Margaretta or Margaritha Abegglen who married Henry Albert Huber of whom I am a descendant”