Nov 06

Tombstone Tuesday–Michael G. Pflueger (revisited)

Michael G. Pflueger, Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

In 2013 I wrote a Tombstone Tuesday post featuring the tombstone of Michael G. Pflueger, located in row 6 of Greenbriar Cemetery, Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio. [1] At that time, five years ago, Michael’s grave marker had fallen over.

We stopped by Greenbriar Cemetery a few weeks ago and the first thing I noticed was that Michael Pflueger’s tombstone had been reset and restored to its upright position. His tombstone was one of several that had been reset with a new bases and we were impressed with the restorations that had been done since we were at the cemetery five years ago. These tombstones are very heavy and resetting them can be quite a task. Kudos to those who did the restoration work.

In addition to being reset, a very nice plaque had been placed in front of Michael Pflueger’s marker.

George “Michael” Pflueger was my second great-granduncle, the brother of my great-great-grandmother, Maria Barbara Pflueger, who was the wife of my great-great-grandfather Johann “Ludwig” Schumm.

Here are some photos showing how Michael’s tombstone looks today:

Michael G. Pflueger, Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

Michael G. Pflueger, Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

Michael G. Pflueger, Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

Michael G. Pflueger’s marker is inscribed:

Michael G. Pflueger
Died 1 Jul 1903
Aged 79 y, 1 m, 13 d
Gone but not forgotten
PFLUEGER

Georg “Michael” Pflueger was born in Schrozberg, Württemberg, the son of Johann Christian and Anna Barbara (Sekel) Pflueger. [2]

Michael Pflueger married Maria Catharine Brant on 28 May 1846 in Holmes County, Ohio. [3] According to the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, they were probably living in the Schumm area by 1848 when their daughter Maria Rosina was born and baptized. Michael and Maria Catharine had at least eleven children and at least six of them died young.

Michael Pflueger was a private during the Civil War, in Company C of the 41st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served from 4 September 1864-13 June 1865, for 9 months and 12 days. During the war he suffered from camp diarrhea and rheumatism. [4] [5]

Michael G. Pflueger, Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

According to the 1872 map of Van Wert County “M. Pflueger” owned land in the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 26 and the southeast half of the southeast quarter of Section 29 in Willshire Township. Both farms were on Willshire Eastern Road. The 80 acres in Section 26 was east of Zion Lutheran Church. The 55 acres in Section 29 was closer to Willshire and what is now State Route 81 ran through the farm.

Maria Catharine (Brant) Pflueger died in 1882 and is buried in row 9 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, where some of their children are also buried. The names of five of their children are inscribed on Catharine’s tombstone.

In 1900 widower Michael Pflueger was living with his son Adam in Willshire Township. [6]  

Michael and Maria Catherine Pflueger had at least eleven children, according to Zion Schumm records. At least six of them died young and four of them lived to adulthood. Their youngest child, Maria Hanna, lived to be at least nine years old. The following are the children of Michael and Catherine (Brant) Pflueger, from the church records:

Maria Katharina (1848-1848)
Margretha (1849-1849)
Rosina/Rose Ann (1850-1869)
Abraham (1853-1936), married Elizabeth Hoffman
Maria Barbara (1855-1935), married Jacob/GW Clouse
Georg Martin (1857-1859)
Martin Friedrich (1860-1943), married Sarah M. Burk
Adam Jakob (1862-1919), married Anna Regina Pifer
Johann Heinrich (1863-1864)
Andreas Jacob (1866-1867)
Maria Hanna (1871-?)

 

[1] Greenbriar Cemetery is located about 3½ miles west of Ohio City, at the intersection of Willshire-Ohio City Road and Glenmore Road, Section 13 of Willshire Township.

[2] Evangelische Church at Schrozberg, Württemberg, entry 5 (1824 Baptisms), unpaginated, Family History Library microfilm #1528613, birth and baptism of Georg Michael Pflüger.

