The biennial Schumm reunion will be held this coming Sunday, 7 August. The day will begin with a worship service at 10:00, a pot-luck dinner at 12:30, and the meeting and program at 2:00. Zion Schumm’s parsonage will also have an open house from 2-4:00. This year marks the 170^th anniversary of Zion Lutheran Church at Schumm and it promises to be a day filled with praise, visiting, reminiscing, and delicious food. Good times for all.

I found this nice Schumm wedding photo among my mom’s photos. It has Cornelius written on the back so it was probably her dad’s photo, who was also my grandfather Cornelius Schumm. Also written on the back, in a different handwriting: Mr. & Mrs. Herman Schumm.

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Schumm, 1922.

That was just enough information to get me started.

Locating information about Herman was not too difficult, since there are very few Herman Schumms in the Schumm database.

Herman Andrew Schumm was born 6 December 1893 in Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, probably a couple miles east of Willshire. He was the son of Henry (aka “River Henry”) and Anna Magdelena “Lena” (Geisler) Schumm. Lena was River Henry’s second wife. Herman was baptized at home as Andres Hermann Schumm on 17 December 1893, with Ludwig Schinnerer and Martin Schinnerer II as his sponsors.

Herman’s father Henry Schumm was an older brother of my grandfather Cornelius Schumm’s father Louis J Schumm. That makes Herman and my grandfather first cousins. Their common grandparents were Louis and Barbara (Pflueger) Schumm, who were both born in Germany. Louis Schumm (Herman and Cornelius’ grandfather) was the son of Johann Georg Schumm, who emigrated from Germany in 1833 with five of his children. One of those children was Louis, the grandfather of Henry and Louis J. So this is also my direct line. [I know, it is a little confusing. Louis was a very popular family name. Did I mention Cornelius’ middle name was Louis?]

My Grandpa Cornelius Schumm was born in 1896 so he and Herman were close in age. They lived near each other and probably saw each other a lot and did a lot of things together. Friends as well as cousins.

In 1900 Herman, age 8, lived near Willshire with his parents and 9 siblings. [1]

In 1917, when Herman Schumm applied for the draft, he farmed and managed the family farm for his father. Herman was single and was described as short, with medium build, blue eyes, light hair, and was not bald. [2] Herman served in the Army during World War I, in the 159 Depot Brigade, until 28 September 1918; in Battery C 69 Field Artillery until discharge, as private, first class, 18 November 1918. He was honorably discharged on 20 December 1918. [3]

Herman moved to New York some time after the war. There he met and married his future bride.

Herman Schumm married Anna Goellner in Port Gibson, Ontario, New York, on 17 June 1922. Anna, age 24, was the daughter of John and Anna (Volz) Goellner. Herman was living in Newark, New York, and was employed as a store manager. Anna lived in Port Gibson, New York, the town where she was born. Her father was born in Austria and her mother in Germany. Standing up for the couple were Emily Carolyn Fisher and Henry Karl Goellner. [4]

Schumm-Goellner marriage, 1922, New York.

Their wedding photo was probably sent to my grandfather Cornelius. I do not know if my grandfather attended their wedding or not. He may have taken the photo if he was there.

Herman and Anna moved back to Ohio sometime after their marriage. In fact they moved around quite a lot.

In 1930 Herman and Anna lived on Central Avenue in Almeda, Almeda, California, where Herman was the assistant manager of a chain store. They had children Richard H, 4 ½; Harold E, 1; and Jane Ann, 10 months. All of their children were born in Ohio. [5]

In 1933 Herman was the manager for FW Woolworth Company in Wenatchee, Washington. [6]

In 1935 they lived in rural Chelan, Washington. By 1940 the Herman Schumm family was a back in rural Manchester, Ontario County, New York, where they were married 18 years before. Herman was a painter/decorator and they owned their home there. This record indicates that Herman had completed 4 years of high school. Their household in 1940: Herman, 46, Ohio; Anna, 42, New York; Richard, 14; Harold, 11; and Jane Ann, 10. All their children were born in Ohio. [7]

They remained in the Manchester/Port Gibson area of New York the rest of their lives and that is where Herman applied for the World War II draft. At age 49 he was 5’5 ½”, weighed 138 pounds, had blue eyes, brown hair and brown complexion. [8]  

Anna M (Goellner) Schumm died 27 February 1966 and is buried in Port Gibson Rural Cemetery, Port Gibson, New York. [9]

Herman Schumm’s last residence was 14432 Clifton Springs, Ontario, New York. [10] Herman died 28 May 1984 [11] and is also buried in Port Gibson Rural Cemetery. [12]

Herman and Anna (Goellner) Schumm had the following children:
Richard, married Margo Kelberman
Harold, married Agnes Borau
June [13]
Jane, married Marvin S. Buchanan

[1] 1900 U.S. census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, p.8B, dwelling 170, family 183, Henry Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016); from FHL microfilm 1241329, from NARA microfilm T623, roll 1329.

[2] United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1917, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 4 Aug 2016), Herman A Schumm, 1917-18; from Van Wert County, Ohio, from NARA microfilm M1509, from FHL microfilm 1851249.

[3] Ohio Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918, database on-line, Ancestry.com, (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Aug 2016); from The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the World War, 1917-18,  Columbus, OH: The FJ Heer Printing Co., 1926.

[4] “New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 3 Aug 2016), Herman A Schumm & Anna M Goellner, 17 Jun 1922; from Ontario, NY County Clerk, Vol. 2-3, p.541; from FHL microfilm 590801.

[5] 1930 U.S. Census, Almeda, Almeda, California, ED 229, p.11A, dwelling 179, family 233, Herman Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Aug 2016); from FHL microfilm 2339835, from NARA microfilm T626, roll 100.

[6] U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Wenatchee, Washington, City Directory, 1933, p.174, Herman A Schumm; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016).

[7] 1940 U.S. Census, Manchester, Ontario, New York, ED 35-49, p.8A, house visited 163, Herman Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016); from NARA microfilm T627, roll 2707.

[8] U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, Herman Andrew Schumm; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016); from Draft Registration Cards for Fourth Registration for New York State, 4/27/1942, Records of the Selective Service System, National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri, Record Group No. 147.

[9] Find a Grave (wwwfindagrave.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016), Anna M. Goellner Schumm Memorial no. 163452276.

[10] U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Herman Schumm; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016); from SSDI MasterFile, Social Security Administration.

[11] U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, Herman Schumm; database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016); from Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File, Washington, D.C., Department of Veterans Affairs.

[12] Find a Grave (wwwfindagrave.com : accessed 4 Aug 2016), Herman A. Schumm Memorial no. 110632448.

[13] Per Schumm family genealogy.