Tombstone Tuesday–Peter Stamm

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

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

This is the tombstone of Peter Stamm, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Peter Stamm
Born
30 January 1850
Died 7 October 1895
45y, 9m, 23d
Text Psalm 90:12

According to the church records of Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Peter Stamm was born 30 January 1850 in Harrison Township, Van Wert County, Ohio. He married Maria “Mary” Breuninger 30 October 1879 at her parents’ home near Schumm. Peter Stamm died near Schumm of a brain stroke on 7 October 1895. He was 45 years, 9 months and 23 days old and was buried on 9 October. His funeral text was Psalm 90:12.

In 1880 Peter and Mary Stamm were living in Harrison Township, Van Wert County. Peter was born in Ohio and was a farmer. His father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Prussia. [1]

Peter and Mary had the following children, according to the church records,: Richard L. (1880-1977, m. Catherine M. Schuster), Martin V. (1882-1974, m. Clara Kessler), Alwine/Alvina Eleanor (1883-1973, m. William Muntzinger Jr.); Ida C. (1885-1967, m. Martin C. Hollenberg); Anna Bertha (1887-1974, m. John Smith).

Peter Stamm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm. (2012 photo by Karen)

Peter Stamm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm. (2012 photo by Karen)

Peter’s widow Mary remarried to Oscar Koehler in 1919 and Mary died in 1930. Mary was my great-grandaunt, the daughter of Louis Breuninger.

 

[1] 1880 U.S. Census, Harrison Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, ED 148, p.16, line 31, dwelling 137, family 140, Peter Stamm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 Aug 2013); from National Archives microfilm T9, roll 1073.

 

Metal Cemetery Monuments

If you enjoy walking through older cemeteries as much as I do, you might have noticed some beautiful, but different looking grave markers. These markers have a blue-gray color and even though most of these monuments date back to the last half of the 19th century, they have not weathered at all. Their lines and edges are still sharp and the inscriptions remain very legible.

Henry C. Miller marker, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

Henry C. Miller marker, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

What is so special about the markers? They are made of metal. They are sometimes referred to as “white bronze” markers, but they are actually made of cast zinc. They get their blue-gray color from exposure to the elements, which forms a layer of zinc carbonate. Otherwise they withstand the weather because zinc does not corrode or rust. If fact many of the metal markers hold up much better than their concrete bases. If you are not sure if a marker is iron or zinc, try using a magnet. Zinc is not magnetic and will not attract the magnet.

Ault monument, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

Ault monument, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

Zinc grave markers were first made in 1873 and a year later The Monumental Bronze Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was formed and produced them for sale. The company had subsidiaries in Chicago, Detroit, Des Moines, Philadelphia, New Orleans and St. Thomas in Ontario, Canada.

Company mark, Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. (2012 photo by Karen)

American White Bronze Co. mark, Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. (2012 photo by Karen)

The zinc markers were ordered through the company’s catalog and sold by company sales agents. The casting was done in Bridgeport while some of the assembly was done in other areas. These metal markers were made to order, made to the customer’s specifications. The customer chose a basic design and size from the catalog and plaster molds were created from wax models. Panels and individual pieces were cast from the plaster molds. The individual panels were then assembled to make a custom monument. Molten zinc was poured into the joints between the sides and panels, which fused the pieces securely together.

The photo below shows a decorative panel insert.

St. Joseph Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

St. Joseph Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

The customer could also order specific decorations and embellishments from the company’s catalog. Some of these zinc markers are very elaborate, while others quite simple.

Brown plot, St. Joseph Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Brown plot, St. Joseph Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Greenlawn Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Greenlawn Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

The Monumental Bronze Co. Catalog, circa 1890, is on-line in PDF format. I recognize many of the markers, toppers and embellishments that we have seen in numerous cemeteries we have visited.

Greenlawn Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Greenlawn Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. (2012 photo by Karen)

Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. (2012 photo by Karen)

Zinc markers were relatively inexpensive and cost less than the carved marble and granite tombstones.

There are only a couple disadvantages to these markers. Zinc is brittle and can break if hit by something such as a tree branch. These monuments are hollow inside and unsupported weight at the top may cause the marker to “creep” down. For example, the weight of a statue may cause the lower part of the monument to buckle and the statue may begin to lean.

The Monumental Bronze Company ceased production of zinc grave markers in 1914 when they began manufacturing munitions for the government during WWI. They continued casting metal moldings until their bankruptcy in 1939.

Bye grave, Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. (2012 photo by Karen)

Bye grave marker, Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. (2012 photo by Karen)

They continued to make inscription plates after the company ceased monument production in 1914. So you may see a zinc marker with an inscription date after the factory closed.

I have noticed that these markers were used for many civil War veterans as well as many of the Civil War statues seen in cemeteries.

Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

Civil War grave, Greenlawn Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Civil War grave, Greenlawn Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Sources of information:

Association for Gravestone Studies FAQ

http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/tscarvers/monumental-bronze/monumental-bronze.htm

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~artttp/benton/whitebronze.htm

Tombstone Tuesday–Georg F. & Eva Barbara Hoehamer

Georg F & Eva Barbara Hoehamer, Mount Hope Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana. (2013 photo by Karen)

Georg F & Eva Barbara Hoehamer, Mount Hope Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana. (2013 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Georg F. and Eva Barbara Hoehamer, located in Mount Hope Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana. The marker is inscribed HOEHAMER on the front. The south side is inscribed:

Hier Ruhet
Georg F.
Hohamer
Geb 4 April
1814
Gest 20 Feb 1886
Alter 71 Y, 10 M
16 T

The north side of the marker is inscribed with the information of his wife:

Hier Ruhet
Eva Barbara
Ehefrau von
G.F. Hohamer
Geb 16 Mai
1810
Gest 9 Jul 1885
Alter
75 Y, 1 M, 23 T

The translations: Here lies Georg F. Hohamer, born 4 April 1814, died 20 February 1886, aged 71 years, 10 months, and 16 days. Here lies Eva Barbara, wife of G.F. Hohamer, born 16 May 1810, died 9 July 1885, aged 75 years, 1 month, and 23 days. [Note that Hohamer/Hoehamer was spelled both ways on the tombstone.]

I was pleasantly surprised and excited to find this marker in Mount Hope Cemetery. Before our visit to this cemetery I noticed the death and burial records of an older Hoehamer couple in Zion Chatt’s records. I wondered if they were Nicholas Hoehamer’s parents:

Georg Friedrich Hoehamer, born 4 April 1814 in Langenfeld, County Court Markt Bibart [?], District Mittelfranken, Kingdom of Bavaria, died 20 February 1866 in Adams County, Indiana. He was aged 71 years, 10 months and 16 days. He was buried on the 22nd.

Eva Barbara Hoehamer, born Strauss, born 16 May 1810 in Baudenbach, Bavaria, died 9 July 1885 in Jefferson Township, Adams County, Indiana. She was buried on the 11th.

I soon discovered that the older Hoehamers were indeed the parents of Nicholas (1845-1914). The marriage record of Nicholas Hoehamer to Delia Warner, his third marriage, named his parents as George F. Hoehamer and Barbara Straus. [1] Georg F. and Eva Barbara probably had other children, but I cannot be sure without doing quite a bit of additional research.

The tombstone of Georg F. and Eva Barbara Hoehamer is located one row west of their son Nicholas’ marker. In fact, you can see Nicholas’ tombstone in the photo above. It has the yucca plants growing around it.

Georg F. Hoehamer. (2013 photo by Karen)

Georg F. “Hohamer,” 1814-1886. (2013 photo by Karen)

The inscriptions on the sides of Georg and Eva’s tombstone were unreadable without a little tombstone cleaning. Fortunately I had my cemetery bag that contains my tombstone tools in the car. The south face of the stone was covered with a lot of green moss-type growth. I sprayed it down with my water bottle and rubbed the moss off with a soft nylon brush. I rubbed most of the moss off but left some moss behind in the chiseled areas. That made the letters and numbers readable.

I reflected a mirror on the north side of the stone and that was enough to make that inscription readable.