[3] “Ohio , County Marriages, 1789-1994,” index and images, FamilySearch.org (www.familysearch.org : accessed 12 May 2013), citing Holmes County Marriages, Vol. 2:298, Michael “Pfleger” and Catharine Brant, 1846.

[4] 1890 Veterans Schedules, Van Wert County, Ohio, Willshire Township, p. 3, line 34, Home 121, Family 126, Michael Pflueger, database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Apr 2013), from National Archives Microfilm, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Publication M123, Record Group 15.

[5] U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865, on-line database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 May 2013), from National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/.

[6] 1900 U.S. Census, Van Wert County, Ohio, Willshire Township, ED 0097, p. 9B, line 77, dwelling 185, family 199, Adam Pfluegar; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com, (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 May 2013).

Nov 02

Herbert Miller–WWII Memories & Bronze Star

I have finished transcribing and posting my dad’s WWII letters, a task I began a little over a year ago. Although I did not post his letters on every Friday’s blog post, there were at least 30 blog posts of letters.

I started transcribing and posting them about a month before Veterans Day 2017 and here it is, about a week before Veterans’ Day 2018.

Today I am transcribing two newspaper stories that featured my dad. Both were written and published years after his WWII service. The first piece is from the Berne Tri-Weekly News and the second probably was, too.

The first piece was published on the front page of the Berne Tri-Weekly News on 3 November 1989. This article was accompanied by this photo:

Herbert M. Miller

Miller poses in 1945
Above, Herbert Miller poses next to a Jeep used by Religious News Service in 1945. Miller used the Jeep to transport two chaplains from Paris to Germany during WW II. Miller is a resident of Chatt, O.

WWII Memories Revealed
By Tony Mellencamp, News Editor
Following is an article dealing with the upcoming Veterans Day holiday. It is one of a series to appear periodically through Nov. 11, Veterans Day.

A young man of 19, Herbert Miller of Route 1, Rockford, O., remembers vividly entering the armed service to fight for his country during WW II.

He received his infantry training in the summer of 1944, at Fort McClellan, Ala. He turned 19 in November of that year. In December he found himself on the U.S.S. Wakefield, crossing the Atlantic on a journey to the battlefields of Europe.

While on that ship he met a fellow soldier from Berne, Joe Solano, who was heading to France as a replacement soldier.

Miller joined the 84th Infantry Division, Company L, in the morning of December 24. The men landed just outside of a small Belgium town called Verdenne.

His unit attacked the town shortly after midnight on Christmas Eve. They had secured the town on the evening of Christmas Day and found themselves driven out by German counterattacks twice that day.

Over the next three days the unit fought off five more German attacks but the Americans managed to hold the town.

“From the time I arrived to fight, it was constantly cold. We were hungry and tired and we ate mainly individually packaged meals or K-rations.” Miller remembered.

He said the men were outdoors in the Ardennes 24 hours a day in temperatures of 0-20 [degrees] with knew deep snow and no overshoes. Gloves and socks were scarce. Many soldiers suffered from frostbite in the freezing temperatures.

Miller carried a Browning Auto-Rifle with a 20-shot clip, 600-800 rounds of ammunition, a half dozen grenades and a quarter pound of dynamite. The dynamite was used to help dig fox holes.

“What sleep and rest we got was in fox holes or in the snow. We never had the luxury of a bed or a house.” Said Miller.

After fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, Miller’s unit fought in Germany from the Roer River to the Elbe River.

At the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans attacked with 12 armored divisions and 16 infantry divisions. The attack occurred on Dec. 16, 1944 with the Germans having 1,000 tanks and 1,900 pieces of heavy artillery. They held five divisions in reserve. The allies had their work cut out for them.

“Prior to joining the Army, I was a sleepwalker,” Miller noted. “One night in Belgium, I went to sleep standing by a tree. When I awakened, I heard someone shout ‘halt’ and then fire two shots. Because I had a bad cold I couldn’t reply. When I heard the bullets whiz past me I dropped to the snowy ground and stayed there until daylight. That’s the last time I ever sleepwalked.”

