On a recent trip to Tenn. I located the burial site of Cyrus Shaffer who was born on March 28, 1838 in Somerset Co., Pa. He was the son of Jacob & Sarah Ripple Shaffer. Cyrus Shaffer, never married, resided in Cedar Falls, Lester Twp. Black Hawk Co., Iowa. before enlisting on Aug. 14, 1862. He died, at the age of 23 years, on Dec. 7, 1864, his burial is in the Nashville Nat.Cem. Sect G. #305. The marker # 8228, is listed as Cyrus Shaffer, Ia.
Cyrus was one of five of the the Shaffer sons who fought in the Civil War.


Franklin, the only one to return home, enlisted Aug. 14, 1862; Ephraim, enlisted Aug. 26, 1863, died Oct.6,1864, was a POW, buried National Cem.,Marietta, Ga.; Alfred enlisted on Dec. 10, 1863, died Jan.14,1865 Memphis,Tenn.; Cornelius enlisted Sept.3,1864, wounded Dec. 14, 1864, Memphis, Tenn.shot through both legs and bladder, came home to die, he is buried Lester Cem., Iowa.



Jacob Shaffer was born 22 Feb. 1805, married in 1825 to Sarah Ripple, born 7 May 1806 and resided in Paint Twp., Somerset Co., Pa. until 1846-1850 when they moved to Stephenson.Ill and then to Black Hawk Co. Iowa where Sarah died, the mother of Jacob's 13 children, on 1 May 1862 in Barclay Twp.,Black Hawk Co..Iowa. Jacob Shaffer died in 1880, Lester Twp., Blackhawk Co., Iowa. Buried in the Barclay Cemetery.


Franklin Shaffer,named above, the youngest of the sons, was born 16 June, 1844 in Paint Twp., Somerset Co. and served in the Civil War, he was the only one of his brothers to survive. He served on the Pony Express from Lowell, Neb., he owned 160 acres of land and came home to find 1,200 Indians camped on his place. He went to Harlan and built the first house on land now known as Alma, Neb. in 1873 and in 1883 the railroad came through, he then built the largest Hotel west of Hastings and called it the Shaffer House. Franklin Shaffer died on May 6, 1926 in Alma, Neb.
Rev. Israel Shaffer, born in Somerset Co., Pa., in 1826, the oldest of the sons,was an old time preacher traveling through the back woods territory on horse back to minister to the pioneer families. He died in 1883 in Butler Co., Iowa.
A letter written in 1943 from a Mrs. H.B. Gilson, Elgin, Iowa, states the following: My grandfather was Rev.Israel Shaffer and my father was John D. Shaffer who died in 1931. We have often wondered and wished that we might trace our relatives somewhere in the east. The only one left of my family is Mr. J.I. Phillips, husband of Sarah, he is now living in Elgin, I visited him last evening and he says that a Shaffer, he believes his name was Jacob, came to Iowa and settled 3 or 4 miles north of Dunkertown, Iowa on a farm of 80 to 100 acres. He remembers the family the family speak of this after he married Sarah Shaffer. Mr.Phillips says the older ones are buried in Lester, Iowa. If he could go to Dunkertown he would locate the farm but the rationing of gas keeps one from doing much extra driving. ( the date is ca. 1943-195 during WWII). Also in this letter is the following: There was a Shaffer that was a soldier that came to Grandfather Israel Shaffers, he had been wounded, shot through both legs and ladder, Mr. Phillips thinks if he could have had treatment as they get today he would have lived for some time but it as it was he got along very slowly for several months and died, this soldier was buried at Lester, Iowa.




I hope this Shaffer family info. is helpful to someone in Iowa. Jacob Shaffer is not a direct line but is the brother of our direct ancestor, both sons of David & Catherine Faust Shaffer, of Paint Twp., Somerset Co., Pa.
I would be happy to hear from anyone who has the names of the children and grandchilden, et.who descend from the Jacob & Sarah Ripple Shaffer family.