Sep 06

Safe Keeping

The village of Schumm, Ohio, once had a general store, located in a 2-story brick building that once stood on the lot next to the railroad tracks there.

General Store, Schumm, Ohio

Gustavus Jacob “Gus” Schumm (1881-1951) ran the general store in Schumm in the early 1900s. It was the major store in Schumm. The store was downtown Schumm. Schumm’s post office was also situated in the building at that time.

Gus Schumm had a free-standing, cast iron safe in the Schumm General Store. G.J. Schumm is painted on the front of the safe, from the  Victor Safe & Lock Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, likely about 1905. The gold emblem on the front indicates that the company won the Highest Award-Grand Prize in St. Louis in 1904, which helps to date the safe.

Safe from Gus Schumm’s General Store, Schumm, Ohio.

Gus sold the store to George Weinmann about 1916-1917 and Gus eventually moved his family to the Convoy area. Gus kept his Victor safe and the brick building in Schumm was razed sometime after 1929. No one knows for sure exactly when.   

After Gus died, his son Karl Schumm (1913-2019) inherited the safe, and after Karl died Karl’s son Bob acquired the safe. It is a true family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation.

Gus’ old safe is in very nice condition and his grandson Bob reports that the safe and its combination still work well. Bob’s dad Karl had him practice the safe’s combination, just to make certain he could always open it. Bob doesn’t lock the safe but keeps the combination nearby, on top of the empty safe.

Bob describes the safe as a massive heirloom, weighing a whopping 385 pounds. They used a forklift to move it onto a pickup truck and again off. 

It will come as no surprise to many of you, but I have a safe story of my own.

My great-grandfather “Louis” John Schumm (1851-1938) also had a safe very similar to the one Gus Schumm had. Louis’ safe was from the Vulcan Safe & Lock Company, for which I could find very little information. A paper left inside with the combination indicated that the lock was a Yale Lock, with 3 tumblers capable of 1 million changes. Wow. That would keep you busy.

Louis J Schumm safe

Louis also had his initials and surname painted on the front of his safe. How nice that these safes were personalized. But why? In case the safe was lost while traveling? I don’t think so. These babies are difficult to move.

Louis J Schumm’s safe

Louis’ son Cornelius (1896-1986), my grandfather, inherited the safe and kept it in their bedroom, as I recall. Or maybe in his garage. My parents eventually ended up with Louis Schumm’s safe. Thank goodness they decided to store it no farther than their garage. Had they stored it in their basement, it would still be there today.

Louis J Schumm’s safe

Louis J Schumm’s safe

The safe sat in my parents’ garage for about 30 years and was not in as good a condition as the Schumm Store safe.

Joe and I love family heirlooms and kept many of them, but this one was just too heavy and bulky for us to keep. Remember, Bob described his safe as a massive heirloom. The weight is the problem, not so much the size. They aren’t really that big, just very heavy.

We sold the safe and the buyer came over to get it with a truck and a flat-bed trailer. Joe and the buyer tried but could not get the safe onto the trailer. It was way too heavy. I guess they needed two men and a boy, as my dad used to say.

The next day the buyer came back with another man, but after several tries the three men could still not lift the safe onto the trailer. 

As they struggled to lift the safe, like magic, it suddenly flipped over. The heavy safe seemed to do a somersault right onto the trailer and landed completely upside-down! Wheels sticking straight up in the air. It was the craziest thing we ever saw.

Louis J Schumm’s safe on trailer

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and decided that the safe could travel upside-down to its next destination.

Off they went and we have no idea how they got the safe off the trailer or how they moved it after that. It was now their problem.

 

Sep 03

Tombstone Tuesday-Philip Linn

Philip Linn, UCC Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. (2024 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Philip Linn, located in row 7 of  St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. His marker is inscribed:

Philip
LINN
February 12, 1910
September 29, 1994

Philip Linn was born in Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, on 12 February 1910, the youngest child of Jacob Linn Jr (1865-1927) and Elizabeth (1872-1943) Garman/Germann. Philips’s parents were both born in Germany.

Philip Linn, at age 3 months, was enumerated in the 1910 census with his parents and four siblings: Jacob Linn Jr, 44; Elizabeth, 37; Otto, 16; Lucy, 14; Caroline, 12; Peter, 10; and Philip, 3 mo. [1]

From the 1916 Mercer County Directory: Jacob Linn Jr, wife Elizabeth, 5 children, farmer, owned 120 acres, Liberty [Twp] 48, Route 1 Celina, 8 horses, 18 cows, with an Indiana telephone. [2]

In 1920 Philip Linn, 9, resided with his father and 3 siblings: Jacob Linn Jr, 54; Louisa, 25; Caroline, 22; Peter, 19; and Philip, 9. [3]

From 1930-1950 Philip Linn resided with his brother Otto and his family in Black Creek Township, helping on the farm. [4] [5] [6]

Philip Linn died in the Mercer County Hospital, Coldwater, on 29 September 1994, at age 84.