WW II vets received a hero’s welcome upon returning to the United States after the war. Miller remembers returning and being treated like a hero.

“I am 100% behind the Vietnam Veterans. We returned from WW II as heroes but the Vietnam vet was ridiculed, ignored or treated with malice. They were fighting for our country and deserve the same treatment we received. They have ben, and still are, to some extent, treated unfairly,” said Miller.

I have seen the above article a number of times but I sure wish I knew more about the story mentioned under the Jeep photo. I do not recall my dad mentioning that he transported two chaplains from Paris to Germany.

Today’s second newspaper item, also from the Berne Tri-Weekly News:

Herbert Miller receives Bronze Star 46 years after WWII.

Miller gets medal
Herb Miller, of rural Rockford, O. poses above with a certificate and a Bronze Star. The Star was awarded to Miller about 46 years after he was discharged honorably from the Army after WWII. The certificate states that Miller performed with meritorious achievement in ground combat in the European African Middle Eastern Theater of Operations during the war. He would have gotten the award sooner but a fire caused the loss of records several years ago in an office building. Anyone who served in the armed service in WWII and have not received an award they feel they should have gotten, contact the National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63132-5100. This is mainly for those vets who were discharged from the Army before 1960; or the Air Force before 1964 and has a last name coming alphabetically between Hubbard, James E. and Z. (Photo by Tony Mellencamp)

I remember when my dad got this Bronze Star, which, according to the article, would have been about 1992. It was the first of two Bronze Stars he received.

 

 

Oct 30

Happy Halloween!

Today, on the eve of Halloween, here are some of my favorite cemetery and tombstone photos.

Somewhere in southern Indiana

Fountain Chapel, Mercer County, Ohio

Tomlinson Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio

Riverside Cemetery, Geneva, Indiana

Boston, 2009

 

Boston, 2009

Palmer Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio

Boston, 2009

St. Paul Lutheran, Liberty, Mercer County, Ohio

Fountain Chapel, Mercer County, Ohio

Greenlawn, Wapakoneta, Ohio

Woodlawn Cemetery, Lima, Ohio

Tomlinson Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio

Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio

Ft. Loramie Cemetery, Shelby County, Ohio

Happy Halloween!

 

Oct 26

Dear Mom & All–WWII Letters from Herb (part 30)

Below are the last of the transcriptions of my dad’s WWII letters. That is not to say another letter or two may show up sometime, but right now, I think this is it.

This past year I have been transcribing the letters that my dad, Herbert Miller, wrote home while in the Army, stationed in Germany during WWII and the occupation time afterward. The family saved many of his letters and my goal has been to transcribe them and post them here as blog posts.

Herbert Miller, France, 1946.

The war was over by the time my dad wrote these letters and he was serving in the Occupation Force in Germany, serving until he had enough time and points to be honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. He was stationed and working as a Tec 5 postal clerk at an Army post office in Heidelberg, Germany, a job he often said he liked very much. [1]

The last two letters were written in April 1946. By May of 1946 he had been in Europe 16 months. These letters were written to my dad’s sister Em, her husband “Jack” and their little son Ron.

4 April 1946
Heidelberg, Germany

Dear Em, Jack, & Family,
It’s about time I write isn’t it. I just came back from furlough in Paris, France. It’s the worst place I’ve ever been in. I’m sure glad to get back in Germany. I like it here a lot better than I would in France.

In 172 Army Postal Unit there are two guys out of about twenty that have more service or points than I have. I’ve got more overseas time than any of them. These two guys are leaving the outfit sometime in the next 10 days. So it won’t be long until I’m high point man in the 172.

I had a fair time on my furlough. The thing I enjoyed most of all was the plane ride down to Paris. I rode on of those 4-motored C-54 mail planes (A.T.C.). I came back in a jeep. I bought two cameras and one ladies watch. I’m going to save the watch until I get engaged for good or married.

