John Zryd^{[1, 2]}

1835 - 1917  (82 years)

• Name	John Zryd
  Born	1 Jan 1835	Frutingen, Canton Berne, Switzerland   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	1840	, Canada   [3]
  Naturalization	1860  [3]
  Elected Office	1864	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	councillor of Hespeler
  Residence	1865	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6, 9]
  Residence	1865	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  Immigration	1866	, Canada   [7]
  Elected Office	1869	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	councillor of Hespeler
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/211932082
  Occupation	1871	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Tinsmith and Merchant
  		Hespeler-Business-Zyrd,John-Tinsmith-0001.JPG
  Occupation	1881	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Tinsmith
  Occupation	CA 1890	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	store keeper Zryd & Co.'s Hardware Store
  		John Zryd - advertizing about 1890 A two-sided trade card. One is a photographic rendering (pmt?) showing the front of the John Zyrd hardware store, Hespeler, showing a delivery wagon with painted lettering on the side: JOHN ZYRD (etc.) a few people posing in front of the store, and various goods on display in the windows and on the porch. The reverse side has lettering (in part): Zyrd & Co.'s / Hardware Store. / ... / Parlor, Heating and Cooking Stoves / ... / Sole agency for CLARE BROS. & CO.'S Famous Furnaces/ ... Circa 1890. From Waterloo Region Museum
  		Advertizing card for John Zryd's store in Hespeler about 1890
  Retired	1901	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Occupation	1911	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Income
  Residence	1911	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Lutheran
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-82999
  Died	14 Apr 1917	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  Buried	New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  Person ID	I82999	Generations
  Last Modified	12 May 2025

  
  

  Father	Johann Joseph "Joseph" Zryd,   b. 1807, , Germany ,   d. 18 Sep 1867  (Age 60 years)
  Mother	Susanna Bieren,   b. 1795, , Germany ,   d. 19 May 1868, Kossuth, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 73 years)
  Family ID	F11360	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Anna Barbara Metzger,   b. 26 Apr 1842, , Bavaria, Germany ,   d. 11 Nov 1916  (Age 74 years)
  Married	2 Apr 1865	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9, 10]
  Children	1. Gustave A. Zryd,   b. 1865, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. John G. Zryd,   b. 1867, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Anna Martha Zryd,   b. 27 Jul 1870, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1957  (Age 86 years)   4. Oscar Jacob Zryd,   b. 6 Oct 1872, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1936  (Age 63 years)   5. Joseph Leonard Zryd,   b. CALC 14 Feb 1875,   d. 22 Feb 1875, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 0 years)   6. Elenora Elizabeth Zryd,   b. 4 Apr 1876, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Leonara Zryd,   b. Apr 1877, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   8. Sabina Susanna Zryd,   b. 9 Nov 1880, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 8 Dec 1885, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 5 years)
  Last Modified	13 May 2025
  Family ID	F21616	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  John Zryd, born at Frutingen, Canton Berne, in Switzerland, died here April 14th, 1917, aged 82 years, 2 months and 18 days. As a youth he learned the tinsmithing trade under Frederick Snyder at Berlin, Ontario, and in 1857 came here and opened a tinshop in space rented in a frame building then standing on the site of Miss Ada Shepherd's store. In 1866 he bought two buildings at the corner of Queen and Adam, in one of which he had started his first shop. In 1867 he bought a lot on the north side of Queen Street and built a stone store with, living quarters above. His eldest son, Gustav, was born at Adam Street in 1867; his second son, John, in the new building in 1870. Oscar, a younger son, succeeded him in business and then came Mr. Gordon, Hall and Simenton and the present occupant, all hardware men. And so it may be recorded that the premises now occupied by Mr. R. M. McHardy have, except for a relatively short period, been in use as a hardware store uninterruptedly for 85 years; the business to which he succeeded for 97. Mr. Zryd trained well a lot of apprentices in his day. I mention two. Came to his shop, a youth, his belongings in a pocket handkerchief. Came to learn the tinsmith trade. James H. Ashdown. His apprenticeship completed, this boy went west, there later to found and for many years to head the great wholesale hardware firm doing business in the tens of Millions, whose good name is known throughout the whole of Canada: "Ashdowns of Winnipeg" While learning his trade at Snyder's there was another apprentice named Schmidt who later started up in SebringviIle. When his son was old enough, Mr. Schmidt sent him to John Zryd to learn the trade rather than teach the boy himself. This I regard as one of the finest compliments one man could pay another. While his store was well enough patronized by residents of the Village, Mr. Zryd was not satisfied with the amount of business he was getting from the farmers, most of whom were going to the larger places around us. To offset this situation he put on the road what we boys used to call "Peddle Waggons" which ran trips on schedule over different routes every three or four weeks, so that the Lady of the Farm knew exactly what day Zryd's waggon would be along. These waggons were stocked with merchandise likely to be wanted and considerable business resulted. The Driver was always open to trade tinware (or anything else) for what the farmer had to trade. Among Zryd's waggon men were Thomas McMaster, Hugh McTearnen, John Limpert, August Wittmaak and for a longer time the two Krieg boys, Herman and Nicholas. Mr. Zryd served as Councillor in the years 1864-65 and from 1875 to 1891 was Treasurer of the Village. He was a life-long member of St. Jacob's Lutheran Church and when it was being built, acted as Chairman of the Building Committee. Le Rue De Commerce, Other Times Other Customs Other Days Other Ways, Winfield Brewster 1954

