Feb 24

Adding to the Schumm History

One thing about genealogy is that the family history you think you know may not be entirely complete or accurate. Your family history may change as records become available and are analyzed. As more records become accessible we may be able to add information to our family history. Sometimes we learn new revelations. At a minimum, we may get a better understand of our ancestors’ lives.

Having said that, I am going to revisit some Schumm history, beginning with our immigrant ancestor John George Schumm’s grandfather. Most of the information I am using comes from the Ruppertshofen church records, the church the Schumm’s attended. Images of their church records are available to view on Ancestry.com.

Ruppertshofen and church.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that these are German records, written in the old German script. Searching through the records for Schumm names is a long, challenging process. Thank goodness I had a lot of help with this project.

JG Schumm I children; JG Albrecht Schumm death, 1813

John George Schumm (1777-1846) is one of the best-known ancestors in our Schumm family. John George immigrated to America in 1833 with 5 of his children and founded the village of Schumm and Zion Lutheran Church there.

I am going to begin two generations before our immigrant John George Schumm was born and start with his grandparents.  

For clarification, because John George Schumm’s father was also named John George, I am going to call our immigrant ancestor John George Schumm II and call his father John George Schumm I.

John George Schumm I was born 1 December 1738 to Wilhelm Melchior Schumm (1713-1777) and Anna Regina (Fischer) Schumm (1713-1745). Wilhelm Melchoir and Anna Regina (Fischer) married in 1733 and had 3 children:

Johann Michael (1734-1799?)
Johann George I (1738-1791)
Anna Maria (1742-?)

The mother Anna Regina (Fischer) Schumm died in 1745, when John George I was only 7 years old. It must have been a challenge for the father Melchior to raise his 3 young children without their mother.  

At the age of 35, John George Schumm I married Anna Margaretha Franz, age 26, married 22 November 1774. They also had only 3 children:

Anna Maria Schumm (1775-1785)
Johann George Schumm II (1777-1846), our immigrant ancestor
Johann George Albrecht Schumm (1789-1813)

The father John George Schumm I died 2 September 1791. Yet another generation to lose a parent early, leaving a spouse with 2 young children. Daughter Anna Maria had passed away six years before, at age 10, so just two children remained, our Johann George II, age 14, and JG Albrecht, age 2. Widow Anna Margaretha had to raise and support her two children by herself.

However, I now have some additional information about this family from the church records.

Widow Anna Margaretha (Franz) Schumm, widow of John George Schumm I, remarried. She married Johann Martin Stapf 23 October 1792. Their marriage is recorded in the Triensbach church records.

Our John George Schumm II and his younger brother JG Albrecht Schumm had a stepfather.

Staph, Schumm marriage 1792, Triensbach

Johann Martin Stapf was born in Lobenhousen 12 December 1760 and was 12 years younger than Anna Margaretha (Franz) Schumm. It appears they did not have any children of their own. After all, Anna Margaretha was near the end of her child-bearing years.

It is good to know our Johann George II and his brother JG Albrecht had a father figure growing up and a means of support for the widow and her two children.

Our John George Schumm II married Anna Maria Fischer in 1807 and they started their family.

A few years later John George II’s brother JG Albrecht Schumm went off to war. He may have been conscripted into military service. A good portion of Germany was under French rule, under Napoleon’s rule and the Germans and Austrians were fighting to end the French rule.

JG Albrecht Schumm, age 24, fought in the Battle of Leipzig, which was fought 16-19 October 1813. He was wounded in that battle and died from his wounds on 1 November 1813.

The battle of Leipzig was one of the worst battles in the Napoleonic Wars and there were many casualties on both sides. However, it was a decisive battle and Napoleon was defeated. The battle of Leipzig marked the end of the French Empire in Germany and Poland. It was the beginning of the end for Napoleon and in 1815 the German Confederation was formed.

There is more newly-discovered Schumm information to come! I will continue with this in future blog posts.

I want to give a big thanks to my Schumm cousin Ken, who can read the old German script very well, for discovering this information in the old German church records and alerting me to its availability on Ancestry.com. Thank you, Ken!

