Oct 08

Tombstone Tuesday–William J, Mary (Sauer), Elsie Schumm

William J, Mary (Sauer), & Elsie Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of William J. Schumm, Mary (Sauer) Schumm, and Elsie A Schumm, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

SCHUMM
William J.
Dec. 6, 1883
Feb. 26, 1967

Mary S.
Apr. 5, 1886
Aug. 23, 1975

Elsie A.
Sept. 1, 1918
Oct. 5, 1995

Albert Wilhelm Jacob “William J” Schumm was born 6 December 1883, the son of “River” Henry and Anna “Rosina” (Schinnerer) Schumm. He was baptized at home on 16 December 1883, with Jacob Rueck and William Buechner serving as his sponsors. Interesting that my paternal great-great-grandfather Jacob Rueck was his sponsor. The Reucks lived next door to the River Henry Schumm family for a couple years before they moved to Oregon.

William Schumm’s mother Rosina died in 1890 and his father Henry then married Magdalena Geisler.

The Henry Schumm household in 1900: Henry, 55; Lena, 32; John, 26; Minnie, 23; Hannah, 22; Gustavus, 18; William, 16; Tillie, 14; Joseph, 12; Louis, 8; Herman, 6; and Theodore, 2. His father Henry was a farmer. [1]

William J. Schumm married Marie S. “Mary” Sauer on 9 Apr 1917 at Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm. Zion’s records indicate that both were members of their parish.

Mary Sauer was born in Germany 5 April 1886 the daughter of John and Anna (Meisinger) Sauer. She immigrated with her family in 1895.

The John Sauer family in 1900: John 47; Anna C, 45; Leonard, 24; Eva, 22; Anna C, 20; John Jr, 18; Henry, 16; Mary, 14; Aaron, 13; Phillip, 9; and Ludwig, 6. Everyone in the household was born in Germany. Both John and his wife were naturalized and John was a farmer. [2]

By 1920 William J and Mary (Sauer) Schumm had a daughter, Elsie. The William J. Schumm household in 1920: William J, 36; Mary, 32; and Elise A, 1. William was a farmer. [3]

By 1930 William J. and Mary Schumm had three children. The William J. Schumm family in 1930: William, 46; Mary, 44; Elise, 11; Irma, 10; and Milton, 8. Also living with them Anna K. Sauer, Mary’s mother, age 74. [4]

In 1940 there were only four people in the William Schumm household: William, 56; Mary, 54; Elsie, 21; and Milton, 18. William was a farmer. [5]

William J. Schumm died in Decatur, Adams County, Indiana, on 26 February 1967. He was 83 years old. The cause of death was a blood clot in his brain, caused by injuries from an auto accident he had on 16 February 1967. He was buried on 1 March. [6]

William J. Schumm’s obituary:

Van Wert Lists 2nd Auto Death
Van Wert—Death of William J. Schumm, 81, of Rt. 1, Willshire, in Adams County Hospital, Decatur, Ind., Sunday, has been listed as Van Wert County’s second traffic fatality of the year by Sheriff Wilmer L. Clay.

Schumm died from injuries sustained in an auto-train collision near his home Feb. 16, according to hospital officials. His wife, Mary, was injured, and has been released from the hospital.

Clay said records show the Schumm auto collided with the diesel unit of Norfolk and Western freight train 4.9 miles southwest of Ohio City.

Mr. Schumm is survived by his wife; two daughters, Mrs. Walter Kuehlinger [sic] of Fort Wayne and Elizabeth, at home; one son, Milton of Rt. 4, Van Wert; seven grandchildren; three brothers, and one sister.

Services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, in Zion Lutheran Church near Willshire, Rev. Elmer Braun officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at Zwick Funeral Home, Decatur, until noon Wednesday, when the body will be taken to the church to lie in state. [7]

William’s widow Mary (Sauer) Schumm died of a stroke at Crows Haven Nursing Home, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, on 23 August 1975. She was 89 years old and was buried on the 26th.  [8]   

Mary S. (Sauer) Schumm’s obituary:

Mary S. Schumm, 89, widow of William J. Schumm and sister of Phil Sauer, Decatur, died Saturday at 10:10 a.m. at Crows Haven Nursing Home, Fort Wayne. She had been a patient there the past four months and had been in ill health four years.

