Mar 05

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

Ed Roesner, Brakeman (far left) April 1914

There is a railroad worker in my husband’s family history. Edward Roesner, Joe’s grandfather, worked for the railroad for 46 years, first as a brakeman and later as a crossing watchman. The postcard shown here is dated 2 April 1914 and shows Edward standing at the far left. Edward identified the New York Central steam locomotive as engine LS & MS 5054. LS & MS stood for Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, formed in 1869 and absorbed into the New York Central line in 1914.  Edward wrote the names of his railroad crew on the card. Left to right: Ed Roesner, brakeman; Red Bullio, conductor; Clarence Bell, fireman; Mac Bell, engineer; Gahagan and Demoss, both fireman.

Ed was born and raised in Van Wert, Ohio, and moved to Celina later in life. He lost most of his right arm in a railroad accident when he was a young man. Several years ago I ordered information about Edward’s railroad employment from the United States Railroad Retirement Board in Chicago. The following is information from that packet.

The Railroad Retirement Board records gave Edward’s date of birth and the names of his parents. Edward was born in Van Wert, Ohio, on 29 November 1893. He submitted his baptismal certificate to verify his date and place of birth. He submitted this in 1939. Unfortunately, a copy of that certificate was not included in the packet. Ed gave his father’s name as Heinrich Dietrich “Richard” Roesner and his mother as Jane Christine Schorr, which gave me new versions of their names to work with.

According to the records in the file Ed worked as a carpenter, building bridges for the Cincinnati Northern Railroad from May 1912-December 1912. He was a brakeman for the Cincinnati Northern Railroad from May 1913-Dec 1916. From December 1916-April 1917 he was a brakeman for the Nickel Plate Railroad at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and in April 1917 he was again employed by the Cincinnati Northern Railroad. His work records stopped at that time and he resumed work on October 1924 as a crossing watchman for Cincinnati Northern. His yearly wage as a crossing watchman for Cincinnati Northern ranged from $1127.67 in 1924 to $876 in 1931.

In January of 1953 Edward applied for an employee annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act. At that time he was employed by the New York Central Railroad, the Ohio Division at Winchester, Indiana. He had been a crossing watchman there from December 1950-May 1952. He received $300/month and only worked the first five months of 1952. He applied for an annuity that would begin before he reached age 65. He stated that he was totally and permanently disabled from both his regular occupation and from regular employment. His conditions were listed as arthritis, rheumatism, neuritis, and asthma. He stated that he had been employed as a crossing watchman for the last 15 years. He also stated that he was married to Helen Goldie Lee and his address was given as Route #2, Delphos, Ohio. Their marriage date of 18 July 1921, by W.F. Henkel of the Lutheran Church, Van Wert, Ohio, had been verified by their original marriage certificate, a copy of which was not included in the file I received.

At the request of the Railroad Retirement Board, he had a physical examination in January 1953. The results of that examination: He was age 59, weighed 128 pounds, appearance and nutrition fair, gait was ok, carriage normal, and muscular development fair. His blood pressure was 154/90, pulse 100, and respiration 20. There was no evidence of impaired vision or hearing.   There was however evidence of cardiovascular disease. He had dyspnea [shortness of breath] and his lungs showed characteristics of bronchitis. There was evidence of disease or injury to his lumbar spine and he had arthritis in some of his joints. His diagnosis was bronchitis, asthma, arthritis, and arteriosclerosis. No other medical problems were indicated, but they noted that his right arm was amputated two inches above the elbow. On 27 April 1953 Edward was awarded a full annuity, effective from 18 January 1953. He returned to work 2 June 1955. Edward passed away 22 December 1957. There was a copy of his death certificate in the file.

Ed Roesner, Celina, Ohio

A copy of Helen’s Application for a Widow’s Insurance Annuity was included in the file. The application was dated 14 October 1965. In answer to the question about employment during the last 3 years, she stated that Ed had worked in Celina, Ohio, and Winchester, Indiana, from December 1954-November 1956. She gave her place of employment as Wright’s Restaurant and her address as Mercelina Trailer Court, both in Celina. Helen passed away in 1991 and that was noted in the file.

I received a lot of useful and interesting information from the United States Railroad Retirement Board.  The research fee was $27 and I received over 20 pages in the packet. The fee is not refundable and their records are limited to individuals who worked in the rail industry after 1936. The employee’s Social Security number should be included in a research request as well as their full name and date of birth and death.  I hope to learn more about railroad research at the 2011 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference later this month and hopefully I will be able to gather even more information about Edward Roesner and his career with the railroad.

When, where, and how did Edward lose his arm? The answers to these questions will be in my blog next weekend.

Mar 01

Tombstone Tuesday—Louis J. & Sarah H. (Breuninger) Schumm

Louis J & Sarah H Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio

This is the tombstone photo of Louis J. Schumm and his wife Sarah, nee Breuninger.  They are buried in row 10 of Zion Cemetery,  Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. Louis’ home was the subject of the previous post. The marker is inscribed:

Louis J.
1851-1938
Sarah H.
His Wife
1861-1921
SCHUMM

Ludwig Johann “Louis” Schumm was born 26 April 1851 in Van Wert County, Ohio, the son of George Ludwig  and Anna Barbara (Pflueger) Schumm. His father immigrated to America from Ruppertshofen, Wuerttemberg, in 1833.

According to Zion Schumm’s records, Louis was baptized 28 April 1851, with Georg Schumm and wife as sponsors. He married Sarah Breuninger 8 February 1883 in Van Wert County by Rev. G.F.C. Seemeyer. (Vol. 6:221) Louis died 5 Apr 1938 in Van Wert County. According to his death certificate he died of arteriosclerotic heart disease and cardiac failure.

Obituary:
Louis J. Schumm, 87, a well known and highly respected farmer, passed away suddenly Tuesday morning at 7:00 while sitting in a chair in his home about one and one-half miles east of Willshire. The cause of his death was heart trouble.  He had been in failing health for some time, but became worse about a week before his passing when attacked by the flu.  The deceased was a son of the late George L. Schumm and wife, and was born in and lived all his life in this community.  He was a member of the Schumm Lutheran church.  Surviving are two children, Cornelius Schumm, and Mrs. Richard Allmandinger, both of Willshire Township; a half sister, Mrs. Fred Kreiselmeyer of Fort Wayne, and a half brother, William A. Buechner of Willshire Township.  Funeral services in charge of S.S. Buchanan & Son, will be held Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the home and 2 p.m. at the Schumm church, Rev. Alfred Moeller officiating.  Interment will be in the church cemetery. (Source: Louis J. Schumm obituary, The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 7 April 1938, page 1)

Louis J. Schumm (1851-1938)

An 1896 biographical sketch: Louis J. Schumm an enterprising farmer, was born in Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Ohio, April 26, 1851, and is a son of George M. [sic] [should be George L] and Mary [sic] [should be Barbara] Pflueger Schumm, and grandson of John Schumm, of whom mention in full is made in the biography of Henry G. Schumm, on another page.  Louis J. was, like his pioneer ancestor and his children, reared to farming, but was also taught the trade of a carpenter, and for thirteen years he followed this calling, proving himself to be an excellent mechanic and a master of his trade, erecting, during the period mentioned, some of the finest dwelling houses and barns in Willshire Township. He received a very good education, was taught both the English and German languages, while his business training was in no manner neglected.  He was joined in matrimony, February 8, 1883, with Miss Sarah Breuninger, the accomplished daughter of Louis and Mary (Seckel) Breuninger.  The parents of this amiable young lady were born in Wuerttemberg, Germany, and were married in Green Bay City, Wisconsin, where the father had for many years held a position as clerk, then he engaged in merchandising on his own account, and finally came to Van Wert County, Ohio, where he purchased a farm of 100 acres, which he cultivated until his death.  His widow resides on this farm and is a respected member of the Lutheran Church, of which her husband has also been a member.  To the happy marriage of our subject has been born one child–Freida E. Schumm—now the idol of his parents and the pet of his relatives.

