Jun 08

Albert G. Ellis–The Breuninger Connection

Oil portrait of Albert Gallatin Ellis by his daughter. Image no. WHi-2637, from the collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Used by permission from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Who was Albert Gallatin Ellis and how does he fit into our family?

Albert Gallatin Ellis is one of the best known American pioneers of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the upper Wisconsin River valley. He was born in Verona, New York, in 1800, the son of Eleazer Ellis. During his lifetime he was a teacher, writer, newspaperman and politician.

At the age of sixteen he became a printer’s apprentice and three years later was employed by Eleazer Williams as a secretary and assistant. He visited Green Bay with Williams in 1821 and soon after was appointed catechist and lay-reader by the Episcopal Church. He returned to Green Bay in 1822 and started a colony and a school for a group of Oneida Indiana. He remained in Wisconsin the rest of his life.

In 1827 Ellis was appointed inspector of provisions and from 1828-33 he served as deputy surveyor of government lands. In 1830 Ellis accompanied an Indiana delegation to Washington and was again surveying from 1833-36. In 1837 he was made surveyor-general.

In 1833 he and his partner John V. Suydam published Wisconsin’s first newspaper. It was also the first newspaper to be published west of Lake Michigan. It was called the Green Bay Intelligencer. He published the paper alone from 1834-35 and with C. P. Arndt from 1835-36. He served in the territorial lower house as a Democrat in 1836 and from 1841-44. He was surveyor general of the Wisconsin and Iowa district from 1837-41. Ellis was appointed US Sub-Indian Agent in 1845 and was in charge of the Green Bay Agency.  In 1852 he moved to Stevens Point, Portage County, where he was the receiver of the land office from 1853-62.

Ellis published the first newspaper in Portage County, the Wisconsin Pinery, from 1853-59. He was mayor of Stevens Point for five terms. There he edited the Stevens Point Wisconsin Eagle from 1874-85 and wrote numerous biographical and historical essays on Wisconsin history. Ellis died in 1885 at Stevens Point.

Sources:  Wisconsin Historical Society, accessed 7 June 2012.
Midwest Pioneers: Collection of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Vol. 20:317. Ancestry.com, accessed 7 Jun 2012.

Ellis wrote, “In all my connections with the press, I never had any idea but the development of the frontier country and the support of old-fashioned Democratic principals [sic]. In both these I have spent large sums of money derived from other sources. I never made a dollar by publishing a newspaper, but I have spent thousands.” (Stevens Point Journal, “Newspapers and A.G. Ellis”, 19 May 1992, Portage County Historical Society of Wisconsin, accessed 7 Jun 2012.)

An image of Albert Ellis is painted on a mural on the side of a building in downtown Stevens Point. The mural depicts Stevens Point’s Ten Most Influential Citizens and was painted in 2008 by Kelly Meredith in honor of the town’s sesquicentennial. You can view a photo of the mural at http://stevenspoint.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/903 .

Yes, Albert G. Ellis was a notable man. He was a General and was known as the Pioneer Editor of all the northwest. In addition to his accomplishments he wrote many articles as well as personal recollections of his life. But what is his connection to our family? In all of the writings by and about him there is very little written about his private family life.

I learned about our family connection from a couple of letters in “The Breuninger Collection”, the collection of items saved by my great-great-grandfather Louis Breuninger. I have at least two hand-written letters from Albert G. Ellis to Louis Breuninger.

From these letters I learned that Albert’s second wife was Louis Breuninger’s sister Eliza Charlotte Juliana Louisa, called “Eliza CJL”, who was my great-great-grandaunt.

The above portrait of Albert G. Ellis was painted by one of his daughters. It is image no. WHi-2637 ,in the collection of the Wisconsin Historical Society and used with their permission. I do not know which daughter painted the portrait, but perhaps she was a child of Albert and Eliza. You can also see the Ellis portrait on the Wisconsin Historical Society website.

More about Eliza the Ellis-Breuninger connection in upcoming blogs…

Jun 05

Tombstone Tuesday–Mary Breuninger Stamm Koehler

Mary Stamm Koehler, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio.