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 17 Dec 1885. 08 Dec 1885 Sabina Susanna Zryd, daughter of John Zryd, died in Hespeler at age of 5 years and 1 month (poem follows) [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 11 Mar 1875. Died 21 Feb 1875 In Hespeler, Joseph, baby son of John Zryd, died at the tender age of 8 days. [S143] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1901, Hespeler (Village) D-2 Page 15. [S508] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1871, Page 2. [S299] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1881, Page 2. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register. John Zryd Birth Place: Switzerland RESIDENCE: Hespeler Age: 29 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836 Father Name: J. Joseph Mother Name: Susanna Pieren Spouse Name: Anna Metzger Spouse's Age: 23 Spouse Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842 Spouse Birth Place: Bavaria Spouse Residence: Hespeler Spouse Father Name: Andrew Spouse Mother Name: Barbara Trebert Marriage Date: 2 Apr 1865 Marriage County: Waterloo [S392] Census - ON, Waterloo, Hespeler - 1911, Div. 21 Pg. 14. [S237] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - New Hope CC#4498 Internet Link . [West] John ZRYD/ 1835 - 1917/ Anna B. METZGER/ his wife/ 1842 - 1916/ Joseph L./ 1875 - 1875/ Sabina S./ 1880 - 1885/ ZRYD/ [South] Lou MANZIE/ 1872 - 1908/ wife of/ Oscar ZRYD/ [A] Mother [B] Lou [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 6 Apr 1865. Apr. 2, 1865 John Zryd and Anna Metzger, both of Hespeler, by Rev. Wurster [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register. Zryd John, 29, res. Hespeler, b. Switzerland, s/o J Joseph & Susanne (Pieren), married 2 Apr 1865 Anna Metzger, 23, res. Hespeler, , d/o Andrew & Barbara (Trebert)

  
  

• Event Map

  Immigration - 1840 - , Canada Elected Office - councillor of Hespeler - 1864 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1865 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1865 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 2 Apr 1865 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Immigration - 1866 - , Canada Elected Office - councillor of Hespeler - 1869 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Tinsmith and Merchant - 1871 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Tinsmith - 1881 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - store keeper Zryd & Co.'s Hardware Store - CA 1890 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Retired - 1901 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Income - 1911 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1911 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 14 Apr 1917 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth