DNA – Uncovering Our Boller Family Of Hessen-Darmstadt.

Here – on Our Boller Story website – we offer you an extensive overview of six generations of my Boller family, beginning with…

My ggg grandfather, George F. Boller (1793-1877) – who came to America (Wayne County, Ohio) in October 1816,

My gg grandfather, Jacob B. Boller (1825-1907), who headed west from Ohio to Johnson County, Iowa in 1853,

My great grandfather, Daniel J. Boller (1856-1946), who moved off the family farm to become a furniture dealer and mortician in Wayland, Iowa,

My grandfather, Waldo E. Boller (1884-1941), who proudly kept Boller Furniture in Wayland going through the Great Depression,

My father, George E. Boller (1921-1994), who learned the printing business and returned our family to Johnson County (Iowa City) in 1966,

To me – Martin Jay Boller (1951-present), born in Henry County, Iowa in 1951, and a proud Hawkeye historian who, after 30 years in Cedar Rapids, returned to Iowa City in 2020.

Over my 30+ years of hunting down Boller family history, there’s always been a frustration of not being able to go back in time any earlier than 1793 (the birth year of George F. Boller) on my Boller line. Sadly, my on-line searches have always come up fairly empty when trying to find any “paper trail” earlier than October 1816 – when George F. Boller boarded a ship headed to America. But now, through the amazing work of DNA genetic genealogy, we might have finally found a break-through in tracing our Boller clan as they lived in the German countryside of Hessen-Darmstadt (see maps below) prior to 1793…

**Where is Hessen-Darmstadt?** In the heartland of Europe, located near the lush farmlands of the Rhine River valley, we find the city of Mainz (Mayence), Germany. Mainz, currently the capital city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), is a very old, yet equally beautiful, community built on the banks of the Rhine River directly across from Wiesbaden – which is located in the neighboring German state of Hesse (Hessen). **Our Boller Story places the birthplace of my ggg grandfather – George F. Boller – in 1793, near the city of Darmstadt in the state of Hesse – located south and east of Mainz.** Read more details here.

Genetic genealogy creates family history profiles (biological relationships between or among individuals) by using DNA test results in combination with traditional genealogical methods. By using genealogical DNA testing, genetic genealogy can determine the levels and types of biological relationships between or among individuals. Advantages of including DNA, as opposed to traditional genealogical research alone, include the ability for researchers to extend their ancestry beyond the paperwork of recent centuries, and to construct ancient pedigrees through molecular evolutionary studies.

One of my favorite shows on television is PBS’s popular “Finding Your Roots” hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. On that program, as they dig into the family histories of famous stars, they explain how genealogists use both the “paper trail” (i.e. census reports, marriage & death records, family histories, etc.) and DNA genetic genealogy to hunt down the intriguing stories of long-lost relatives. Which brings us now to how DNA has opened the door a bit wider for Our Boller Story…

As a long-time member of Ancestry.com, I submitted my DNA test in 2015, and (as of 2024), the results are not too surprising. As you can see from the chart below, my DNA results point to three ancestral regions – which means, when we pull from all of my blood relatives (not just my Boller line), I’m 58% English & NW European, 26% Germanic European, and 16% Scottish. Keep in mind that this is my DNA mix, and if we took my brother Eric’s DNA results, the % might be different and might pick up other ethnic blood lines that are not evident in mine.

So now, taking my DNA results (above) and breaking it into two sections: my father’s contribution vs. my mother’s contribution to my DNA makeup, you can see (below) that my dad’s contribution is completely composed of English & NW European (green = 39%) and German (blue = 11%) DNA, while my mom’s contribution is English & NW European (green = 19%), German (blue = 15%), but also includes Scottish (orange = 16%) DNA.

Which brings us now to my specific DNA matches with other members of Ancestry.com for my ggg grandfather George F. Boller (46), and my gg grandfather Jacob B. Boller (15)…

George F. Boller (1793-1877) and his wife Elizabeth Zook (1790-1840) had six children: 1) Christiana (1821-1882), 2) John (1823-1895), 3) my gg grandfather – Jacob B.(1825-1907), 4) Elizabeth (1827-1882), 5) George Z.(1828-1883) and 6) Magdalena (1831-1894). Ancestry.com (see above) reports a total of 46 DNA matches with George – with daughter Christiana holding 6 matches, son Jacob B. holding 15 matches, daughter Elizabeth holding 21 matches, and daughter Magdalena holding 4 matches.

In August 2024, I received notification from Ancestry.com that I had a message waiting for me from Kathy Hum (see below).

As it turned out, Kathy – who is very familiar with DNA ancestry matches – had been working with two Ancestry members – both of which have “paper trail” connections and DNA connections with me via my gg grandfather – Jacob B. Boller! In other words, these two individuals were 2 of those 15 DNA matches Ancestry.com had found with our common gg grandfather – Jacob B. Boller!

