Dec 04

Tombstone Tuesday–Wilhelm Dietrich

Wilhelm Dietrich, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This the tombstone of Wilhelm Dietrich, located in row 2 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Hier Ruhet in Gott
Wilhelm
Sohn von
Adam & Maria
Dietrich
Geboren
Den 15 Sep 1862
Gestorben
Den 15 Juni 1863

Here rests in God, Wilhelm, son of Adam and Maria Dietrich, born 15 September 1862, died 15 June 1863.

According to Zion Schumm’s records, Wilhelm Dietrich was born 15 September 1862, the son of Adam and Maria [Elizabeth] (Germann) Dietrich.  He was baptized at Zion Schumm’s church on 21 September 1862 with Adam Buechner and wife and Philip Germann serving as his sponsors.

Wilhelm Dietrich died 15 June 1863, at the age of 9 months. The church records do not give the cause of his death.

Wilhelm’s parents were both born in Germany and married in Van Wert County, Ohio, on 21 November 1854. [1] Wilhelm’s father Johann “Adam” Dietrich was born 27 January 1828 and died 10 February 1912. His mother Maria Elisabeth (Germann) was born 20 February 1833 and died 28 November 1888. Both are buried in Zion Schumm’s cemetery.

According to Zion Schumm’s records Wilhelm had a brother and sister living when he was born and four siblings who were born after his death:

Jacob Dietrich (1857-1857)
Maria Magdalena “Lena” Margaretha (1859-1940), married Adam Sauer
Catharina (1859-1859), born and died the same day, twin to Maria Magdalena “Lena” Margaretha
Johann Adam (1860-1903)
George Ernst (1864-1905), married Clara Schumm
Anna Maria Sophia (1866-1945), did not marry
Jacob “Heinrich” (1869-1935), married Maria Schumm
Hannah “Emma” Magdalena (1874-1956), married Johann “Ferdinand” Schinnerer

 

[1] “Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958,” database, FamilySearch.org, Adam Detrick & Mary Elizabeth Germann, 21 Nov 1854, Van Wert, Ohio.

Nov 30

Hunting

It is hunting season and we hear and see the hunters around here.

We are not hunters. We have nothing against hunting. We just do not hunt, except for occasionally getting rid of a destructive, pesky varmint such as a groundhog or muskrat. Actually, I don’t know if bagging them is even considered hunting, but Joe used to like to shoot rats in a corn crib and shoot groundhogs.

My grandma Schumm really disliked groundhogs. Quite a few of them had burrowed under their old barn and she invited Joe to come over and shoot them any time he wanted. And he happily obliged.

My dad didn’t hunt and I don’t think that his father Carl was a hunter either. At least not during my lifetime.

But my grandpa Schumm was a hunter.

Cornelius L. Schumm, far left.

I found this photo of my grandpa, Cornelius Schumm, with three other men and the deer they shot. I do not know when the photo was taken. Grandpa was born in 1896 and it is hard to tell how old he was in the photo. Maybe someone recognizes the other men in the photo or recognizes the house. It would be interesting to know who they were. Who grandpa hunted with.

When we went through things at my mom’s house we found this old deer skin. It has a hole in it, likely from the bullet hole or arrow puncture. Perhaps it is one of the deer in the above photo.

Deer skin.

Below is an old bow that belonged to my grandpa Schumm or maybe his father Louis. I do not know how to date something like this so it may be older than I think. It looks like it may have been homemade and maybe one of them made it. I do not know if it was even usable or perhaps it was a toy. It is interesting, nevertheless.

Old wooden bow.

The farther back in time you go the more families had to rely on wild game for their food.

Louis Breuninger’s black powder hunting pouch.

My grandpa Schumm’s grandfather, Louis Breuninger (1819-1890), was a hunter. He had this very interesting black powder hunting pouch with two gun powder flasks and a cloth pouch with some shot still inside. The large pouch appears to be made from an animal claw. Maybe from a bear? He lived in Wisconsin for several years before moving to the Schumm area, so it could be from an animal up there. One of the powder flasks is made of metal and the other appears to be bone. [Note: Thanks to a reader who informed me that the pouch is made from deer legs. Good to know!]

Louis Breuninger’s black powder hunting pouch.

There is some decorative braiding on the leather strap.

Strap of black powder pouch.

I also have a pair of mittens, made from some animal skin.

Old animal skin mittens.

The whole collection:

Some real pioneer items!

Nov 27

Tombstone Tuesday–Luther Weissenborn

Luther Weissenborn [Weisenborn], Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Luther Weissenborn, located in row 1 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Luther Weissenborn
Gestorben
Den 8 Mai 1864
Alter
17 Y. 7 M. 19 T.

Luther Weissenborn died 8 May 1864, age 17 years, 7 months, and 19 days.

This surname is usually spelled Weisenborn, the spelling I will use in this post.

Luther Weisenborn appears to be the only Weisenborn mentioned in Zion Schumm’s records and according to their records he was born 19 September 1846. The record does not give the names of his parents, but they may have been John “Christoph” and Mary Catharine (Schüt) Weisenborn. Zion Schumm’s records agree with his tombstone inscription, that he died on 8 May 1864 at the age of 17 Years, 7 months, and 19 days. Luther drowned while fishing and was buried on the 9th.

In 1850 and 1860 Luther Weisenborn was living with John Christoph and Mary Catharine Weisenborn, but those census enumerations do not give the family relationships. He could have been a relative and not their son. Find a Grave.com indicates that his parents were likely John Christoph and Mary Catharine Weisenborn.

The John C. Weisenborn family lived in Morrow County, Ohio, in 1850. Their household in 1850: John C, 32, Germany; Catherine, 23, Germany; and Luther, 3, Ohio. The father John was a farmer. [1]

By 1860 John C. Weisenborn and his family had moved to Auglaize County, Ohio: John, 42, Prussia; Mary C, 31, Baden; Luther, 13, Oh; John M, 4, OH; John F, 2, Oh; Mary, 2 months, Oh. The family had a post office address of St. Johns and the father John was a farmer. [2]

Sometime between 1860 and 1870 the Weisenborn family moved to Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The John Weisenborn household in 1870: John, 53; Mary, 43; John M, 13; Louisa, 13; John F, 9; and John H, 4. The parents were born in Germany and the children in Ohio. The father John [Christoph] farmed. [3]

This is probably the same J. Weisenborn family that resided in Section 18 of Liberty Township, Mercer County, as seen in the 1876 and 1888 Mercer County plat maps. They would have lived a couple miles south of Chatt and would explain why the father John [Christoph] Weisenborn is buried in Kessler Cemetery. Godfried Wisenborn is also buried nearby in Kessler Cemetery and could be another family member.

Since I saw that they lived near Chatt I checked Zion Chatt’s records and see that the “Christoph Wissenborn” family attended church there in the mid-1860s and later. Their records indicate that Christoph was married to Mary Catharine (Schüt). Their son John Herman Weisenborn was baptized at Zion Chatt in 1865 and son John Martin was confirmed there in 1871. Christoph and Mary Catharine were from Niederdorla, Thuringen, and Grossherzogtum, Baden, respectively.

[1] 1850 U.S. Census, Bennington, Morrow, Ohio, p.56B, dwelling 802, family 814, John C. Weisenborn; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?htx=List&dbid=8054&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 : viewed 25 Nov 2018).

[2] 1860 U.S. Census, Union, Auglaize, Ohio, p.377, dwelling 1104, family 1068, John Weisenborn; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?htx=List&dbid=7667&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 : viewed 25 Nov 2018).

[3] 1870 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, p: 148A, dwelling 96, family 88, John Wisenbaur; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?htx=List&dbid=7163&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 : viewed 26 Nov 2018).

Nov 22

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Karen’s Chatt!

Wishing each one of you a blessed and happy Thanksgiving. May your home be filled with happiness and joy and thankfulness as you gather with family and friends today.

Nov 20

Tombstone Tuesday–Edward Ludwig Schumm

Edward Ludwig Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Edward Ludwig Schumm located in row 1 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Edward
Ludwig
Schumm
Sohnlein von
Heinrich
u. Rosina
Schumm
Died 5 Oct.
1885
Alter
5 Jahre, 8 Mo.
u. 3 Tage.

Edward Ludwig Schumm, little son of Heinrich and Rosina Schumm died 5 October 1885, aged 5 years, 8 months, and 3 days.

Edward Ludwig Schumm was born 2 February 1880 to Henry and Rosina (Schinnerer) Schumm.  He was baptized at home on 15 February 1880, with Friedrich Schinnerer and Ludwig Schumm serving as sponsors. Friedrich Schinnerer was most likely the boy’s grandfather and Ludwig Schumm was likely his uncle. His sponsors would have been my great-great-grandfather and my great-grandfather respectively.

Edward Ludwig Schumm was enumerated in one census, the 1880 census, when he was only 4 months old. The Henry Schumm household in 1880: Henry, 35; Rosann A, 26; John C, 6; Clara R E, 4; William M M, 3; Hanah M, 2; and Edward L, 4 months. [1] The father Henry was a farmer.

Little Edward Ludwig Schumm died at 3:00 in the morning of 5 October 1885. He was only 5 years, 8 months, and 3 days old. He was buried on 6 October and his funeral text was Luke 2:49. The literal translation of the Zion Schumm’s records indicate that he died of a sore throat.

The father Henry Schumm was referred to as Heinrich Schumm I in Edward’s church death record, but in the Schumm family he is known as River Henry. There were several Henry Schumms living in the area at that time and to easily differentiate them, this Henry was called River Henry because he lived along the St. Marys River, just east of Willshire.

Henry Schumm and I descend from the same branch of the Schumm family, which is my maternal line. Henry’s parents were immigrants George “Ludwig” and Maris Barbara (Pflueger) Schumm, who were my second and third great-grandparents. And, Henry’s wife Anna “Rosina” Schinnerer was the daughter of my second great-grandfather Friedrich Schinnerer and his first wife Margaretha “Mary” Deier. They were both immigrants, too.

Henry and Rosina Schumm had 10 children before Rosina’s death in 1890. The next year Henry married Lena Geisler and they eventually had 3 children of their own.

In interesting side story about this family is that my paternal great-grandmother Christina (Rueck) Miller stayed with the River Henry Schumm family in the early 1880s. My great-grandmother Christina undoubtedly knew their son Edward Ludwig and probably even took care of him from time to time. In fact, Christina’s daughter Maggie was only about a year older than Edward Ludwig and the two children probably played together.

Christina Rueck had immigrated with her family in about 1880 and her father purchased 80 acres along the St. Marys River, close to where River Henry lived. Christina’s father sold that land and moved to Oregon in about 1882 but Christina stayed behind in Van Wert County, with the Schumms, and eventually married immigrant Jacob Miller, who lived in the Chatt area. During the time Christina stayed with the Schumms, Rosina (Schinnerer) Schumm taught Christina how to quilt, something Christina enjoyed doing the rest of her life. In fact, I have two quilts that Christina and Rosina worked on together, stitched in the early 1880s.

 

[1] 1880 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 154, p. 443A, dwelling/family 4, Henry Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com  (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?htx=List&dbid=6742&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 : accessed 19 Nov 2018).