Feb 28

Photos of Grove School No.8, Black Creek Township

Grove School No. 8, Black Creek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, was located in Section 33, on the south side of what is now State Route 707, just a little west of Wabash Road. The school was taken down years ago.

On the 1888 Black Creek Township map below, the red arrow points to Grove School No. 8. The turquoise arrow points to what was the location of East Bethel Church. East Bethel Church is gone but their cemetery remains. The green arrow points to Wildcat School No. 9, at the corner of 49 and 707. 

Grove School, Section 33, 1888 Black Creek Twp map.

Grove School is also shown on the 1876 and 1900 Mercer County maps.

Below is a photo of the students standing in front of Grove School in about 1933. I have shown this photo before, and once again I ask if anyone can identify any of the children in the photo.

Grove School, Black Creek Twp, Mercer County, Ohio, c1933. Melville Gehm, front row, 2nd from left.

A couple of the students have been identified.

Front row: Melville Gehm is the second boy from the left and a Gause boy is the fourth boy from the left.  There are several other Gause children in the photo.

Thank you to Linda (Gehm) Duff for sending me this 1933 photo, which includes her dad Melville Gehm.

I have previously posted three other photos of Grove School students, two of those photos (1930 & pre-1930) were submitted by Doug Roebuck, who identified a number of the students.    

Grove School No.8, Black Creek Township, 1930.

Grove School, 1930, left to right, starting in the front:

In front: Bonnie Roebuck

Second Row: Richard Tangeman, Norma Roebuck, Anna Bollenbacher, Eulah Gause, Doil Springer, Jack Springer, Junior Branstetter, Roma Miller, Billy E. Roebuck, and ? Kaylor.

Middle Row: Garni Branstetter, Betty Kettering, Chester Gause, Edwin Counterman, Melvin Gehm, Edgar Schaadt, Lloyd Gause, LeRoy Counterman, and James F. Roebuck.

Top Row: Iris (Roebuck) Putman, Delores Branstetter, Freda Bransteter, Pauline Detro, Irma Branstetter, Clara Kaylor, Guy Montgomery (Teacher), Lloyd Lenninger, and Chester Tangeman.

Not many students are identified in this pre-1930 photo of Grove School students:

Grove School No.8, Black Creek Township, before 1930.

Row 2: far right, (LeRoy?) Counterman; second from right end, Gause [?], third from right end, (Jim?) Roebuck.

One final photo Grove School photo, believed to have been taken about 1920:

Grove School, c1920.

Front Row: Gale Gause, Viola Topp, Creava Kettering, Wilma Branstetter, Ray Kettering, Delilah Schaadt.

Middle Row: Anna Gause, Hazel Branstetter, Thelma Branstetter, Lewis Gause, Dick Branstetter, Margaret Carr, Bill Topp.

Back Row: Glen Leininger, Louella Felver, teacher, Marie Topp, Arthur Leininger, Hulda Carr, Thelma Gause.

Any help to identify Grove School students, particularly in the 1933 photo, is appreciated.

 

 

 

 

Feb 25

Tombstone Tuesday-Vacant Chair Gravestone Book

I recently read a new book about a unique tombstone style, the Vacant Chair gravestone.

I have only seen a couple Vacant Chair gravestones around here, usually a small monument to mark a child’s grave. Some have a pair of child’s boots added to the seat.

Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio, 1922 Vacant Chair, Rex Eugene Medaugh. (2018 photo by Karen)

Another nearby variation is the impressive Herbst chair monument in Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Ohio. That monument looks like a Victorian living room chair, complete with tufted cushions and tassels, situated well above the ground on an elaborate base.  

Herbst monument, Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Ohio

Although there are not many Vacant Chair gravestones around here, I learned that there are many variations of that gravestone in another part of the Midwest.

A Field Guide to the Vacant Chair Gravestone in Central Illinois, 2024, by Jackie Oakley, is a 208-page book that details her observation, study, and documentation of these Vacant Chair monuments found in that area.

A Field Guide To The Vacant Chair Gravestone In Central Illinois, Jackie Oakley, 2024

Her interest in cemeteries began as a child and eventually evolved into her study of Vacant Chair gravestones. Jackie visited cemeteries in 44 Central Illinois counties, looking for variations of the Vacant Chair gravestone. She found 213 examples of this marker in those counties. Some counties had none and one county had 37.  

What a clever idea. A project focused on one particular gravestone style, to study and document it in a specific area. A great project, especially if you enjoy visiting cemeteries.  

Jackie created a mission statement for the project, To catalog and to share information regarding the gravestone commonly known as the Vacant Chair.

The author sought to answer the question, why a chair? She describes what constitutes a chair and gives seven basic Vacant Chair gravestone styles. Some styles are rustic, appearing to be constructed of branches, vines, and log stumps, while others look like Victorian house chairs with carved cushions and tassels. Some have arms. Others look like a bench. But all have a backrest.

Jackie explains that the popularity of the Vacant Chair in Central Illinois began about the time of the Civil War and lasted for about sixty years. A number of the Illinois chairs can be linked to Civil War veterans and she discusses if there could be a link to the Vacant Chair and the Civil War. She also explores some myths and legends associated with the Vacant Chair.

The author created several descriptive categories, with graph tables, of the Vacant Chair gravestone. Function of the chair, for example. Whether the chair’s primary function is the grave marker or if the chair is located near the main marker, but is not the primary marker. Chairs located near the marker may appear to be a place for a family member to sit, but these chairs are usually too small to sit on. Other categories detail the marker’s style, size, and condition.

The book includes many photos, showing many chair variations and the numerous adornments that may be added to the chairs. Some iconography seen on Vacant Chair gravestones include shawls, cushions, fringe, tassels, scrolls, ferns, flowers, potted plants, leaves, tree trunks and branches.

A Field Guide To The Vacant Chair Gravestone In Central Illinois, Jackie Oakley, 2024.

The author identifies her Vacant Chair gravestone photos by county, cemetery, inscriptions (if any), dealer’s mark (if any), and categorized by function, style, size, condition.

In addition, this book is a good model guide for projects such as this. It is a good example of how to methodically gather, record, organize, evaluate, and document data for similar cemetery projects. 

I enjoyed reading this detailed study of Vacant Chair gravestones and seeing their many variations. There does not appear to be many Vacant Chair gravestones in this area of Ohio and Indiana, and I wonder why. Was that monument style particular to that region of Illinois? Were they a tombstone fad in that area at that time? Were they a specialty of a particular sculpture or dealer in that area?

The book sells for $25.95, tax & postage extra. You can order a copy of the book directly from Jackie Oakley by email: vacant.chair2020@gmail.com

I think you will enjoy this interesting and informative book.

Feb 21

Centenarians in the Family

I confess. I watch a lot of news. And there is a lot of news to watch these days.

I have been following the investigations of The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and their recent findings from the Social Security Administration are shocking. From their research, it appears that there are millions of individuals in the United States that are very, very old. Record-breaking old. Over 20 million people who are over 100 years old.  

DOGE found that 4.7 million individuals are listed between the ages of 100-109, although data from other sources indicates that there were approximately 101,000 individuals 100 years or older in the US in 2024.

But the numbers get even crazier than that, showing that there are over 15.6 million people listed between the ages of 110-229 years, and one person listed between 360-369 years of age.

An individual 365 years old would have been born in 1660 and could have come over on the Mayflower. The US wasn’t even the US then.

What history these people would know! The stories they could tell.  

Perhaps there is an explanation for all this. I know what I think and time will tell.

Maybe some alerts on the government computer programs would help. My Roots Magic genealogy program alerts me when the data looks unusual or unreasonable.

My grandmother Hilda (Scaer) Schumm lived to be 101 and Roots Magic sees that as an unusually old age. So, it puts an alert by her name.

Hilda (Scaer) Schumm, Roots Magic alert.

Roots Magic gives me alerts for other things, too, if the data shows a child is born before the mother’s birth or after the mother’s death, a child born to a woman past the child-bearing age, a child born before the parents were married, etc. The alerts are helpful because they draw my attention to data that may be unusual or incorrect, data that I may have entered in error. Or, the data may be correct and the person lived over 100 years or other instances.

There are a number of individuals in my family tree and in Joe’s family tree that lived to be 100 years of age or older. I knew several of them. Here is a list of them:

Schumm family:

  • Paula Henrietta Buechner (1901-2004), d/o William A. & Katherine Magdalena (Schumm) Buechner, married Walter Leonard Allmandinger.
  • Edna M. Germann (1896-1997), d/o Stephen E. & Anna E. “Rosina” (Schumm) Germann.
  • Pauline C. Germann (1903-2005), d/o Frederick & Clara C.M. (Pflueger), married Otto A Wimmers.
  • Viola E. Germann (1900-2001), d/o Stephen E. & Anna E. “Rosina” (Schumm) Germann.
  • Edith Hausling (1888-1990), d/o Ferdinand & Katherine (Rheinfrank) Hausling, married Rev. Otto Paul Schinnerer.
  • Estella Rosine Elizabeth Merkle (1909-2010), d/o Ernest Theodore & Sarah Mathilda “Tillie” (Schumm) Merkle, married Martin D. Habegger.
  • Paula Katherine Merkle (1911-2011), d/o Ernest Theodore & Sarah Mathilda “Tillie” (Schumm) Merkle, married Kurt R. Henkel.  
  • Dorothy Grace Ott (1914-2018), d/o Charles J. & Maude O. (Yountz), married Col. Norman H. Lankenau.  
  • Anna Elizabeth Peters (1879-1979), d/o Claus & Anna A. (Kleye) Peters, married Rev. John Louis Roehm.
  • Hilda Magdalena Scaer (1895-1997), d/o John & Elizabeth (Schinnerer) Scaer, married Cornelius Schumm. My grandmother.
  • Bertha Henrietta Schinnerer (1896-1997), d/o Rev. Johann Jacob Friedrich & Anna Margaret (Evers) Schinnerer, married Walter Adolph Wier.
  • Anna Augusta Schmidt (1885-1985), d/o _ (Sclezner) Schmidt, married August William Lankenau.
  • Bessie Schumm (1887-1988), d/o Ludwig George & Catherine (Bonnewitz) Schumm.
  • Emma Sophie Barbara Schumm (1911-2017), d/o Philip Frederick Martin & Leona Barbara (Schumm) Schumm, married Otto L. Boerger.
  • Karl George Schumm (1913-2019), s/o Gustavus Jacob & Dorathea Elizabeth (Bienz) Schumm, married Margaret “Isabelle” Wermer.
  • Velma Louise Schumm (1914-2016), d/o Philip Frederick Martin & Leona Barbara (Schumm) Schumm.
  • Lena Strobel (1869-1969), d/o John Michael & Margaret (Endres) Strobel, married August “George” Bienz.
  • Harold Ervin Thieme (1917-2017), s/o Walter Henry & Paula Marie (Bienz) Thieme, married Alma Margaretha Roehm, married Ellen L. Fuelling.
  • Margaret “Isabelle” Wermer (1916-2016), d/o, William & Grace (Hawkins) Wermer, married Karl George Schumm.

Miller family:

  • Ruth Headington (1840-1940), d/o William & Mary Ann (Cottrell) Headington, married John Huey
  • Ruth E. Miller (1919-2020), d/o Carl F. & Gertrude E. (Brewster) Miller, married Robert Werner.
  • Jane Newton (1840-1940), married James Henry Brewster.
  • Hazel Virginia Nussbaum (1907-2008), d/o Sam & Mary (Liechty) Nussbaum, married Theodore “Dore” Brewster.

Bennett family:

  • Sarah Elizabeth Cain (1860-1960), d/o Rev. David B. & Narcissa (Manning) Cain, married James Francis Monroe.

That is a nice-sized list of centenarians. I apologize if I missed some centenarians in our families.

In the meantime, I hope DOGE can figure out and resolve the problem of all these extra, exceptionally old people.

 

Feb 14

Be My Valentine

Be My Valentine–a popular sentiment on cards given and received today.

Today is the day to show your love by sending cards, flowers, candy (you can never go wrong with chocolate), or having a romantic dinner.

Today’s Valentine cards are beautiful, but there is a certain charm to the old Valentine cards.

I have a few old Valentine cards that my mom saved. Some were given to my Grandpa Cornelius Schumm, some were given to my mom when she was a student at Zion Lutheran Parochial School at Schumm, and some were given to others.

To my grandfather Cornelius Schumm from Mary Eicher.

I somehow have a couple Valentine cards that were given to Wilbert Germann:

To Wilbert Germann.

To Wilbert Germann, 1927.

To my mom from Herbert, but not my dad Herbert. They didn’t meet until later.

To my mom from Herbert, 1936.

Some of her valentines have moving parts or unfold to become three dimensional and some have intricate cut-out designs.

This Valentine was from Ellen, probably Ellen (Schumm) Black. The little girl looks like Shirley Temple:

To Florence, From Ellen S (1939)

A few other Valentines given to my mom from other friends and from teachers:

To Florence, From Lois (1936)

To Florence, From Marilyn (1944)

To Florence, From Louis

To Florence, From Teacher (1936)

To Florence, From Teacher (1940)

We exchanged Valentine cards with classmates at Willshire elementary school. We each decorated a box or shoe box and cut a large slit in the lid to collect our Valentine cards. Our boxes were usually covered with red or pink construction paper, with hearts of various sizes colored or pasted on the outside. Paper heart-shaped doilies were also popular decorations. We sat our box on our desk and we walked around the classroom and placed a Valentine in each of the other students’ boxes.