***Meet Cousin Nora Palmer – whose gg grandfather is Jacob B. Boller and ggg grandfather is George F. Boller (see family tree below).***

***Meet Cousin Ardeth Anderson – whose gg grandfather is Jacob B. Boller and ggg grandfather is George F. Boller (see family tree below).***

So, as you can see from the two family trees above, we share a common “paper trail” that shows that all three of us have a common gg grandfather – Jacob B. Boller, and a common ggg grandfather – George F. Boller.

Speaking of third cousins in my Boller line – meet these 3 other third cousins living here in Iowa!

Now – here’s the interesting DNA connection. Apparently, both Nora Palmer and Ardeth Anderson – according to their DNA researcher – Kathy Ham – have another Boller relative from Darmstadt, Hesse in their DNA connections. And since DNA matches can vary from family member to family member, it’s not surprising that my two cousins would have DNA matches that are not evident in my DNA results!

So, who is this new Boller relative that has now surfaced on our charts?

***According their Ancestry.com DNA results, both of my 3rd cousins – Nora Palmer and Ardeth Anderson – have unmistakable blood line connections with the descendants of Carl W. Boller.***

Carl William Boller was born in Darmstadt, Hesse (Germany) on August 2, 1797, just short of four years after my ggg grandfather, George F. Boller (November 18, 1793). In her note to me, Kathy Ham explained how her deeper dive into Carl W. Boller’s paper trail on Ancestry.com had led her to wonder if my ggg grandfather – George F. Boller from Darmstadt, Hesse – might be related in some way to Carl W. Boller – possibly as a brother or first cousin…

The question is a good one since: 1) we know, with certainty, that two direct descendants of Jacob B. Boller (George F. Boller’s son) have DNA connections with descendants of Carl W. Boller, 2) we know that both Boller lines have strong family roots in Darmstadt, Hesse (Germany) and lived there during the same time frame (late 18th century), and 3) Carl W. Boller’s father (Georg Friederich Böhler) and grandfather (Georg Friedrich Böhlers) share the same name as my ggg grandfather (George Frederick Boller).

As you’ll see from the “paper trail” we’ve assembled on this page, I’m guessing that based on George F. Boller’s 1793 birth date, and the fact that Georg Friederich Böhler and Anna Catharina Rübsamen (Carl’s parents) were not married until 1794 – my George F. Boller is not an older brother of Carl W. Boller. But, as I see it, they could, very well, be first cousins!

We may never know with certainty how Carl W. Boller and George F. Boller are related to each other, but based on both the “paper trail” and the DNA test results, we know that, minimally, they are connected to us as cousins at some level, and with more research in Germany, we might discover even more details on how Carl W. Boller fits into our larger Boller story. For now, let me close by introducing you to these newly-discovered Boller cousins from Hessen-Darmstadt – four generations of Böhlers (Bollers) – beginning with Carl W. Boller’s great grandfather…

Very little is known about Carl W. Boller’s great grandfather – **Johann Nickel Böhlers (1674 – unknown death date)** – but his name is listed in the 1766 marriage records (below) of his son **Georg Friedrich Böhlers (1735-1812)**.

Carl W. Boller’s grandfather – **Georg Friedrich Böhlers** **(1735-1812)** – was born in Hennweiler (see map below) which is located in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Georg married **Anna Maria Eltz (1738-1811)** in 1766, had six children: **Maria Elisabetha (1768-?)**, **Johann Nickel (1772-1814)**, **Georg Friederich (1775-1827)**, **Johann Christoph (1778-?)**, **Anna Elisabetha (1781-?)**, and **Anna Maria (1784-?)**, and died in nearby Oberhausen bei Kirn at the age of 77 in 1812.

Carl W. Boller’s father – **Georg Friederich Böhler (1775-1827)** – was born in Hennweiler in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. He married **Anna Catharina Rübsamen (1775-1841)** in Darmstadt, Hesse in 1794, relocated there, and had two children: **Henry (1795-1859)**, and **Carl W. (1797-1875)**. Georg died, at the age of 52, in Darmstadt in 1827.

As we discussed earlier, **Carl Williams Boller** **(1797-1875)** was born in Darmstadt, Hesse – the second child of **Georg Friederich Böhler** and **Anna Catharina Rübsamen**. Below is Carl’s baptismal records – dated August 4, 1797. Some family records indicate that Carl married **Anna Maria Schmitt (1795-1854)**, but all that is certain is that Carl fathered nine children while married in Darmstadt: **Philip (1819-1912)**, **Catherine (1823-1908)**, **Carl C.(1827-1910)**, **Jacob (1828-1890)**, **Eva (1830-?)**, **John (1830-?)**, **Charles (1831-1912)**, **Margaret (1833-1915)**, and **Catherine C. (1834-1904)**; with possibly a tenth child in America: **Lawrence (1852-1916)**.