Mrs. Schumm came to the United States in 1895 and resided on the same route 1, Willshire, farm for 73 years until moving to Fort Wayne seven years ago, she has resided with her daughter, Mrs. Walter Koehlinger of Fort Wayne, for the past four years. A housewife, Mrs. Schumm was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church at Schumm, O., and a member of the Ladies Aid.

She was born on April 5, 1886 in Germany to John and Anna Meisinger-Sauer, and was married on April 9, 1917 to William J. Schumm, who died in 1967.

Survivors include two daughters, Elsie Schumm, Fort Wayne, and Mrs. Walter (Irma) Koehlinger, Fort Wayne, and one son, Milton, Van Wert, O.; two brothers, Phil Sauer, Decatur, and Louis Sauer, Fort Wayne; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Two sisters and four brothers preceded her in death.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. at the Zwick Funeral Home and at 10 a.m. (Indiana time) at the Zion Lutheran Church in Schumm, O. with Rev. Robert Schuler officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of services. [9]

Their daughter Elsie Agnes Schumm died of pneumonia at Riverbend Health Care Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana, on 5 October 1995, at the age of 77. She was buried on the 7th.  [10]

William J. & Mary (Sauer) Schumm had the following children:
Elsie Agnes (1918-1995), never married
Irma Anna Magdalena (1920-2010), married Walter H. A. J. Koehlinger
Milton M. (1921-2009), married Betty Ross

One last note about this family, a connection to my husband Joe’s side of the family. Their son Milton Schumm married Betty Ross and Betty was Joe’s mother’s first cousin, on the Roesner branch. That makes Joe and Betty first cousins once removed. Milton is my second cousin once and twice removed, due to that pedigree collapse thing again on the Schumm side…

[1] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, p.8 dwelling 170, family 183, Henry Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1900usfedcen/  : viewed 7 Oct 2019).

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 98, p.13, dwelling 246, family 252, John Sauer; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1900usfedcen/ : viewed 2 Sep 2019).

[3] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.2B, dwelling & family 43, William J Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1920usfedcen/ : viewed 7 Oct 2019).

[4] 1930 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 24, p.4A, dwelling 74, family 76, William Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1930usfedcen/ : viewed 7 Oct 2019).

[5] 1940 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-28, p.3A, house no.24, visited no.50, Wm J Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1940usfedcen/ : viewed 7 Oct 2019).

[6] Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1967, roll 2, Adams County, William J Schumm, 26 Feb 1967; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 7 Oct 2019.

[7] The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 28 Feb 1967, p.4; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com.

[8] Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1975, roll 11, Allen County, Mary S Schumm, 23 Aug 1975; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 7 Oct 2019.

[9] Decatur Daily Democrat, Decatur, Indiana, 25 Aug 1975; Find a Grave.com, Mary S. (Sauer) Schumm memorial no. 34047005.

[10] Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1995, roll 16, Allen County, Elsie A Schumm, 5 Oct 1995; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 7 Oct 2019.

 

Oct 04

The Daughters of Jacob Miller

Last week I posted photos of the sons of my great-grandfather Jacob Miller. Today, some photos of Jacob Miller’s daughters.

Jacob Miller (1843-1918) was born in Bierbach, Bavaria. He married Sophia Goelzer there, but Sophia and their first child died during childbirth.

Jacob immigrated to America in 1871 and settled a couple miles north of Chattanooga, Ohio. He married Margaretha Strabel (1859-1882) in 1877 and they had two sons, Johann Peter “Pete” (1878-1957) and Christian “Chris” (1880-1911).

Jacob Miller Family. Front: Carl, Jacob, John, Christena (Rueck), Clara, Caroline. Back: Mary, Peter, Jacob Jr, Christian, Maggie.