Eva Barbara Hohamer, 1810-1885. (2013 photo by Karen)

Eva Barbara “Hohamer,” 1810-1885. (2013 photo by Karen)

Georg and Eva Barbara were living in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, in 1850. Their family in 1850: G.F., 43, laborer, born in Germany; Barbara, 40, Germany; Fred, 5, Ohio; Cath, 3, Ohio; Christina, 1, Ohio. These were probably their children, but you cannot be sure since relationships were not given in that enumeration. [2]

The Hoehamers had moved to Auglaize County by 1870. Their family in the 1870 census: Geo F., 56, farmer, born in Bayern; Eve Barbara, 60, Bayern; Margaret, 19, Ohio; George, 18, Ohio. [3] Living next door was their son Nicholas, 25, and his wife Anna (Manzelman), 18. Nicholas and Anna had married a few months before.

 

[1] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal;.MM9.1.1/SC2T-P19 : accessed 23 June 2013), Nicholas Hoehamer and Delia Wells Warner, 1899, citing Vol. 8, p. 87, Auglaize County, Ohio.

[2] 1950 U.S. Census, Springfield, Clark, Ohio, p. 175A, line 35, dwelling 226, family 234, G.F. Hohamer; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August 2013); from National Archives microfilm M432, roll 666.

[3] 1870 U.S. Census, Moulton Township, Auglaize County, Ohio, p. 8, line 22, dwelling 60, family 60, George Hoechamer; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 June 2013); from FHL film 552671, from National Archives microfilm M593, roll 1172.

Some Chattanooga Photos

Today I have some photos of the Chattanooga, Ohio, area. The first two photos were taken by Morrison Photography, Chattanooga. I have several Morrison photos in my collection and I would like to learn more about this photographer and his studio.

The first photo is of one of the turn-of-the-century oil wells in the Chatt area. I am not sure if they were constructing the well or tearing it down. It appears that a couple of the men liked to climb poles.

Chatt-area oil well photo by Morrison Photography, Chattanooga.

Chatt-area oil well photo by Morrison Photography, Chattanooga.

Below is the photo of an unknown child, also taken by Morrison Photography.

Morrison photo of unidentified child.

Morrison photo of unidentified child. (Photo courtesy of Andy Gappa.)

This Chatt School photo was taken during the 1928-29 school year. Catherine Leininger was 6 years old in this photo, but unfortunately the students’ names were not written on the photo.

Chatt School 1928-9.

Chatt School 1928-29. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Miller.)

Baseball was popular in the Chatt area and this was one of their ball teams. Hopefully someone can identify the members of this baseball team. Glen Miller was their coach.

Chatt baseball team. Unknown year.

Chatt 1957-58 baseball team. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Miller.)

The members of the 1957-58 baseball team in the above photo:

Front row, left to right: Larry Humbert, Wayne Fickert, Lorren Caffee.
Middle row: (?) Alspaugh, Mike Merinar, John Miller.
Back row: Jerry Schaadt, Dan (?) Cook, Ron Bollenbacher, Bob Vining.

Thank you Lorren and Sherry for providing names!

 

Tombstone Tuesday–John Ed Hoehamer

John Ed Hoehamer, Mount Hope Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana. (2013 photo by Karen)

John Ed Hoehamer, Mount Hope Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana. (2013 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of John Ed Hoehamer, located in Mount Hope Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana. The marker is inscribed:

John Ed
Son of
N. & F. Hoehamer
Died Aug. 6, 1889
Aged 27 Ds.

John Edward Hoehamer was born 11 July 1889 in Adams County, Indiana, to Nicholas and Fredericka (Kniesel) Hoehamer. John was baptized 4 August 1889 at home, probably by the pastor of Zion Lutheran Chatt at the time, Carl G. Reichert. John died 5 August 1889 and was buried on the 6th in “a township churchyard in Indiana,” according to Zion’s records.

John’s mother Fredericka was the second wife of Nicholas Hoehamer. She had also been married before and her surname was Pfeifer when she married Nicholas in 1882.

John Edward is buried south of his father and in the same row. His mother’s tombstone is in the row immediately to the west but it has fallen over.

According to Zion Chatt’s records, John’s mother Fredericka died 5 March 1896 at the age or 50 years and 5 months. She was born 5 October 1845, as calculated from the records.