Sep 14

Zion Chatt’s Quartet

Here is a photo of a very handsome group, known years ago as Zion’s Quartet.

Zion Chatt’s Quartet, Howard Caffee, Stubby Bollenbacher, Rev. Carl Yahl, Paul McGough, and Pauline (McGough) DeArmond. (c1931-1942)

In the photo, left to right are Howard Caffee, Stubby Bollenbacher, Rev. Carl Yahl, Paul McGough, and Paul’s twin sister Pauline (McGough) DeArmond. Pauline was the pianist for the quartet. Rev. Yahl was Zion Chatt’s minister from 1931-1942, so the photo was taken some time during those years.

I never heard the quartet because they were before my time, but Pauline was also Zion’s organist for many years and I remember when she played for services every Sunday. Pauline married Dale DeArmond and their daughter Mary Jane was a very accomplished pianist.

Twins Paul and Pauline McGough.

Rev. Yahl could also play the organ and played a number on Zion’s Page pipe organ when it was dedicated back in the 1930s. People say that Howard Caffee had a nice voice and played at least one musical instrument. I have heard of Stubby Bollenbacher, which was more than likely his nickname, but I do not know his given name. I am sure someone does and can fill in that information.

In addition to the nice photo of the group I notice several other things in the background.

The old wooden doors and the stained glass above doors are no longer there. They have been replaced by glass doors and matching window, but I remember these wooden doors that were painted white.

In front of the overgrown shrubs is an old well pump. Later, when I was a child, the pump was replaced with a drinking fountain.

What I nice photo! I wish there was a recording of Zion’s Quartet so I could hear them sing today.

Sep 11

Tombstone Tuesday–Daniel G. Kreiselmeyer

Daniel G. Kreiselmeyer, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

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

Daniel G.
Sohn von
C. & S.
Kreiselmeyer
geb. den. 24 Marz.
1875
gest. den. 26 Marz.
1875

Daniel G., son of C. & S. Kreiselmeyer, born 24 March 1875, died 26 March 1875.

According to Zion Schumm’s records, Gottfried Daniel Kreiselmeyer was born 24 March 1875 to Christoph and Susanna (Schwab) Kreiselmeyer. Gottfried Daniel was baptized on the same day, with Gottfried Brenner and [illegible] Kreiselmeyer serving as his sponsors.

Gottfried Daniel died 2 days later, on 26 March 1875 and was buried on the 27th. His death is record in the Van Wert County Deaths, with his given name as Godfried and their residence as Willshire, [1] although they lived in rural Willshire.

Gottfried Daniel’s father was born in Germany and his mother was born in Ohio. They were married in Crawford County, Ohio in 1847 and moved to Van Wert County, Ohio, between 1850 and 1859.

Several other children born to Christoph and Susanna Kreiselmeyer are mentioned in Zion Schumm’s records:

Hanna Magdalena Kreiselmeier, born 24 March 1859, baptized 27 March 1859.
Georg Friedrich Kreiselmeier, born 19 May 1863, baptized 24 May 1863. [Married Marguerite Buechner]
Anna Rosine Caroline Kreiselmeyer, born 16 April 1866, baptized 22 April 1866. [Married Henry Gunsett]
Wilhelm Heinrich Kreiselmeyer, born 12 July 1869, baptized 12 August 1869.
David Kreiselmeyer, born 3 October 1851, died Easter, 16 April 1865.

Those children were mentioned in Zion Schumm’s records, but they may have had more children.

The mother Susanna died in 1894 and the father Christoph died in 1900. Both are buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm.

And of course there is a connection between the Kreiselmeyers and the Schumms. Georg Friedrich Kreiselmeier, son of Christoph and Susanna, married Marguerite Buechner at Zion Schumm in 1885.

 

[1] “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001,” database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-672G-MV?i=201&cc=2128172 : viewed 10 Sep 2018), Godfored Kreiselmeyer, 26 Mar 1875; FHL microfilm 1015858.

