My Genealogy Hound

Otto Seyppel, a planter and merchant of Lucas Township, was born in Germany June 18, 1854, being the son of Achilles and Mina (Jacobs) Seyppel, also natives of Germany. The father was a magistrate by profession and died in his native land in March, 1860. Mrs. Seyppel was born in Germany about 1838 and died in Memphis in 1878, of yellow fever. She and her husband were the parents of two children: Alexander (who died of yellow fever at Holly Springs, Miss., in 1878) and Otto. Our subject, the second child, was raised in his native land till he was eleven years of age, and there received most of his education. He came with his mother to this country, and after spending a few months in New York went to Memphis, Tenn., in 1865, living with the mother’s brother till sixteen years old, when he commenced life for himself in the wood-yard business, which he continued for one year. He then entered a grocery store as a clerk, remained so occupied for two years, when he clerked for a coal firm for three years, and after leaving this firm was manager of the McGormick Ice Company of Memphis for four years. He then invested in steamboat stock and run a tow-boat from Memphis to New Orleans for eight months. While he was with the McCormick Ice Company he was married, February 13, 1878, to Mrs. Minnie (McCue) Burgett, who was born in Memphis September 25, 1854, being the daughter of John and Mary (McWilliams) McCue. Her first husband was waylaid and killed after they had been married but three weeks. Mr. Seyppel is a member of Germania Lodge No. 369, K. of H., of Memphis, and of the Knights of Pythias Lodge of the same city, as well as the German Bruder Bund Lodge of Memphis. He is an extensive farmer and owns 350 acres of land with 200 in a good state of cultivation, on which he raises annually from eighty to 100 bales of cotton. This farm is located twenty-nine miles south of Memphis and sixty miles north of Helena, and is known as the Burgett farm. He is postmaster of Seyppel post-office, which was established in 1888. Mrs. Seyppel’s father, Mr. McCue, was born in Stark County, Ohio, and is now living in California. He was married to Miss Mary McWilliams, who was born near Tuscumbia, Ala., in 1833, and died in Hernando, De Soto County, Miss., in 1871. Minnie was the only child born to this union. She was reared in Memphis till fifteen years of age and received most of her education in that city. At the age of fifteen she went with her mother to Hernando, Miss., where she remained until her marriage, in 1873, to Peter M. Burgett, who was born on the farm on which Mr. Seyppel now lives. He was a large planter and left a farm of 2,800 acres, situated on the Mississippi River, to his wife. His father, Isaac Burgett, settled the farm where our subject now resides, and was one of the early settlers in this section. He was born in Perry County, Mo., November 20, 1801, and died in this county December 18, 1865, at time of his death being the county’s oldest citizen. He was a man of sterling good sense, great enterprise and unbending integrity, and at his death left a very large estate. He had six children, viz.: John C., Peter M., William L., Isaac W., Henry E., Bettie B. and Nannie P.