This is the tombstone of Mary (Breuninger) Stamm Koehler, located in row 11 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: KOEHLER, Mary A. Stamm, 1858-1930.

Mary was the third child of my great-great-grandparents Louis and Maria (Seckel) Breuninger.

According to Mary Koehler’s death certificate she was born 10 October 1858 in Wisconsin to Lewis Breuninger and Mary Seckle. She died 16 June 1930 at age 71 years, 8 months and 6 days. (Certificate of Death, Ohio DOH, Van Wert County, District 1291, Primary Registration District 8525, Registered #71.)

According to the church records of Zion Lutheran, Schumm, Maria Breuninger married Peter Stamm on 30 October 1879 in the house of the bride’s parents.  Peter was from Harrison Township, Van Wert County, and Maria was from of Zion’s parish. Peter died 7 October 1895.

Mary and Peter had the following children: Richard (b. 1880); Martin (b. 1882, married Clara Kessler); Alvina/Alverna (b. 1883, m. William Muntzinger); Ida (b. 1885, m. Martin Hollenberg); and Anna Bertha (b. 1887, m. John Smith).

Mary married Oscar Koehler 18 November 1919 in Van Wert County, Ohio. They were married by Rev. Osterhouse. Her occupation was housekeeper and he was a retired farmer. (Van Wert County Marriages, Vol. 15:378, digital image, film #1015865, FamilySearch.org, accessed 3 June 2012.)

Obituary:
Highly Esteemed Resident of Boyd Avenue, Long a Resident of County, Passes Away.
Mrs. Oscar Koehler, highly esteemed resident of Boyd Avenue, died Monday afternoon at the Van Wert County Hospital, after being in ill health the past five years.  Mrs. Koehler was aged 71 years and was a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  She had resided in this county practically her entire lifetime.  Her direct survivors are her husband, a brother, Peter Breuninger, three daughters, Mrs. William Muntzinger, Mrs. Martin Hollenberg and Mrs. John Smith, two sons, R.L. Stamm and Martin Stamm and thirteen grandchildren.  Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon, at 1:30 o’clock, at the Emanuel Lutheran Church.  Interment will be made at the Schumm cemetery, at Schumm. (The Van Wert Daily Bulletin, Van Wert, Ohio, 17 June 1930.)

Obituary:
Mrs. Mary (Stamm) Koehler of Van Wert died at the Van Wert County Hospital Monday, June 16, 1930, where she had been a patient since nine weeks ago, because of complications setting in from a fractured hip.

Mrs. Koehler is survived by these children: Martin Stamm of Willshire Township, Richard Stamm and Mrs. Martin Hollenberg of Fort Wayne, Mrs. Wm. Muntzinger of near Convoy and Mrs. John Smith of Van Wert.

Funeral services were held at 1 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the Lutheran church in Van Wert and burial was made in the Lutheran Cemetery at Schumm.

Mrs. Koehler was a resident of Willshire Township for many years, residing on the Stamm farm, four miles east of Willshire, before removing to Van Wert.  (The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 19 June 1930)

 

 

 

Jun 01

The Porch Swing

Ah, the good ol’ summertime. For me, summertime brings back childhood memories of long summer days spent at the Miller farm. I still remember that feeling of freedom when school was out and the whole summer was ahead of me.

Karen, Grandma Miller, Jackie on THE Porch Swing.

I spent nearly every summer on the farm with my Miller grandparents. I stayed with them during the day while my parents were at work.

Many of those summer days were spent relaxing on the porch swing. Their porch spanned the entire front of the Miller house and the wooden swing was the main attraction. The house faced north so the porch was always in the shade. The swing was like a magnet that drew family members and friends to it. It was an inviting and relaxing place to gather and sit.

You could see a lot from that swing. Grandma’s garden and the few neighbors’ homes were to the left. The Miller barn and barnyard were to the right. In front was the long lane that led to the seldom-traveled township road.

Grandma & Grandpa Miller.