Jacob’s third marriage was to Christena Rueck (1858-1942) in 1882. Jacob and Christena had seven children: Maria “Mary” Regina (1884-1905), Jacob Jr (1885-1913), Catharine (1886-1895), John (1889-1964), “Caroline” Christine (1893-1988), “Carl” Frederick (1896-1973), and Clara (1899-1997).

Today, the four daughters of Jacob Miller:

Mary Miller (1884-1905), died from consumption, never married:

Maria Regina Miller (1884-1905). 1902 photo

Half-sisters Maggie (Rueck) Kallenberger (1875-1962) & Maria Regina Miller (1884-1905)

Catharine Miller (1886-1895), died of typhoid fever. Family members believe that she contracted the illness from drinking water from a well  that had gone bad on the farm. They even say it was a well on the west side of the farm. I have no photos of Catharine Miller.

Caroline Miller (1893-1988), married Howard Caffee:

Caroline (Miller) Caffee (1893-1988)

Caroline (Miller) & Howard Caffee

Howard and Caroline (Miller) Caffee

Clara Miller (1899-1997), married Johnny Reef:

Christene (Rueck) Miller & Clara Miller

Caroline & Clara Miller

Clara (Miller) Reef (1899-1997)

Johnny & Clara (Miller) Reef, Christine (Rueck) Miller.

Christena (Rueck) had a daughter before her marriage to Jacob Miller. Margaretha “Maggie” (Rueck) (1879-1962) was raised by Jacob and Christena with the other Miller children. Maggie married Michael Kallenberger.

Maggie (Rueck)  Kallenberger (1879-1962)

Mike and Maggie Rueck Miller Kallenberger.

Those are the children of Jacob Miller–5 sons and 4 daughters. And they left a legacy of many descendants.

Oct 01

Tombstone Tuesday–Anna K. (Meisinger) Sauer

Anna K (Meisinger) Sauer, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Anna K. (Meisinger) Sauer, located in row 9 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Anna K.
Wife of
John Sauer
July 23, 1855
July 12, 1935
Ps. 119, v. 111

Anna Katharina Meisinger was born in Germany on 23 July 1855, according to the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, Ohio.

Anna Meisinger married Johannes Sauer in Germany about 1875. They lived in Hainstadt, Odenwald, Germany, where some, if not all, of their ten children were born. The Sauer family immigrated to the United States about 1895. [1]

Anna, her husband Johannes and their 9 children were enumerated in the 1900 U.S. Census, residing in Willshire Township, Van Wert County: John Sauer, 47; Anna C, 45; Leonard, 24; Eva, 22; Anna C, 20; John Jr, 18; Henry, 16; Mary, 14; Aaron, 13; Phillip, 9; and Ludwig, 6. One of their ten children had died by this time. Both Johannes and his wife were naturalized and Johannes was a farmer. [1]

Anna’s husband Johannes died about two months after that census was taken. He passed away on 27 August 1900, at the age of 50, leaving Anna with nine children at home, although several of the children had reached the age of adulthood. Johannes is buried in row 7 of Zion Schumm’s cemetery.

In 1910, widow Anna Sauer, age 54, lived with 3 of her children on the family farm in Willshire Township: Philip, 18; Louis, 16; and Mary, 24. [2]

In 1930, Anna Sauer, age 74, lived with her daughter Mary (Sauer) Schumm and her family on the Sauer family farm. Mary Sauer had married William Schumm in 1917 and Mary’s obituary mentions that she had lived 73 of her 89 years on the family farm. [3] The William Schumm household in 1930: William Schumm, 46, head; Mary [Sauer] Schumm, 44; Elsie Schumm, 11; Irma Schumm, 10; Milton Schumm, 8; and Anna K Sauer, 74. This enumeration indicates that Anna is the mother-in-law and a widow. Anna and Mary were born in Germany. [4]  

Anna K. Sauer died of cancer on 12 July 1935 at the home of her daughter Mary, near Schumm. She was 79 years, 11 months, and 19 days old. Her death certificate does not give the names of her parents. She was buried on the 14th. [5] Her obituary:

MRS. ANNA SAUER, OF SCHUMM, DIES FRIDAY
Funeral services for Mrs. Anna Sauer, nee Meisinger, aged 79, who died Friday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. William J. Schumm, of Schumm, were held Sunday afternoon at the Schumm Zion Lutheran church with the pastor Rev. A. Moeller, officiating. Burial was made in the church cemetery. S.S. Buchanan & Sons were the morticians.

