Dec 21

Tombstone Tuesday-Henry M. & Minnie (Hoppe) Schumm

Henry M. & Minnie (Hoppe) Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Henry M. and Henrietta “Wilhelmina/Minnie” (Hoppe) Schumm, located in row 4 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

SCHUMM

Henry M.
1861-1941

Minnie Hoppe
His Wife
1860-1937

George Martin Heinrich “Henry M.” Schumm was born, 18 June 1861, the son of Friedrich (1814-1902) and Magdalena (Meyer) (1819-897) Schumm. Henry M. was baptized at Zion Lutheran Schumm on 24 June 1861, with George Schumm Jr, Martin Schinnerer, and Henry Schumm serving as his sponsors.

Henry M. Schumm was enumerated in 1870 with his family: Friedrich Schumm, 56; Magdalena, 50; William, 30; Friedrich, 25; Mary, 19; George, 14; Barbara, 12; Henry, 9; Lewis, 16; and Ferdinand, 6. The father Friedrich was a farmer. [1]

By 1880 most of Henry M.’s siblings had left home. The Friedrich Schumm family in 1880: Friedrich, 66; Magdalena, 59; Barbara, 21; Henry M, 18; and Ferdinand, 16. [2]

Henry M. Schumm was appointed Schumm’s Postmaster on 14 August 1886. He may have been appointed in 1885 but that name is recorded simply as Henry Schumm and there were several Henry Schumms in the area.

Henry M. Schumm married Minnie Hoppe on 5 May 1887 in Fulton County, Indiana, married by Rev. H. Diemer, Ev. Lutheran minister. [3]

Henrietta “Wilhelmina/Minnie” Hoppe was born in Rochester, Fulton County, Indiana, on 26 April 1860, the daughter of John F. (1835-1864) and Abalonia (Guenther) (1837-1923) Hoppe.

The John F. Hoppe family in 1860: John, 25, [born] Hannover; Abby [Abalonia], 22, Bavaria; Minnie, 3 months, Indiana; Frederick Runker, 33, Hanover; and Frederick Froman, 23, Hanover. The father John Hoppe was a grocer in Rochester, Indiana, and Runker and Froman were clerks, likely in John’s store. [4]

John and Abalonia Hoppe had two other children, born in 1862 and 1863, and both died in infancy. Minnie’s father John F. Hoppe died in Rochester, Indiana, 11 August 1864. Minnie’s widowed mother Abalonia (Guenther) married Henry F. Freese 15 July 1870 in Cass County, Indiana.

The Henry Freese family in 1870, living in Logansport, Indiana: Henry Freese, 34, Hanover; Abbie Freese, 32, Bavaria; and Mena Hoppe, 10, Indiana. Henry Freese’s occupation was car inspector. Possibly a railroad car inspector? [5]

The Henry Freese family in 1880, living in Rochester, Indiana: Henry, 44; Abby, 43; and Minnie, 20, stepdaughter. Henry’s occupation was farmer. [6]

Rochester, Indiana, is nearly 100 miles from Schumm, Ohio, but somehow Henry M. Schumm met Minnie Hoppe and they married in Fulton County, Indiana, in 1887. Minnie had some association with Schumm at least two years before their marriage because Minnie was a baptismal sponsor at Zion Lutheran Schumm in 1885. Henry M. and Minnie resided in the Schumm area by 1888, where their first child Agnes was born. Minnie’s parents Henry and Abby/Abalonia Freese moved to the Schumm area some time before 1900. Both Henry and Abby/Abalonia were living with the Henry M. Schumm family in 1900 and both Freeses are buried in Zion Schumm’s cemetery.  

The Henry M. Schumm family in 1900: Henry M, 39; Wilhelmina H, 40; Agnes, 12; Alma, 10 Emanuel, 9; Emil, 6; Edna, 4; Clara, 3; Alfred, 2 months; Henry Freese, 63, father-in-law; Abalonia, 61, mother-in-law. [7]

Minnie’s stepfather Henry Freese died in 1902.

Henry M. Schumm entered into a homestead contract in Cheyenne County, Colorado, about 1907 and was not enumerated with his family in Willshire Township in 1910. He seems to be MIA in the 1910 census, but I suspect he was living on his 160 acres in Colorado and was not enumerated there. 

Meanwhile, Minnie Schumm was enumerated with her 8 children in Van Wert County in 1910. However, this enumeration raises questions about the children, as Edna’s name is repeated and it appears Agnes was also enumerated in Indiana. Minnie Schumm and children in 1910: Minnie, 50, married, 8 children, all living; Edna [probably Agnes?], 22; [Alma Abalonia?], 20, daughter; Emanuel, 18; Emil, 17; Edna, 15; Clara, 12; Alfred, 10; and Oswald, 8. Abbie Freese, 72, widow, living next door, [Minnie’s mother]. [8]

Several Colorado newspaper items give information about Henry M. Schumm’s time in Colorado. I wrote about this a couple weeks ago. Then we come to the 1920 census, where some family members were enumerated twice.