We spent many hours on that swing doing some very important things: Waiting for the mail to come. Keeping cool in the days before air conditioning. Watching it rain and staying dry at the same time. Reading the Daily Standard. Talking and gossiping. Waiting for the milk man and the bread man to come with their goodies. Drinking a cool drink on a hot day. Watching the farmers work the fields. Whistling back and forth with the Bob-Whites. Shelling peas and snapping green beans. Napping. Pretending the swing was an aircraft. Watching the humming birds visit Aunt Ann’s gladiolas. Watching the few cars go by on the road. Getting a picture taken on the porch swing.

The porch swing was good for napping.

Our Miller family has an unusual number of photos that were taken on the porch swing. In fact, more photos were taken on that swing than anywhere else on the farm or in the house.

Relatives crowded onto the porch swing for a photo.

Uncle Kenny with his dogs.

One reason for the swing’s photographic appeal could be that a flash was not necessary. But I think the main reason was that it was such a comfortable and relaxing place to sit and gather and visit. Everyone was happy on the porch swing.

The Miller farm house now belongs to another family, but a porch swing is still a part of the front porch. I hope they will enjoy their swing as much as we enjoyed the old one.

The current porch swing.

 

 

 

May 29

Tombstone Tuesday–John C. Schumm

John C. Schumm (1849-1926)

This is the tombstone of John C. Schumm, located in row 11 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: SCHUMM, John C. 1849-1926.

Obituary:
Funeral services for John C. Schumm were held from the Lutheran church at Schumm last Friday afternoon, and were attended by a very large concourse of relatives, friends and acquaintances.  The services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. R.O. Bienert, with interment in the church burial ground. 

The following authorized obituary was read in connection with the services:

John Christian Schumm, son of Ludwig Schumm and his wife, Anna Barbara, nee, Pflueger, was born at Schumm, Ohio, December 29, 1849.  On November 18, 1880, he was united in marriage with Wilhelmina Breuninger, who preceded him in death 27 years ago.  Their union was blessed with six children–Victor A., Arnold, Mrs. Paul Schumm, Mrs. Oscar Schumm, Miss Salome Schumm, living in Willshire Township, and Mrs. W.C. Linser of Van Wert.

John C. Schumm died suddenly January 12, 1926.  Besides his children he leaved to mourn their loss, 15 grandchildren; one brother, Ludwig Schumm, Willshire township; one sister, Mrs. C.F. Germann, Harrison Township; one half-brother, W.A. Buechner; one half-sister, Mrs. Margaret Kreiselmeyer, and one step-brother, Fred Buechner, of Fort Wayne, In.  He had attained to the age of 76 years and 14 days. (Source: The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 21 January 1926.)

John C. Schumm (1849-1926)

There are several other sources of information about John C. Schumm. According the Zion Lutheran Church records Johann Christian Schumm was born 29 December 1849 to Ludwing and Barbara (Pflueger) Schumm. He was baptized on 30 December 1849. His baptismal sponsors were Christian Pflueger and Jacob Schumm. He married Wilhelmine Breuninger on 18 November 1990 at the home of the bride’s parents. Both were from Zion’s parish.

“John C. Schumm was born in Van Wert County, 1849, and married Wilhelmina Brenninger [sic] in 1880.  Louis Schumm, the father of the above, was born in Wuerttemberg, Germany, 1818, but came to America, 1833, and married Barbara Pflueger.  He died August 22, 1856.” (Source: History of Van Wert and Mercer Counties, Ohio (1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, Indiana: Windmill Publications, Inc., 1991), 258.)

According to his death certificate John was born in Ohio and died at his home in Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, of organic heart disease. He was buried at Schumm Cemetery on 15 January. The undertaker was S.S. Buchanan & Son of Willshire. John was a widower and a farmer. Victor Schumm was the informant. (Source:  John C. Schumm Certificate of Death, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Registration District 1297, File No. 78, Primary Registration District No 5993, Registered No. 78, #6382. Digital image, FamilySearch.org, Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, image 456 of 3527, accessed 28 May 2012.)

I also descend from Louis and Barbara (Pflueger) Schumm. I descend from their son Ludwig “Louis” Schumm, who married John C. Schumm’s sister-in-law, Sarah Breuninger.