Mrs. Sauer’s death followed an extended illness of old age and complications. She had been ailing since last fall and had been bedfast for the past two months.

She was born in Germany on July 23, 1855 and came to this country in 1895, locating at Schumm, Ohio. She was united in marriage to John Sauer who preceded her in death in 1900.

Surviving are the following sons and daughters: Leonard Sauer and Mrs. Anna Myer, Dayton, Ohio; Phil and Henry Sauer, of Adams county; John Sauer of Ossian, Ind; Louis Sauer and Mrs. Eva Peifer of Fort Wayne; Adam Sauer of Springfield, Ohio; and Mrs. W.J. Schumm, Schumm. One brother, Adam Meisinger of Peking, Illinois, 26 grandchildren and six great grandchildren also survive. [6]

Johannes and Anna Katharina (Meisinger) Sauer had the following children: [7]
Leonard (1876-1944), married Minnie Margaret Hofferberth
Eva (1877-1956), married Nicholas Pfeifer
Anna Katharine (1879-1964), married John Maier
John Jr (1881-1967), married Bertha Ann Roehm
Henry (1884-1948), married Justine Rosina Magdalena Pflueger
Marie “Mary” S (1886-1975), married William Jacob Schumm
Adam (1888-1962, married Carrie Leisure
Philip (1892-1985), married Minna Katherine Weinmann
Louis (1894-1978), married Alma Wolke

[1] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 98, p.13, dwelling 246, family 252, John Sauer; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1900usfedcen/ : viewed 2 Sep 2019).

[2] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 114, p.6A, dwelling 117, family 118, Annie Saners; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1910uscenindex/ : viewed 30 Sep 2019).

[3] FindAGrave.com, memorial no. 34047005, Mary (Sauer) Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.

[4] 1930 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 24, p.4A, dwelling 74, family 76, William Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1930usfedcen/ : viewed 30 Sep 2019).

[5] “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001,” Willshire Township, Van Wert, Anna Katherine Sauer, 12 Jul 1935; database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PFF-S98P?i=1941&cc=1307272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AX6WD-S7B : viewed 30 Sep 2019).

[6] The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 18 July 1935, transcription on FindAGrave.com, memorial no. 34047075, Anna Katharina Meisinger Sauer, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio.

[7] John Sauer family, 1900 census; and FindAGrave.com, memorial no. 34047030, Johannes Sauer, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Sep 27

The Sons of Jacob Miller

The past few weeks I have been writing about two of Jacob Miller’s sons, Christian “Chris” Miller and Jacob Miller Jr, writing about the time they spent working in the oil fields of California, Oklahoma, and Texas around 1910. The Miller family saved their postcards from their time out west and those picture postcards gave me enough information to create a timeline of their brief time spent there. They both died young out west. Chris of typhoid in Texas in 1911 and Jacob Jr died in Oklahoma in 1913, killed when parts of an oil derrick fell on him.

Chris and Jacob Jr were half-brothers and they were my great-uncles. Chris Miller (1880-1911) was the son of Jacob Miller and his second wife Margaretha Strabel (1859-1882). Jacob Jr (1885-1913) was the son of Jacob Miller and his third wife Christena Rueck (1858-1945). My grandfather Carl Miller (1896-1973) was a full brother to Jacob Jr. They all grew up on the Miller Century Farm in northern Mercer County, Ohio.

Front: Carl, Jacob, John, Christena (Rueck), Clara, Caroline. Back: Mary, Peter, Jacob Jr, Christian, Maggie.

Jacob Miller (1843-1918) had a total of five sons and they all resembled each other. I remember the Miller men talking about what they call the Miller Ears. They felt their ears were rather prominent and stuck out too far. I don’t think the Miller ears are that noticeable. Maybe their prominence has toned down over the years.