The Minnie/Wilhelmina Schumm household in Willshire Township, enumerated 7 January 1920: Wilhelmina H Schumm, 59, IN, head; Agnes, 31, OH, daughter; Alma, 30, OH, daughter; Emanuel, 28, OH, son; Clara, 21, OH, daughter; Alfred, 19, OH, son; Oswald, 17, OH, son; and Abalonia Freese, 83, Germany, widow. [9]

The Henry M. Schumm household in Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne, Colorado, enumerated a little over a month later, on 12-13 February 1920: Henry M Schumm, 58, OH, head; Wilhelmina H, 59, IN, wife; Clara Schumm, 20, OH, daughter; Alfred Schumm, 18, OH, son; Oswald Schumm, 16, OH, son. Henry was a farmer and owned house with a mortgage. [10] Wilhelmina, Clara, Alfred, and Oswald evidently traveled to Colorado after the Willshire census was taken on 7 January and were enumerated there, too.

By 1930 Henry M. Schumm (68) and his wife Wilhelmina (69) were back in Van Wert County, the two of them living in Willshire Township. [11]

Henry M. Schumm’s wife Minnie (Hoppe) died from a cerebral hemorrhage at Schumm on 19 November 1937, at the age of 77 years, 6 months, and 23 days. She was buried on the 22nd. Her obituary:

Mrs. H.M. Schumm
Van Wert, Nov. 20—Mrs. H.M. Schumm, 77, died yesterday following a paralytic stroke at her home in Willshire-tp. The deceased was born April 26, 1860 at Rochester, Ind., and was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Hoppe. She had been a resident of the county since her marriage May 5, 1887.

Surviving are three daughters, Alma at home, Eda Schumm of Mechanicsburg, and Clara of Troy, O; and four sons, Emmauel [sic], Alfred and Oswald Schumm at home, and Emil Schumm of Colorado Springs, Col.

Funeral services will be held Monday at 2:30 p.m. at the Schumm Lutheran church. Rev. Alfred Moeller, pastor officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. [12]

In 1940 widower Henry M. Schumm lived with his children Alma and Oswald near Schumm. [13]

Henry M. Schumm died from renal problems at Schumm on 1 February 1941 at the age of 79 years, 7 months, and 13 days. He was buried on the 3 February, with Rev. A. Moeller officiating. Henry M. Schumm’s obituary:

Henry M. Schumm
Ohio City, Feb. 1—Henry M. Schumm, 79, died Saturday at his home in Schumm, Willshire, tp, following a prolonged illness. He was born and lived all his lifetime in the Schumm community.

Surviving are seven children, Alma, Emanuel and Oswald at home, Edna of Mechanicsburg, Rev. Alfred Schumm of Rhodes, Mich., Clara M. of Troy, and Emil Schumm of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Funeral services will be held Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the residence and 2 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran church at Schumm. Interment will be in the church cemetery. [14]

Interesting that both obituaries indicate that Henry M. and Minnie lived their whole married life in the Schumm area, but census records, newspaper clippings, and land records tell a little different story.

Henry M. and Wilhelmine/Minnie (Hoppe) Schumm had the following children:
“Agnes” Wilhelmine Barbara Schumm (1888-1921)
Alma Abalonia Schumm (1889-1972)
“Emanuel” Henry John Schumm (1892-1973), married Edna Scaer
“Emil” Fredrick Schumm (1893-1960), married Louise Stock
Edna Alwine Magdalena Schumm (1895-1990)
Clara Anna Maria Schumm (1898-1984)
Alfred Oswald Ferdinand Schumm, Rev. (1900-1981), married Irma S. Wambsganss
Oswald Hugo Otto Schumm (1902-1987) 

[1] 1870 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, p.438B, dwelling 130, family 131, Fred Schumm; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 18 Dec 2021.

[2] 1880 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 154, p.450C, family 129, Frede Schumm; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 18 Dec 2021. 

[3] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019,” Fulton County Marriages, Book E, p.129, Henry M Schumm & Henrietta Minnie Hoppe, 5 May 1887; FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-BJH6-B?i=63&cc=1410397&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AVW5X-52N : viewed 18 Dec 2021).

[4] 1860 U.S. Census, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana p.669, dwelling 1074, family 1076, John F Hoppee; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 18 Dec 2021. 

[5] 1870 U.S. Census, Logansport, Cass, Indiana, p.190B, dwelling 628, family 618, Henry Freese; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 18 Dec 2021.

[6] 1880 U.S. Census, Rochester, Fulton, Indiana, ED 41, p.63D, dwelling, family, Henry Freese; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 18 Dec. 2021.