Feb 21

Tombstone Tuesday-Charles & Clara (Schumm) Merkle

Charles & Clara (Schumm) Merkle, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. 2012 photo by Karen

This is the tombstone of Charles and Clara (Schumm) Merkle, located in row 5 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

MERKLE
Charles
Jan. 8, 1869
Sept. 4, 1963

Clara
July 24, 1875
Jan. 14, 1936
PS. 37.5

Charles H. Merkle was born in Van Wert County, Ohio, on 8 January 1869, the son of William (1830-1911) and Elisabeth (Muntzinger) (1843-1903) Merkle. He sometimes went by the name of Carl. Charles’ parents were both born in Germany and they married in Germany in 1864. Their first child, Elisabeth, was born in Germany about 1865 and soon after, that same year, the family immigrated to America, with Van Wert County as their destination. Their next child, William, was born in Ohio about 1867 and Charles was born in 1869.

The William Merkle family in 1870, residing in Willshire Township, with a Leslie Post Office address:
William, 40, born in Baden; Elisabeth, 26, Baden; Elisabeth, 5, Baden; William, 3, Ohio; and Charles, 1, Ohio. [1]

The William Merkle family in 1880: William, 50; Elisabeth, 36; Elizabeth, 15; William, 13; Charles, 11; John, 9; and George, 7. [2]

The William Merkle family in 1900: William, 70; Elisabeth, 56; Charles, 31; John H, 29; George, 27; and Ernest T, 19. [3]

Charles Merkle married widow Clara (Schumm) Dietrich on 26 November 1908. They were married by Rev. H. Holle and William Merkle and Henry Schumm were witnesses to the marriage.

“Clara” Rosina Schumm was born in Willshire Township on 24 July 1875, the second of ten children born to “River Henry” (1844-1922) and Anna Rosina (Schinnerer) (1854-1890) Schumm. Anna Rosina was River Henry’s first wife. Henry’s second marriage was to Lena Geisler. The family lived east of Willshire, near the St. Marys River.   

Clara Schumm first married Ernst George Dietrich on 14 August 1898 and they had four children:
Rosina Marie Dietrich (1899-1987), married Walter Baker
Edna Magdelina Dietrich (1901-1986), married George Jacob Hofmann
Leah Juliana Dietrich (1902-1996), married Oscar Boenker; married Richard Merkle
Louise Wilhelmina Dietrich (1905-1992), married Ervin Zitzlaff Peters  

Clara’s husband Ernst Dietrich died of gall bladder disease on 20 July 1905 and the widow Clara married Charles Merkle in 1908.

The Charles Merkle family in 1910, residing in Willshire Township: Charles Merkle, 38; Clara Merkle, 34; Hugo Merkle, 6 months; and step-children Rosina Dietrich, 10; Edna Dietrich, 8; Leah Dietrich, 7; and Louisa Dietrich, 5. Charles Merkle was a farmer. [4]

The Charles Merkle family in 1920: Charles, 51; Clara, 44; Edna Dietrich, 18; Leah Dietrich, 17; Louisa Dietrich, 14; Hugo Merkle, 10; and Wilma Merkle, 4. [5]

Clara Rosina Elisabeth (Schumm) Dietrich Merkle died from heart problems in Willshire Township on 14 January 1936, aged 60 years, 5 months, and 20 days. She was buried on the 17th.  

In 1940 widower Charles Merkle’s daughter Velma and her husband Henry Etzler lived with Charles in Willshire Township. [6] Charles resided with the Etzler family in 1950, Henry Etzler listed as head of household in that enumeration. [7]

Charles Merkle died in Van Wert on 4 September 1963 and was buried on the 7th. Charles’ obituary:

Charles Merkle
Van Wert-Charles Merkle, 94, a retired farmer and life resident of Willshire Township, Van Wert County, died Wednesday in the Van Rue Geriatric Center.

Mr. Merkle, who died from a cerebral hemorrhage, had been seriously ill for the past 10 days.

He was born Jan. 8, 1869, the son of William and Elisabeth Merkle. On Nov. 26, 1908, he married to the former Mrs. Clara Dietrich. She died in 1936.

Mr. Merkle was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in nearby Schumm.

Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Henry (Velma) Etzler, of Willshire Township; four step-daughters, Mrs. Walter (Rosa) Baker and Mrs. Ervin (Louise) Peters, Route 1, Willshire, and Mrs. George (Edna) Hofmann, Mrs. Leah Merkle, Rt. 2, Ohio City; two brothers, George Ernest, both of Rt. 2, Ohio City; 17 grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, with Rev. Elmer W. Braun officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Friends may call this evening at the Cowan and Son Funeral Home here. [8]

Charles and Clara (Schumm) Merkle had two children:
Hugo Merkle, (1909-1963), married Myrtle Butters
Velma Maria Merkle (1915-1999), married Henry Etzler

[1] 1870 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.22, dwelling 148, family 149, William Merica [sic]; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[2] 1800 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 154, p.455B, family 232, William Marcaly [sic]; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[3] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 98, p.6, dwelling 115, family 119, William Merkle; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[4] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 114, p.6A, dwelling 113, family 114, Charles Merkle; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[5] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.2B, dwelling & family 40, Charles Merkle; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[6] 1940 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-28, p.5B, household 108, Chas Merckle [sic]; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[7] 1950 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-40, sheet 71, line 29, Henry F. Etzler; Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

[8] Charles Merkle obituary, The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 6 Sep 1963, p.4; digital image Ancestry.com, viewed 20 Feb 2023.

Feb 17

Chatt-area News, February 1911

Some more news from our area of the county, from February 1911 issues of The Celina Democrat.

The birthday celebration for Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Bollenbacher) Bollenbacher, who was born 11 February 1883.

Celina Democrat, 17 Feb 1911

A delivery wagon accident in Liberty Township:

Celina Democrat, 24 Feb 1911

Marriage licenses for Blackcreek farmer Henry Miller and Rockford resident Perry Stultz:

Celina Democrat, 17 Feb 1911

Some Blackcreek and Liberty news. Fred V. Bollenbacher mentioned once again:  

Celina Democrat, 17 Feb 1911

And, beggar goes from Celina to Toledo:

Celina Democrat, 10 Feb 1911

 

 

Feb 14

Tombstone Tuesday-Knights Templar Symbol

This is an interesting tombstone inscription I have seen a few times, the symbol of the Freemason order of Knights Templar. The inscription features a Patee cross with the Latin phrase In Hoc Signo Vinces. There is usually a Christian cross and crown in the center, although the cross and crown is sometimes used alone. The Latin phrase dates back to 312 A.D. and the Roman Emperor Constantine and is translated as In This Sign Thou Shalt Conquer.

Knights Templar, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio

Knights Templar, with Masonic symbol, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio

Knights Templar, Woodland Cemetery, Lima, Ohio. This person was also a member of the Odd Fellows.

Wikipedia gives the full name of the Knights Templar order as The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes, and Malta. The order is open to Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity.  

A little different version of the Knights Templar symbol:

Knights Templar, Woodland Cemetery, Van Wert, Ohio.

The original Knights Templar order (Order of the Poor Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem) was founded about 1118 A.D. to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land after the First Crusade (1096-1099). They were known across Europe as an elite fighting force with a strict code of conduct. They swore oaths of chastity, poverty, and obedience and eventually gained a great amount of financial and military power.

Pope Clement V officially dissolved the Knights Templar in 1312. Since the 1700s the Knights Templars have been revived and imitated. Today, in addition to the Masonic order of Knights Templar, some non-Masonic groups have Knights Templar orders.

Feb 10

Black Creek & Liberty News, 1911

I have moved from 1910 and am now looking through the 1911 issues of The Celina Democrat, searching for news and information about Black Creek and Liberty Townships. Most of the news the paper printed was from the Celina area, but occasionally there is news from the northwest part of the county.

Chatt-area farmers make plans for their own Farm Institute in Liberty Township:

20 Jan 1911, The Celina Democrat

John Linn and wife return to Liberty Township. I believe this article refers to John Linn (1880-1945) and his brother Philip Linn (1868-1935), sons of Jacob and Catharine (Mueller) Linn. John’s wife was Marie Klenz and John’s mother Catharine was the sister of my great-grandfather Jacob Miller.

20 Jan 1911, The Celina Democrat

The death and funeral notice of Ollie E. (Ketro) Morrison (1877-1911). She is buried in Woodland Union Cemetery in Van Wert:

27 Jan 1911, The Celina Democrat

Here are a couple mentions about local ministers, reprinted from The Lutheran Standard. The third person mentioned, Rev. George Haas, was Zion Chatt’s minister from 1907-1911. He was born in Germany in 1876 and would have undoubtedly made an excellent professor of German History.

27 Jan 1911, The Celina Democrat

A fire in Rockford made news:

20 Jan 1911, The Celina Democrat

Did you ever wonder when and where your ancestor moved? This could be a clue. I believe this is James Andress (1868-1950), the son of Jefferson & Malvina (Figley) Andress, born in Mercer County and buried in Shelby County, Ohio:

27 May 1910, The Celina Democrat