In 1854, after fathering nine children in Darmstadt, **Carl W. Boller** – age 57 – boarded the Mercury in Le Havre, France, headed for New York City – with four children: **Jacob (age 26)**, **Phillip (age 35)**, **Catherine (age 30)**, and **Eva (age 24)**. Arriving in America on September 18, 1854, Carl (and the four children) moved westward to Cook County (Chicago), Illinois, where he lived the remainder of his life, passing on, at age 78, in 1875.

Arriving in America on September 18, 1854, we know that Carl W. Boller – and his four children – Philip, Catherine, Jacob & Eva – headed westward to Cook County (Chicago), Illinois.

Carl’s oldest son – **Philip Boller (1819-1912)** – married **Helena (Lena) Kolb (1839-1920)**, stayed in Cook County, and had 12 children: **Mary (1859-1870)**, **Augusta K. (1861-1887)**, **George (1862-?)**, **Gustave (1863-1944)**, **Lena (1864-1937)**, **Philip J. (1867-1947)**, **Caroline (1868-?)**, **Amelia (1869-1950)**, **Katherine (1870-?)**, **Emma (1872-?)**, **Edith (1872-1947)**, and **Louise (1878-1949)**.

Carl’s third son – **Jacob Boller (1828-1890)** married **Elizabeth Bender (1839-1920)**, stayed in Cook County, Illinois, and had eight children: **Emil (1860-1925)**, **George W. (1861-1926)**, **Gustave A. (1863-1944)**, **Caroline E. (1869-1941)**, **Emma (1872-1953)**, **Mariah (1876-1950)**, **Louise H. (1878-1953)**, and **Charlotte B. (1889-1971)**.

Sadly, no records remain for Carl’s daughter – **Eva Boller (1830-?)**, but now, let me share some intriguing information about Carl’s oldest daughter: **Catherine Boller (1823-1908)**…

Carl W. Boller’s oldest daughter – **Catherine (Kate) Boller (1823-1908)** – after coming to Cook County, Illinois with her father, sister & two brothers in 1854, met the Swiss-born **Christian Zimmerman (1815-1893)**, married on May 20, 1856, and re-located to **Johnson County, Iowa** – farming land in **Morse, Iowa** (see map below).

Could it be that Christian & Catherine (Kate) Zimmerman came to Johnson County in 1856 because Kate’s relatives – our Jacob B. Boller family – had moved here (Washington Township) in 1853? Read more here. With Christian having a Swiss heritage, might he have purchased land near others with Swiss connections? That might explain their land choices near the new village of Morse, Iowa.

The **Village of Morse, Iowa** was established in Johnson County in the 1850’s by brothers Able William Gustavus Morse and Edwin Kenneth Morse. In 1871, E.K. Morse and his wife Mary donated land to the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern (BCR&N) Railroad to establish a depot (pictured above) for local agricultural goods. By 1880, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (CRI&P) Railroad took over the rail line, and Morse had grown to a population of 84 as well as a doctor’s clinic, telegraph office, Post Office and Christian Church. By the early 20th Century, Morse was a prosperous local hub of economic activity that boasted a lumber yard, brickyard and grain elevator as well as a stockyard for cattle bound to slaughter-houses in Chicago. Serving local residents was a school, taverns, a hotel and a general store. In 1911 Morse even briefly incorporated with Frank Berenek Sr. serving as the first and only mayor.

Despite what the records say in Ancestry.com, Christian & Kate Zimmerman had four children – not just one. Frederick Zimmerman was the oldest, and family records show that his birth date – March 13, 1856 in Iowa – precedes Christian & Kate’s marriage (May 20, 1856) by two months. No further explanation is given for the date discrepancy, but Kate’s 1908 obituary (below) tells us that there were three more children: Christopher, Sam, and John, though few details are known about them.

Christian Zimmerman passed away on June 13, 1893, at age 78, and Catherine (Kate) Boller Zimmerman passed, at age 84, on February 25, 1908. Both are buried at the Newport Township Cemetery in Johnson County. Their son, Fred, married Mary Ann Wyjack, stayed in farming near Morse in Johnson County, and together, they had nine children. Both Frederick Zimmerman (1856-1936) and Mary A. Wyjack (1879-1952) are buried in Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.

So, there you have it. Thanks to both Ancestry.com’s “paper trails” and the DNA connections, we now have discovered four generations of Bollers who lived their lives in the German motherland. From 1674 to 1854, these Böhler cousins helped set the stage for Our Boller Family to make the big transition to America – with our ggg grandfather – George F. Boller – being the first Boller adventurer – coming here in October 1816! You can read more here.

So, here’s a salute to our four Boller generations from Hessen-Darmstadt: Johann Nickel Böhlers (1674 – ?), Georg Friedrich Böhlers (1735-1812), Georg Friederich Böhler (1775-1827), and Carl Williams Boller (1797-1875). All your many Boller cousins here in America say ‘Thank You & Godspeed’!

Kudos to the amazing resources below for the many quotes, photographs, etc. used on this page.