Mr. Schumm had bought his present farm before his marriage, and it now comprises 100 acres.  It is drained with over 1,500 rods of tiling, and is improved with a neat modern frame dwelling and a bank barn of his own planning and construction, and which, owing to his skill as a carpenter, surpasses any similar structure in the county.  The most of his property Mr. Schumm has realized through his personal industry and the exercise of a sound discretion in the management of his affairs, and to his skill both as a mechanic and farmer.  In politics, Mr. Schumm has always exercised his franchise in the interests of the Democratic Party.  With his wife he is a devout member of the Lutheran Church, and his and her social standing is with the best families of Van Wert County, Ohio. (Source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Allen and Van Wert Counties, Ohio (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1896), 669-670)

Feb 25

The House on Evergreen Farm

Louis Schumm family: Frieda, Sarah (Breuninger), Cornelius, Louis Schumm (c1901)

This frame house was the home of three generations of my Schumm ancestors. It is located between Willshire and Schumm in Van Wert County, Ohio. Grandpa always said that the house was originally back in the woods and was moved to its current location. Both the 1872 and 1886 maps of Van Wert County show a house that was back a long lane, possibly as far as 1/8 mile from the road, north of where the house is today. The barn, which is also still standing, was built in 1886 and the house was probably moved closer to the road about the time the barn was built. That must have been quite a job to move a house back in those days. The above photo, taken about 1901, shows the house in its current location. The house was evidently built sometime before 1872.

Louis Schumm purchased the farm and house from Henry F. Tindall in 1878. Louis married Sarah Breuninger in 1883 and Sarah died in 1921. Cornelius and Hilda (Scaer) were married in 1927  and moved into the house with Louis. Louis passed away in 1938 and Cornelius and Hilda raised their family there. Cornelius passed away in 1986 and Hilda remained in the house until the early 1990s, when she could no longer maintain the house by herself. Hilda lived to be 101. Evergreen Farm is registered as an Ohio Century Farm.

Louis Schumm in yard

 

Louis Schumm home & yard

Until recently, the house was associated with the adjacent 80 acre farm, known as Evergreen Farm. That name comes from the time, years ago, when Louis Schumm and his son Cornelius maintained an elaborately trimmed evergreen hedge around the yard. There are still people today that remember the hedge and the pruned evergreens in the yard. Louis and Cornelius had to trim all of those evergreen trees every summer and the children in the family would rake up the cuttings. Some of the evergreens were so tall that they had to use stepladders to reach the tops.

Schumm Yard

The house does not look very large from the outside, but it is quite roomy inside. The following are some of my recollections of the house from my childhood.  The front door opened into a large family-type room. There was a large oak roll-top desk in this room and a painting of Martin Luther that hung over the desk. That painting now hangs in my office. There was also a round oak table and sideboard in this room. There was a formal living room off the family room. Grandma kept the living room closed off and the shades were always pulled shut. This kept the room cool in the summer. This room was used only for important family occasions such as Christmas, or for very special visitors. There was always a Victorian sofa and matching chair in the living room. Grandma had purchased the set when they were first married. There was a small parlor off the formal living room as well as a bedroom. There were also two small bedrooms upstairs. The kitchen was rather small and it was directly beyond the family room. In the kitchen was a door that opened onto a breezeway. There was always air flowing from the west to the east through the breezeway and it usually felt very comfortable back there. Across the breezeway was the summer kitchen.