Love,
Herbie

Even though my dad did not have kind words to say about Paris, he saved quite a few nice photos from the time he was there. Paris and the whole country of France was probably in pretty bad condition right after the war. As to the watch, I never heard him mention it, but I wonder if he gave it to my mom.

Herbert Miller, Marne, France, 1946.

Herbert Miller, Paris, France, 1946.

Herbert Miller & another GI, Hotel Ambassador, Paris, France, 1946.

GI at Hotel Ambassador, Paris, France, 1946.

15 April 1946
Heidelberg, Germany

Dear Em, Jack & Family,
Boy I’ve really fell off on my writing. I’m going to have to get busy in the next couple of days and write.

How is everything coming along? Especially Ronnie. I’ll bet he is really getting big. There is one thing I get mixed up—the name of your baby and the name of Ruth’s baby. I imagine after I see them and see who they take after I’ll know which is which.

How are automobiles? Pretty high price? I’m going to be in the market for one pretty soon after I get home. Maybe a year or two after.

The Red Cross is really crowded now since the 3rd Army came into Heidelberg.

Must close for now.

Love,
Herb

I am not sure when my dad finally came home but he was honorably discharged from the Army on 7 June 1946, according to his discharge papers. His separation record states he was discharged at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He served in the Army from 29 June 1944 to 7 June 1946 and served in the European Theater for 18 of those months. He served 4¼ months as a private in basic training, 9 months as a PFC rifleman, and 8 months as a Tec 5 postal clerk. A summary of his military occupations, according to his discharge paper: Postal Clerk–served with Headquarters, 172nd Army Postal Unit; received sorted, and distributed all classes of mail; insured and registered mail; issued and cashed postal money orders and sold stamps and other postal supplies; maintained accurate records of all transactions and was responsible for funds.

A few more photos my dad took in Paris:

Arch being rebuilt in Paris, 1946.

Arch in Paris, 1946.

Arch in Paris, 1946.

Church in Paris, 1946.

Statue in Paris, 1946.

GI by statue in Paris, 1946.

MP wagon in Paris, 1946.

The last letter [below] is out of chronological order. The top of the page is torn and only “Sep” remains. I had placed it at the end of his letters but, after reading it closely, it was very likely written in September 1945, written before my dad worked in the Army post office in Heidelberg and before his nephew Ronnie was born.

In the letter below my dad refers to Jeanne Betzel and the fellow she was dating. Jeanne was from Chatt, she attended Zion Chatt, and was about my dad’s age. I assume “the guy she was dating” was probably the same man Jeanne eventually married, Frank Schwab, who also served in WWII. My parents remained friends with the Schwabs the rest of their lives and visited them out west on at least one occasion that I remember.

Also, in the letter below, my dad actually diagrammed the gears of the two trucks he mentioned, but I could not reproduce the drawings here.

Sept [1945]
Dear Em & Jack,

It’s been quite some time since I’ve written you last. I’ve been pretty busy but I guess that is no excuse.

I received your box a few days ago. Thanks a lot.

I received a letter from the guy Jeanne Betzel goes with and he is trying to get me in where he works in the post office.

All last week I’ve been driving 2½ ton and 1½ ton trucks. The gears are sort of tricky but they are nice to handle. Here are the gears on a 2½ 6×6 G.M.C. and on a Dodge 1½ 6×6. The G.M.C. had 10 gears forward and 2 in reverse and the Dodge 8 forward and 2 in reverse.

I had the chance to drive a 2½ all the time but turned it down. Tomorrow morning I’m supposed to report at the Battalion Motor Pool to get a license to drive a 1½. But I’m going to go to Div. Headquarters for an interview.

How is everything on the farm? The John Deere is running OK?

Must close for now.

Love,
Herbie 

That is the last letter I have. I think. Sometimes things show up around here later.

[1] My dad, Herbert Miller, trained as a replacement troop during the fall of 1944, arrived in Europe in December of that same year, and was assigned to Company L, 333rd Regiment, 84th Infantry Division. The 84th was known as the Railsplitters. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and later in parts of Luxembourg, Germany, and France.