And of course there was usually some sort of  food treat involved.

I think I’ll go treat myself to a piece of chocolate, from my favorite Valentine.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

Feb 11

Tombstone Tuesday-Peter & Luisa Haas

Peter & Luisa Haas, St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Liberty Twp, Mercer County, Ohio. (2024 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Peter and Luisa Haas, located in row 6 of St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

HAAS

PETER HAAS
1832-1888

LUISA HAAS
1841-1903

Peter and Luisa Haas were both born in Germany, married there, and had several children there, before immigrating to America in 1883. Peter Haas, 51, and Louisa Haas, 43, arrived in New York 30 June 1883, aboard the ship Rhynland, with their four sons, Peter, 22, Carl, 14, Jacob, 11, and Ludwig, 6. [1]

The senior Peter Haas missed being enumerated in any U.S. census. The family arrived in America three years after the 1880 census was taken and he died well before the 1900 census. Peter got to enjoy life in the new country for only five years. As a result, there is very little information about Peter Haas Sr. It appears his death was not recorded in Mercer County either.

Peter Haas, St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2024 photo by Karen)

His widow Luisa lived long enough to be enumerated in the 1900 census, residing in Liberty Township with her son Carl, aka Charley Haas. At that time Charley and his wife had a family of six children. Charley’s younger brother Jacob also lived with them. The Charley Hass family in 1900: Charley, 31, head; Elizabeth, 32, wife; Adolph J, 6, son; Charley P, 5, son; Olga J, 4, daughter; Ida M, 3, daughter; Willis D, 2, son; Lizzie L, 9 months, daughter; Jacob Haas, 29, brother; and Louisa Haas, 60, mother. Charley had at least two more children, born between 1900 and 1910, Julius T and John A Haas.

Luisa Haas, St. Paul UCC Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio (2024 photo by Karen)

That 1900 census enumeration indicates that the mother Luisa Hass was born in Germany in November 1839, was a widow, and that two of her four children were living. Those two children were Charley and Jacob. Luisa could not write or speak English. It was not known when she immigrated. However, Charley, reportedly immigrated in 1883, was naturalized, and was farmer. [2] Luisa’s birth date in the 1900 census disagrees with her year of birth on her tombstone.

Luisa’s other two sons, Peter and Ludwig, apparently died sometime between 1883 and 1900. Their deaths are not recorded in Mercer County probate.

According to Mercer County Death records, “Louisa” Hass died in Liberty Township, on 4 October 1902, aged 63 years, 11 months, and 23 days. Cause of death was dropsy of the chest, her residence was Scudder, and she was born in Germany. The death date on her death record disagrees with the date on her tombstone. [3] Luisa’s date of birth was 12 October 1838, as calculated from her death record.

Per Find a Grave.com, Luisa’s maiden name was Schug. [4]

Although two of Peter and Luisa’s sons apparently died before 1900, their other two sons, Carl and Jacob, lived to marry and have children.

Carl Haas (22 Aug 1868-21 Jan 1947), aka Charley Haas, was fourteen years old when the family immigrated. Charley married Elizabeth (Gravins) and they had at least eight children. They lived in Liberty Township in 1900, moved to Oklahoma by 1910, and to New York by 1930. Charley and Elizabeth are both buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Canastota, Madison County, New York. [5]

Jacob Haas (20 Dec 1870-4 Nov 1963), was eleven years old when the family immigrated and remained in Mercer County the rest of his life. He married Philippina “Phebe” (Schaadt) Alt and they had at least six children. Jacob and his wife Phebe are buried in St. Paul UCC Cemetery. [6] Jacob and Phebe spoke German in 1910. [7]

[1] Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897, M237, U.S. Customs Service, RG 36, National Archives, Washington DC, Peter Hass & family, 30 Jun 1883, ship Rhynland; Ancestry.com.

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty Twp, ED 85, p.8, dwelling 143, family 148, Charley Haas; Ancestry.com.

[3] “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001, Mercer, Vol. 2, no page number, Louise Haas, 4 Oct 1902; FamilySearch.org.

[4] Find a Grave.com, Luisa (Schug) Haas (1841-1903), Memorial no.27656150. 

[5] Find a Grave.com, Charles Haas (1868-1947), Memorial no.52163397.

[6] Find a Grave.com, Jacob Haas (1870-1963), Memorial no.27656046.

[7] 1910 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, Twp, ED 119, p.10A, dwelling 172, family 175, Jacob Haas; Ancestry.com.