The summer kitchen was located at the back of the house, to the north. The summer kitchen had windows on 3 sides and a door that opened onto the breezeway. All this ventilation allowed air to flow through the large room, keeping it cool. In the spring the family would move everything from the kitchen in the house into the summer kitchen. The women would do all of their cooking in the summer kitchen during the hot months and the family would also eat their meals there. At that time they used a wood-burning stove for cooking and to heat water for other purposes. The heat generated by the wood stove was kept away from the main house, keeping the house as cool as possible.

There are several farm buildings across the barnyard, away from the house. These include the large barn, a garage, and a granary.  Grandpa usually spent his days tinkering about in the garage. The granary was built by a distant relative, Abraham Pflueger. He carved his name and the date into a beam in the granary, “Abraham Pflueger, 1902.” There is a large pond to the northwest of the barn, dug in the 1960s.

Over the years the house has been updated with modern conveniences and has been redecorated several times. However, I will always remember it the way it used to be.

Amy, Esther, Louis, Cornelius, Florence Schumm

Schumm home, 1947

Feb 23

It’s OGS Conference Time

It’s about time–time for the Ohio Genealogical Society’s annual conference. That means that I need to send in my conference registration, and soon. The early registration deadline is quickly approaching (14 March). The conference will be held 31 March-2 April 2011 in Columbus, Ohio, and the theme is “Genealogy through the Centuries.”

This year I will be strictly a conference attendee. I am no longer an officer or committee chair at OGS due to changes in my dental work schedule. I have, however, volunteered to man the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) table in the exhibit area for a couple of hours. The rest of the time I look forward to attending the lectures and learning new research techniques and tips.

The conference planners ask that when you register you indicate the lectures you think you would like to attend. This is for space planning purposes. However, you are not obligated to attend the sessions you mark and I often change my mind at the last minute. As always, there is a nice variety of topics to choose from and all of the presenters are top-notch. This makes the selection process difficult. This year I am interested in learning more about technology, writing and military research. So, what are some of the lectures I plan to attend this year?

Some sessions of interest to me:

  • Researching Your Colonial War Ancestor, by Craig Scott, CG
  • After Mustering Out: Researching Civil War Veterans, by Amy Johnson Crow, CG
  • Writing Your Family History Using Microsoft Word, by Michael Leclerc
  • Railroad Records and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking, by Paula Stuart-Warren, CG

Joe’s grandfather worked for the railroad and I would like to pick up some research tips in this area. Uh-oh. I see a conflict already. Two of the lectures above are in the same time slot, the Civil War and Writing lectures. Decisions, decisions… I would like to attend Leslie Huber’s Thursday session, Researching and Writing Your Ancestors’ Stories, but that session almost runs into the new lineage society banquet time period. We can’t miss that banquet. Our family will be inducted into the new lineage society, Century Families of Ohio, on Thursday evening. This will be a special way to honor our grandparents and our other ancestors who resided in Ohio between 1861 and 1910. Our family will be honoring a total of 21 ancestors that evening. Joe had more ancestors than me this time, 13-8, and Jeff gets to honor all 21!

One of the features I like best at an OGS conference is the exhibit area. I like to browse the exhibit hall for items of interest. Ok, so I like to shop–anywhere, any time. I like to look through the books and maps and I am always interested in new genealogy software and tech items that can be used for genealogy. There are usually some clothing items and fun stuff to purchase as well. I often get new information and ideas by talking with the exhibitors and other attendees. There is always something new to learn in the world of genealogy. That’s what this conference is all about–learning, networking, meeting up with friends, and making new acquaintances. After all, we all have the common interest of genealogy and family history.

Well, looking through the registration booklet again, maybe I should select an Ohio or Pennsylvania lecture. After all, the Brewsters were from Pennsylvania and I still need to find out where Jackson Brewster was from… I still have time to make my final decisions.

See you in Columbus next month!

Deb, Karen, Miriam, Kenny (2010 Toledo)

Elissa, Leslie, Karen (2010 Toledo)

 

Feb 18

Unusual Names—We’ve Got ‘Em

Johann Pankratius Schinnerer 1829-1857

Look carefully at this tombstone photo. I’m sure you noticed right away that two names are misspelled. Pankratius Schinnerer is such a common name! Who could possibly misspell it?

