This is the 13th installment in this series. Click here for the previous installment.

• 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