Philip Linn had the following siblings:
Infant brother (1891-1891)
Otto Linn (1893-1960), married Norah Gladys Stover
Infant brother (1894-1894)
Catharine Louisa Linn (1895-1974), married Theodore Arndts
Caroline Linn (1897-1983), never married
Peter Linn (1900-1976), married Iola Ione Kanorr 

[1] 1910 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 119, p.16a, dwelling 349, family 310, Jacob Linn; Ancestry.com.

[2] The Farm Journal Illustrated Directory of Mercer County, 1916, Wilmer Atkinson Co, Philadelphia: 1915, p.108.

[3] 1920 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 140, p4B. dwelling, 83, family 86, Jacob Linn; Ancestry.com.

[4] 1930 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Black Creek, ED 54-1, p.8B, dwelling & family 184, Otto Linn; Ancestry.com.

[5] 1940 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Black Creek, ED 54-1, p.7A, household 146, Otto Linn; Ancestry.com.

[6] 1950 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, ED 54-1, p.8, line 28, Philip Linn, Ancestry.com.  

Aug 30

Church Cookbook Recipes

A shout-out to Jean Giesige, who mentioned my Aunt Kate last week in her weekly column, Calamity Kitchen. Her lighthearted, often touching and inspirational articles are featured in the Daily Standard. We look forward to reading them and having a little chuckle.  

Last week’s piece reflected on sauerkraut and babies, and she ended it with my Aunt Kate’s Mango Kraut Recipe, which was published in the Mercer County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Cookbook, about 1982.

Kate (Miller) Eichler

Aunt Kate (Miller) Eichler (1927-2016) and her four sisters were all very good cooks. I would recommend any of their recipes that you find in old local cookbooks.

And those cookbooks are still out there.

Churches often published cookbooks that featured the best recipes from the members of their women’s group. Other organizations, like the Mercer County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, published cookbooks with local tried and true recipes.

When I was a teenager, I spent a day at Aunt Kate’s house and she taught me how to make her award-winning Swedish Tea Ring. Aunt Kate usually won a blue ribbon for her Swedish Tea Ring every year at the Mercer County Fair. It took the better part of a day to make the yeast bread and it was delicious. Her sugar cookies were delicious, too. So, I would imagine her Mango Kraut recipe would also be tasty.

I am not the cook my aunts were. I think I could be. I’m a decent cook and baker when I cook. I just don’t take the time to cook for a couple reasons. For one, cooking takes a lot of time and I prefer to do other things. Like genealogy research. Plus, it is easy and healthy to put a salad together. We are pretty creative with our lettuce salads and we try to eat light.

Even though I don’t cook much, I do have a collection of cookbooks, many from local churches. I pull them out when the family comes home and for family reunions. And when I feel like cooking a special meal.

Some people collect cookbooks. My mom was one of those people and she was also an excellent cook. She had a lot of cookbooks from a lot of places and a cookbook was always a good gift for her. A cookbook from Amish country or from another church was a good choice. I saved some cookbooks from my mom’s collection but gave many of them to my cousin Sharon.

But I saved the church cookbooks. Church cookbooks are the best. Women submitted their best recipes, the ones they knew were tasty and for the most part fool-proof. Some of these recipes have been in handed down in families for generations. It was often a difficult decision to pick which recipes to include. After all, these cookbooks would be around for along time. 

Take for example:

St. John Lutheran Church, Hopewell Township, 1968 cookbook

This is A Book of Favorite Recipes from the Women of St. John’s Lutheran Church [Hopewell Township], 1968. Aunt Kate gave me this cookbook, from her church, as a bridal shower gift in 1973 and I have used this cookbook for over 50 years since.

Aunt Kate submitted about 18 of her favorite recipes for the book. She submitted a variety of recipes from appetizers, salads, vegetables, and main dishes, to cakes, cookies, and desserts. One of my favorite recipes that she submitted, which I haven’t made for years, is her recipe called Beef Porcupines. An easy, tasty recipe.

BEEF PORCUPINES
1 lb. ground beef
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. grated onion
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ – ½ c. uncooked rice   
¼ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped green pepper
4 c. tomato juice
1Tbsp. sugar

Mix together beef, rice, salt, pepper, celery salt, green pepper, and onion. Form into about 18 small meat balls. Pour tomato juice into a large skillet, add sauce and sugar. Add the meat balls, cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour or until rice is tender in the center of the meat balls. You can also add ¼ – ½ cup of uncooked rice to the tomato juice when you add the meat balls. Stir occasionally.

I can almost taste those meat balls. I may have to make this again soon.

No doubt about it, the church ladies are some of the best cooks and have the best recipes.  