May 25

Memorial Day 2012

Memorial Day Service at Willshire Cemetery, 2000.

Memorial Day will be celebrated this coming Monday, May 28th. This federal holiday, originally designated Decoration Day, dates back to time of the Civil War. It began as a way to remember and honor both Union and Confederate soldiers who were killed during the Civil War.

After WWI Memorial Day was extended to honor Americans who died in all wars. Today most Americans use this holiday as a time to decorate grave sites, whether the deceased served in the military or not.

Memorial Day is especially meaningful to me this year since my dad recently passed away. He was a combat veteran of WWII and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Several months ago he made plans to take the Freedom Honor Flight to Washington DC. That flight was this past Tuesday, May 22nd. I know he would have enjoyed seeing the memorials in Washington and visiting with other veterans on the flight.

My dad was a member of the American Legion in Willshire and he used to lead the Willshire Memorial Day parade in the 1953 Army Jeep he restored. The procession would go through town and then on to Willshire Cemetery, where the Legion would conduct the Memorial Day service. The photo below was taken before the parade in 2000. That photo looks very similar to another taken during WWII.

Herbert Miller before Memorial Day Parade in Willshire, 2000.

Herbert Miller, 84th Division, 333rd Company, "The Railsplitters", WWII.

The following is a list of my collateral ancestors who died while serving our country:

Civil War:

Hallet Bryan (c1836-13 Sep 1863) was the son of Peter and Mary (Huey) Bryan of Jay County, Indiana, and was my 3rd great-granduncle. Private Bryan served in Company E, 89th Regiment, Indiana Infantry and was killed in Memphis, Tennessee. He is buried in the Memphis National Cemetery.

Daniel Schumm (2 Mar 1840-8 Feb 1863) was the son of Johann “Jacob” and Hannah (Billman) Schumm and was my 1st cousin 3 times removed. Corporal Daniel Schumm served in the 52nd OVI and never returned home from the Civil War.

John Schumm (30 Mar 1843-28 Oct 1864) was the son of George Martin and Maria (Pflueger) Schumm and was my 1st cousin 3 times removed. Corporal John Schumm served in Company A, 60th OVI. He was wounded and captured in Virginia during the Battle of Petersburg and was imprisoned at Salisbury, North Carolina, where he died.

WWI:

Carl Schumm was the son of Rev. Ferdinand and Wilhelmina (Brockmeyer) Schumm and was my 2nd cousin twice removed. He was killed in France during WWI.

WWII:

Ralph J. Derrickson (5 Apr 1925-15 Jan 1945) was the son of Ralph and Alpha (Brewster) Derrickson and was my 1st cousin once removed. Private Derrickson served in the 99th Infantry Division during WWII and was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg.

Edgar Schumm (18 Nov 1914-13 Nov 1944) was the son of William & Amanda (Reidenbach) Schumm and was my 3rd cousin once removed. He was killed while serving in WWII.

Victor Schueler (23 Jan 1924-3 Aug 1945) was the son of Adolph and Marie (Limbach) Schueler and was my 4th cousin. Private First Class Schueler was a member of the 85th Mountain Regiment, 10th Mountaineer Division and was killed in Italy during WWII.

Korean War:

Emanuel George Roehm (3 Aug 1931-23 Apr 1951) was the son of Emanuel George and Esther (Ohnesorge) Roehm and was my 4th cousin. Private First Class Roehm was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was killed in action while fighting in Korea. Roehm was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. (source: Ancestry.com. WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.)

Viet Nam:

Corey Wayne Ellenberger (19 Oct 1946-12 Jan 1967) was the son of Kenneth & Nola (Charleston) Ellenberger and was my 2nd cousin. Private First Class Ellenberger served as a rifleman in Company L, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division and was killed in South Vietnam. (source: National Archives and Records Administration. Vietnam War: U.S. Military Casualties, 1956-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.)

I read the following on Facebook this past week. I do not know who wrote these lines but they are very appropriate:

Thanksgiving is a day when we pause to give thanks for the things we have.
Memorial Day is a day when we pause to give thanks to the people who fought for the things we have.