Yes, some of my ancestors have very unusual names. Most of these uncommon names are in my German lines and are collateral ancestors, not my direct line. My direct ancestors did not seem to venture into the realm of obscure names but instead chose the more common German names, such as Jacob, Louis, and Friedrich for the boys, and Elizabeth, Maria, and Christina for the girls. No, my direct ancestors did not seem to be very adventurous. Or maybe they just knew what they were doing.

For one, if you chose an unusual name for your child you run the risk of having that name misspelled over and over. Johann “Pankratius” Schinnerer was my second great granduncle. Pankratius emigrated from Bavaria in 1852 with his brother Martin and both settled in Van Wert County near their other brother, Friedrich. Friedrich was my second great grandfather. Although the name sounds like a medical term, according to WorldLingo the origin of Pankratius is Greek and it means “all defeating.” Pankratius was a Roman martyr in the early Christian Church, mentioned in 354 AD. The Roman Catholic anniversary of this martyr is May 12th. Regardless of the meaning, nearly everyone seemed to have a difficult time spelling his name correctly. The passenger list of the ship Amelia recorded his name as Pangraz. His probate record spelled his name Bronaratius. His estate papers show him as Bumcratuez and his estate sale notice listed him simply as John B. Schinnerer. Church records were the most consistent at spelling his name correctly. Unfortunately, his name was misspelled on his tombstone, misspelled forever at his final resting place.

My Schinnerer ancestors seemed to enjoy christening their children with unusual names. Also in this line is Kunigunda Margaretha Schinnerer, born in 1756 in Ipsheim, Bavaria. Her name is derived from Kuni (clan) and gund (war).  Yet another Schinnerer was given the name Aegidus, a male name derived from the Greek and Latin word for a young goat or kid. Other names in the Schinnerer clan include Wolfgang, Balthasar, Agneta, Valentinius, and Appollonia. I have a Valentin and Theobald in my Mueller tree, a Sebastian and an Eberhardt among the Breuningers and two Hallot Bryans.  My grandfather’s name was Cornelius. In the Bible, Cornelius was a Roman centurion who was baptized by Peter.

Unusual names are not limited to my family. My husband’s family tree also has some interesting names. Most of his ancestors were in this country long before mine were and he does not have nearly as many German ancestors as I do. Joe’s fourth great grandmother was Silence Platt. What a nice quiet, peaceful name. Silence was married to Samuel Bennett. Their grandson, Joe’s second great grandfather, was named Landon Bennett. Landon named one of his sons Henry Brandenburg Bennett. Henry was probably named after his uncle Henry Brandenburg, who married his father Landon’s sister Nancy Bennett. Henry Brandenburg Bennett and his wife Sarah Milligan named their seven children after US states or territories. Their children were named Nevada, Dakota, Minnesota, Goldsby Alaska, Arizona Landon, Delaware, and Vermont. Vermont was Joe’s grandfather.  Henry Brandenburg Bennett must have loved the United States.

Standing: Vermont, Goldsby Alaska, Dakota, Arizona, Delaware; Seated: Nevada, Henry Brandenburg Bennett, Sarah (Milligan) Bennett, Minnesota

A tribute to the subject of the tombstone photo: Johann Pankratius Schinnerer was born 25 March 1829 in Ipsheim, Kingdom of Bavaria, the son of Georg Michael and Anna Barbara (Zeller) Schinnerer. He married Rosina Hoffman 25 November 1853 in Van Wert County, Ohio. He died 8 July 1857 after a 7 week illness of the liver and is buried at Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio. He was only 28 years old. He and Rosina had four children, but only one lived to maturity, Johann Martin Schinnerer. Johann Martin never married.  May you rest in peace, Johann Pankratius Schinnerer.