Aug 27

Tombstone Tuesday-Knights of Pythias Flag Staff

This is a Knights of Pythias flag staff, located at the Feasel monument, Willshire Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Knights of Pythias flag staff, Willshire Cemetery (2024 photo by Karen)

This flag staff incorporates many of this fraternal society’s symbols.

Its general shape is that of a sword, topped with a knight’s helmet.

Inscribed below that in a triangle are the letters F C B, an acronym for the society’s motto, Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence.

Below the triangle are the large letters K P, the initials of Knights of Pythias.

Knights of Pythias flag staff, Willshire Cemetery (2024 photo by Karen)

The rest of the flag staff looks like a sword.

The Knights of Pythias symbol is also carved into the Feasel tombstone.

Knights of Pythias symbol, Willshire Cemetery (2024 photo by Karen)

Below is the Knights of Pythias logo:

Knights of Pythias logo

What an attractive and unique flag staff.  

Aug 23

Headlines from the Past (1926 & 1930)

My abstracts of some news stories from one of my favorite local newspapers, The Willshire Herald (1926 & 1930).

New Business Venture by Stetler Brothers
Earl and Ralph Stetler purchased the Ward Acheson lot and the W.R. Brown service station building just west of the post office on Wolcott Street, to engage in the business of spouting, roofing, roof painting, and washing and painting automobiles. They have the right of sale for Paulding and Van Wert Counties for the Monarch Paint Company, Cleveland. In addition to selling paint, they will contract for painting, as a savings to property owners.  Earl and Ralph previously operated an auto service business, now operated by Lewis Wise on State Street. (Willshire Herald, 18 March 1926)

 Service stations seemed to be big news in Willshire.

New Service Station to Keep “Open House” Saturday
Willshire’s newest service station, the Scott Service station, will have an open house on Saturday and Sunday, 21-22 June. Walter Scott, local agent for the Sinclair Company, announced that a valuable gift will be given to each motorist who purchases five gallons of gasoline. (Willshire Herald, Thursday 19 June 1930)

An obituary:

Willshire Herald, 14 Jan 1926

Well-known Schumm Man Dies Suddenly in Barn Lot
John C. Schumm was found between 4-5:00 p.m. in the barn lot by his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Schumm.

Mr. Schumm left his house shortly after 12:00 noon to do a few chores around the barn and then go to the store at Schumm to pick up several items for his daughter-in-law. A few hours later his daughter-in-law noticed that she had not seen him go toward Schumm. She phoned the store and they informed her that he had not been there. She looked around the premises but could not find him. She then telephoned her husband, Arnold Schumm, who was helping butcher at the W.A. Buechner farm, the adjoining farm to the north. Arnold hurried home and discovered the body in the barn lot.

John C. Schumm was survived by his children [Victor, Lydia, Hilda, Elisabeth, Arnold, Salome], one brother, Louis J. Schumm, three miles east of town, and a sister, Mrs. [Charles F.] Germann, Harrison Township. Other relatives resided in California. (Willshire Herald, 14 January 1926)

A stockholders meeting:

The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Willshire Equity Union Exchange Company was held at the town opera house Monday Afternoon, with 40-50 farmers in attendance. Secretary E.O. Stelter gave a favorable business report and after President T.J. Dellinger called for nominations for directors. T.J. Dellinger, R.C. Elston, George Grauberger, E.O. Stetler, and Thomas O. Hill were nominated, and all were elected since only five names were needed. (Willshire Herald, 14 January 1926)

Only from a small community:

Mary Dellinger was in Decatur Monday afternoon having dental work done. (Willshire Herald, 14 January 1926)

And from the Chatt area (Willshire Herald, 14 January 1926):

Funeral services were held Monday at Zion Lutheran, Chatt, for Jacob Hiller, 80, life-long resident of the Chattanooga area. Rev. J.E. Albrecht conducted the service.

Zion Chatt’s Luther League met at home of Carl Brandt’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Brandt, Friday night. Not all members were present due to the weather.

And lastly, an airplane ride in 1930 is big local news:

Willshire Herald, 19 June 1930

First Willshire Person to Ride Airplane from Pacific Coast
Miss Rilla Hileman, a young Willshire woman, was believed to be the first person in the community to be a cross-country passenger on an airplane.

She had been visiting her niece, Mrs. T.C. (Eathyl Hileman) Robbins, in Glendale, California, for three months. Mrs. Robbins was formerly from Willshire.

Hileman departed Los Angeles at 10:00 a.m. Saturday for Clovis, New Mexico. There she
boarded a Santa Fe Pullman train bound for Colorado, traveling during the night. She flew from Colorado to Indianapolis, arriving about 4:00 p.m. Sunday. It took about 30 hours for the 1800-mile trip.

Another niece, Bernita Moore, of Van Wert, met Hileman at Indianapolis and drove her home. They arrived home about midnight. (Willshire Herald, Thursday 19 June 1930)