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Zehr is a pretty common German surname; many were Swiss-Germans who were Mennonite converts. Zehrfuss is a less common surname but is still 'plain old' German. ZEHR comes from an Old German verb 'zehren' meaning to live off, live by, live on, support, be supported by, stand, etc. with idiomatic expressions related to standing, walking, running, stepping. FUSS in German did and still does just mean... FOOT. A Zehrfuss could have been somebody who did their living/working on foot, a traveler, etc. --like a traveling bard, doctor, priest, etc.