Sep 07

Dear Mom & All–WWII Letters from Herb (part 26)

I continue with the transcriptions of the letters my dad, Herbert Miller, wrote home while serving his country during WWII. The war was over by the time he wrote these letters and he was serving in the Occupation Force in Germany until he had enough time and points to be honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. [1]

During this time he was stationed at an Army post office in Weinhiem, Germany, a job he seemed to like very much. I remember him mentioning that he worked at an Army post office in Germany while in the service.

These letters were written to his sister Em and her husband Norval “Jack.”

12 November 1945
Weinheim, Germany

Dear Em & Jack,
Received your packages and two letters from youins today. I’m still cracking nuts and eating them.

This makes my fifth letter tonight and I’m almost ready to hit the hay.

I’m going to take a bath and shave and then go to bed as soon as I finish writing.

You ought to see the leather bands I have for my wrist watches.

There isn’t much news over here, only rumors going around and I hate to print or write all the different things I hear.

You know they cut us on rations. About every third week they ship them, or at least for enlisted men. Officers can always buy them.

You can’t get cigarette lighters, watches, pipes, popular brands of cigarettes, good fountain pens or any things overseas. All I heard back in the states is that all that stuff is going overseas ad I never see any of it.

Guess I’d better close for now.

Love,
Herbie

 

24 November 1945
Weinheim, Germany

Dear Em & Jack,
It’s Saturday evening and I’m going to try and write quite a few letters tonight.

I saw the show this afternoon so I’ll be staying at home tonight. I saw “Tarzan and the Amazons.” It was pretty good.

I’ve received three or four packages since I’ve written you last including the small one which had a tag on it saying “Don’t open until Christmas.” That is pretty hard to do.

Have you seen Dale Caffee yet?

How is the farming coming along? I sure wish I could get home for good. I don’t know what I’ll do after I get out but I can decide that after I’m out.

Can’t think of any more to write so I’d better close.

Love,
Herbie

Herbert M. Miller

A few weeks later he was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. I remember him saying he was at Heidelberg for a time. By this time dad had a new nephew, Em and Jack’s son.

19 December 1945
Heidelberg, Germany

Dear Em, Jack, & son,
It’s high time I wrote you and let you know that I’m O.K. and still in the Army.

How’s the Boy coming along? You said he’s got a double chin? A little chubby one, eh? I sure hope everything is coming O.K. Norval sure has a right to be proud. I would be, too.

This makes my third letter tonight and its getting along about 11 o’clock. Almost time for me to hit the hay.

I wrote to Don Hoblet again about two weeks ago. Every other one that I wrote to him came back. I’m going to write to him again tomorrow night so that he has my new address.

Must close for now. Good night and lots of luck.

Love,
Herbie

By the time he wrote the next letter he had been in Europe for a year. What a difference a year makes! The year before he was getting to ready to enter combat in the Battle of the Bulge. Now the war was over. Although the next letter was written on 26 December, the inside postmark is stamped 4 February.

26 December 1945
Heidelberg, Germany

Dear Em, Jack, & son,
It’s Wednesday night and everything is calm and peaceful again. I’m on C.O. [?] at the C.P. here in Heidelberg.

I’m sending two bottles of perfume in a box by registered mail. It’s from Paris. I’m also sending mom two. The same perfume imported to the States would cost about $15-25 a bottle. Keep one bottle for yourself and save the other till I come home. I hated to send so much to one person so I divided it up and sent half to you and half to mom.

Everything is coming along pretty good. Finance [?] at the C.P. isn’t so bad, only the officers and there are lots of them.

It sure was a quiet Christmas. I spent Christmas back at Co. L. Had turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, ice cream, cookies, candy bar, cigar, gravy and corn.

There is a Christmas tree about 25 feet tall outside the building and they really have it decorated up.

I can’t think of much more to write so will close.

Love,
Herbie

P.S. Please send a package.

To be continued…

 

[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.