The Miller brothers all seemed to be big, robust men. Some family members say that John Miller was once a bouncer at the Chatt Bar, which may have been quite a job during Chatt’s oil days.   

Today, some photos of Jacob’s sons. As you can see in the following photos, the Miller brothers really did resemble each other.

From Jacob Miller’s marriage to Margaretha Strabel two sons:

Johann Peter “Pete” Miller (1878-1957), married Della Kuehm (1887-1975):

Pete Miller (1878-1957) & Della (Kuehm) Miller (1887-1975)

Christian “Chris” Miller (1880-1911), never married:

Chris Miller (1880-1911)

From Jacob Miller’s marriage to Christena Rueck, three sons:

Jacob Miller Jr (1885-1913), never married:

Jacob Miller Jr (1886-1913)

Jacob Miller Jr, on right

Jacob Miller Jr, 3rd from left.

Jacob Miller Jr, on left

John Miller (1889-1964), married Frona Dull (1893-1973):

Johnny Reef, John Miller (on tractor)

John Miller, Carl Miller

Carl Miller (1896-1973), married Gertrude Brewster (1896-1973):

Carl F. Miller

Carl Miller

My dad and his two brothers bear a strong resemblance to each other as well. And they all look like their dad, Carl!

Jacob and Christena (Rueck) Miller also had 4 daughters: Maria Regina (1884-1905); Catherine (1886-1895); Caroline Christine (1893-1988), married Howard Caffee; and Clara C (1899-1997), married Johnny Reef.

Sep 24

Tombstone Tuesday–Johannes Sauer

Johannes Sauer, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Johannes Sauer, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Johannes
Sauer
Geboren
Den 24 Apr
1850
Gestorben
27 Aug 1900
Alter 50 J, 4 M

Johannes Sauer, born the 24 April 1850, died 27 August 1900, aged 50 years, 4 months.

Johannes Sauer was born 24 April 1850 in Hainstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt, according to Zion Schumm’s records. Zion Schumm’s records do not give the names of his parents. [1]

Johannes Sauer married Anna Katharina Meisinger in Germany about 1875 and they had ten children, but one was deceased by 1900. The family immigrated about 1895. [2]

Johannes, his wife, and their 9 children were enumerated in the 1900 U.S. Census, residing in Willshire Township, Van Wert County:  John Sauer, 47; Anna C, 45; Leonard, 24; Eva, 22; Anna C, 20; John Jr, 18; Henry, 16; Mary, 14; Aaron, 13; Phillip, 9; and Ludwig, 6. Both Johannes and his wife were naturalized and Johannes was a farmer. [2]

Johannes Sauer died of dropsy on 27 August 1900, just two months after the census was taken. It was the only census he was enumerated in. Johannes was 50 years, 4 months, and 3 days old when he died and he was buried on the 30th. [3]

Johannes‘ wife Anna Katharina died in 1935 and is buried in row 9 of Zion Schumm’s cemetery.

Johannes and Anna Katharina (Meisinger) Sauer had the following children:
Leonard (1876-1944), married Minnie Margaret Hofferberth
Eva (1877-1956), married Nicholas Pfeifer
Anna Katharine (1879-1964), married John Maier
John Jr (1881-1967), married Bertha Ann Roehm
Henry (1884-1948), married Justine Rosina Magdalena Pflueger
Marie “Mary” S (1886-1975), married William Jacob Schumm
Adam (1888-1962, married Carrie Leisure
Philip (1892-1985), married Minna Katherine Weinmann
Louis (1894-1978), married Alma Wolke

[1] FindAGrave.com lists his parents as Johannes & Eva Katherine (Zior) Sauer, Johannes Sauer, FindaGrave memorial no. 34047030, Johannes Sauer.

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, Ed 98, p.13, dwelling 246, family 252, John Sauer; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1900usfedcen/ : viewed 2 Sep 2019).

[3] Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm death/burial records and “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001, Willshire Twp, Van Wert, Vol. 2, p.198, line 7;  John Sauer, 27 Aug 1900; database with images, FamilySearch.org    (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6725-X3?i=539&cc=2128172&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AF6NJ-TJF : viewed 22 Sep 2019).