Oct 23

Tombstone Tuesday–Anna Maria Seaman

Anna M. Seaman, Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018) photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Anna M. Seaman, located in row 7 of Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Anna M.
Wife of
John Seaman
Died
Jan. 12, 1894
Aged
75 Y.  12 D.
SEAMAN

I recently wrote several Tombstone Tuesday posts about the Seamans buried in Zion Lutheran Schumm’s cemetery. The Seamans attended Zion Lutheran, Schumm, in the second half of the 19th century even though Anna M. [Maria], the wife and mother, is buried in Greenbriar Cemetery.

I could find very little information about Anna Maria Seaman. According to census records she was born in Wuerttemberg. Her date of birth would have been 31 December 1818, as calculated from her tombstone. She died 12 January 1894.

I do not know Anna Maria’s maiden name. According to Zion Schumm’s records, her husband John Seaman was born in Wuertemburg in 1814. The couple likely married in Wuertemberg and had at least one son, Jacob, before immigrating to America. They settled in Ohio, where they had at least two daughters—Maria Seaman (1855-1862) and Emma Seaman (1857-1896), who married John Kreiselmeyer (1854-1887).

I do not know when the John and Anna Maria Seaman immigrated to America but the church records indicate that their daughter Emma was born in Warren County, Ohio, in 1857. The family moved to the Schumm area by 1862, where daughters Maria and Emma were both baptized.

The Seaman household in 1870, living in Willshire Township: John, 56; Mary, 51; Jacob, 23; and Emma, 13. The father John was a farmer and son Jacob was a carpenter. All were born in Wuerttemberg except Emma, who was born in Ohio. [1]

In 1880 John and Anna Maria Seaman lived with their daughter Emma and her husband John Kreiselmeyer. Their household in 1880: John [Seaman], 65; Anna Maria [Seaman], 61, John [Kreiselmeyer], 28; Emma [Kreiselmeyer], 21; and Fredric Rattach, 21. They were farmers and Rattach was their farm laborer. John and Anna Maria Seaman were born in Wuerttemberg and John and Emma Kreiselmeyer were born in Ohio. [2]

According to her tombstone, Anna M. Seaman died 12 January 1894, at the age of 75 years and 12 days. Her calculated birth date of 31 December 1818 agrees with the census records.

Her death is also recorded in Van Wert County Probate, which indicates that Anna M. Seaman, age 75 years and 12 days, died of lung fever on 12 January 1894. She was married, born in Germany and lived at Schumm, where she died. [3]

According to Zion Schumm’s records and the Van Wert County probate death records, Anna Maria’s husband John Seaman died 29 May 1897. [4] He shares a tombstone with his daughter Emma (Seaman) Kreiselmeyer in Zion Schumm’s cemetery.

Why is Anna Maria Seaman not buried in Zion Schumm’s cemetery? She was probably not a member of the church.

 

[1] 1870 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.437 [stamped], dwelling 105, family 106, John Seaman; Ancestry.com  ( https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?htx=List&dbid=7163&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 : viewed 1 Oct 2018).

[2] 1880 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 154, p.449A [stamped], family 113, John Kreiselmyer; Ancestry.com (https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?htx=List&dbid=6742&offerid=0%3a7858%3a0 : viewed 1 Oct 2018).

[3] “Ohio County Death Records, 1840-2001,” database with images, FamilySearch ( https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6722-8J?i=532&cc=2128172 : viewed 8 Oct 2018), Anna M. Seaman, 12 Jan 1894; Van Wert Co. Deaths, Vol. 2, p.191, no. 8; FHL microfilm 1015858.

[4] “Ohio County Death Records, 1840-2001,” database with images, FamilySearch,( https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-672L-S5?i=536&cc=2128172 : viewed 1 Oct 2018), John Seaman, 29 May 1897; Van Wert County Deaths, Vol. 2, p.195, no. 8; FHL microfilm 1015858.