Sep 04

Tombstone Tuesday–Twin Daughters of Henry & Katharina (Schumm) Lankenau

Rosina Elisabeth Augusta and Hannah Katharina Wilhelmina Lankenau, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2018 photo by Karen)

This is a double tombstone for twins Rosina Elisabeth Augusta Lankenau and Hannah Katharina Wilhelmina Lankenau, located in row 1 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Hier ruhet in Gott
[unreadable]
Geb. 25 Oct. 1875
Gestorben
6 Nov. 1875/2 Nov. 1875
Kinder von
H. u. K.
LANKENAU

Here rests in God, [unreadable], born 25 Oct. 1875, died 6 Nov. 1875/2 Nov. 1875, Children of H. and K. Lankenau.

Twins Rosina Elisabeth Augusta and Hannah Katharina Wilhelmina Lankenau, were born 25 October 1875 to Henry and Katharina (Schumm) Lankenau. According to the Schumm genealogy, these twin girls were the 5th and 6th of 14 children born to the couple. Their father Henry was born in Germany and their mother Katharina was born in Ohio.

Both little girls were baptized on 26 October 1875, the day after their birth. Rosina’s sponsors were Mrs. Elisabeth Geisler and Rosina Bienz. Hannah’s sponsors were Mrs. Rosina Schinnerer and Hannah Kreiselmeyer. The twins were likely born early or were sickley for their baptisms to have been performed so quickly after their birth.

The twins lived less than two weeks. Hannah died 2 November 1875 and and Rosina died a few days later, on 6 November 1875.

According to Zion Schumm’s records, only one other child born to Heinrich and Katharina Lankenau was baptized at Zion Schumm, Flora Dorothea Barbara. She was born 19 October 1876 and was the next child born after the twins. It appears the family lived in Adams and/or Allen County, Indiana.

The twins‘ mother Katharina was the daughter of Johann Jacob and Hannah (Billman) Schumm. Johann Jacob Schumm was one of the original Schumm immigrants.

 

Aug 31

Signatures from Zion Lutheran, Chatt, c1855

Last week I showed a list of signatures, members of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, back in 1849.

Not to be outdone by Zion Schumm, Zion Chatt also has an old membership list in their old church register. These names appear to be the original signatures since the handwriting is different for each person.

A big difference between the two lists is that Zion Chatt’s list also includes the names of the women members. Often, but not always, the husband and wife’s names are on the same line.

Unfortunately, Zion Chatt’s list does not have a date on it but it was included with their first constitution, so I imagine it would date to about 1855, possibly into the early 1860s. As are Schumm’s signatures, Zion Chatt’s signatures are difficult to read and, just to make it a little more challenging, someone put a line through many of the names when that person died or transferred to another church. The notations after some of the names indicate the person died or left the church.

This may be another opportunity to see you ancestor’s signature, if he/she lived in the Chatt area in the mid-1800s.

Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga, Ohio, early members’ signatures, c1855-60.

Konrad Hafner–Margaretha Hafner
Johann Becher–Maria Becher
Friedrich Becher—Margaretha Becher
Johan Hiller
Jacob Hoffmann—Margareth Hoffmann
Jacob Hoffmann—Carolina Hoffmann
Andreas Fisher–Gertraut Fisher
George Bollenbacher—Barbara Bollenbacher
George Bollenbacher—Henrieta Bollenbacher
Georg Hafner—Sophia Hafner
Christian Kesler—Margaretha Kesler

Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga, Ohio, early members’ signatures, c1855-60.

Jacob Deitsch—Gertraut Deitsch
Friedrich Gable—Chatarina Gable
Heinrich Kuhn—Margareta Callins
Heinrich Kuhn
Friedrich Herzog—Katarina Herzog
Phillipp Stumpf—Barbara Hofmann
Ferdinand Hofmann—Liesabetha Hofmann
Friedrich Betzel—Rosina Betzel
Ferdinand Kable—Cabe [?] Cadarina Kable

Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga, Ohio, early members’ signatures, c1855-60.

Sixtis Gugel—Matlena Gugel
Adam Bollenbacher—Christana Burger
Micael Burger—Katarina Burger
Andraus [?] Branstetter [?]–Catarina Banster [?]
Christoph Hirsch–Ana Hirsch
Johannes Be..[?]
Johan Hiller
Jasper Byer

I enjoy looking at these old signatures and seeing the different handwriting.