[7] 1900 U. S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, dwelling 182, family 195, p.9, Henry M Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[8] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 114, p.2B, dwelling & family 37, Minnie Schumm; digital image, Ancestry.com, viewed 18 Dec 2021. [Abbie Freese, dwelling & family 38.]

[9] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.3A, dwelling & family 48, Wilhelmina H Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[10] 1920 U.S. Census, Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne, Colorado, ED 56, p.7B, dwelling 84, house 89, Henry M Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[11] 1930 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 24, p.5B, dwelling 105, family 108, Henry M. Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[12] Mrs. H.M. Schumm obituary, The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 21 Nov 1937, p.2, Ancestry.com.

[13] 1940 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-28, p.5A, house visited 88, H M Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[14] Henry M. Schumm obituary, The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 2 Feb 1941, p.4, Ancestry.com.

Dec 17

Henry M. Schumm, 1907 Colorado Homesteader

Last week I wrote about Henry M. Schumm (1861-1941), who moved from the Willshire area to Cheyenne County, Colorado, in the early 1900s. Henry M. Schumm homesteaded 160 acres in that eastern Colorado county and lived there for about 15-20 years.

It appears that Henry M. spent more time in Colorado than his wife Wilhelmina and children did. Wilhelmina and some of their children were enumerated in Willshire Township in January 1920 and then a month later with Henry in Colorado. Henry and Wilhelmina moved back to Willshire Township sometime before 1930.

I was able to piece together a small timeline of Henry’s time in Colorado and wrote about that last week. But I still had questions. Why did Henry M. decide to leave Ohio and homestead in Colorado? I asked Henry’s granddaughter about this but she said her father did not talk about it much, only mentioning that Henry was gone some of the time.

In the meantime learned some general information about homesteading during that time period.

Approximately 75 percent of the settlers in northeastern Colorado filed homestead claims after 1900. The activity peaked in 1910. The new settlers on the eastern plains soon emphasized wheat and cattle grazing and sugar beets.

How did homesteading work? President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act in 1862, giving citizens up to 160 acres of public land, provided they lived on it, improved it, and paid a small registration fee. The process encouraged the settlement and development of American land by American citizens.

Colorado and other western states promoted settlement and agricultural opportunities through homesteading by advertising in newspapers around 1907-08, the same time Henry M. Schumm decided to homestead there. He may very well have read about western homesteading in a newspaper.

Homesteading would not have been easy, but the opportunity for free land, the challenges of the frontier, and health concerns could have been among the reasons Henry M. Schumm decided to homestead in Colorado. Homesteading is no longer used and Alaska was the last state to offer it.

Under the Homestead Act a person could claim 160 acres, file on it, and if he built a home, lived there, and cultivated the land for five years, he could “prove up” his claim and obtain a government patent to it. It would have been a real challenge and a lot of hard work. The homesteader started from scratch, with nothing but his land. The land did not come with a house and homesteaders often lived in tents until they could build a home or some sort of a structure. This may have been the reason Henry M. Schumm’s family traveled to and from Colorado frequently. There were probably more creature comforts back in Willshire Township.       

Railroad travel opened to Colorado in the 1870s and contributed to the settlement of eastern Colorado. I wonder if the Schumms traveled to and from Colorado by rail? I cannot imagine driving back and forth by car. It is also interesting to note that Henry’s son Emil Schumm worked for the railroad in Colorado.

On 23 February 1907 Henry M. Schumm entered a Homestead contract in Cheyenne County, with five years to establish claim of his land. Eight years later, in 1915, Henry M. Schumm was issued a Serial Land patent in Cheyenne County, Colorado, serial no. COH0004271, signed by President Woodrow Wilson.

A portion of Henry’s land patent: …a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Hugo, Colorado, has been deposited in the General Land Office…pursuant to the Act of Congress of May 20, 1862, “To Secure Homesteads to Actual Settlers on the Public Domain,” and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of Henry M. Schumm has been established and duly consummated, in conformity to law, for the northwest quarter of Section eight in Township fifteen south of Range forty-three west of the Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, containing one hundred sixty acres…Patent Number 489568, 9 September 1915. [1]

Henry M. Schumm 1915 Colorado land patent.

Below is an old photo from this family. Although the photo is unidentified, I suspect it is a photo of Henry M. Schumm, his wife Wilhelmina, and a some of their children. Their son Emanuel Schumm (1892-1973) is standing on the right. It looks like they could have been in Colorado. It sure doesn’t look like Van Wert County.  

Emanuel Schumm, far right, possibly with his parents and siblings.

I have other photos of Emanuel that appear were taken out west. Was he visiting family in Colorado or just traveling? His brother Emil Schumm also lived in Colorado for the remainder of his life. He could have been visiting him.

I still have not found Henry M. Schumm in the 1910 census. He was not enumerated in Willshire Township with the rest of his family. He was likely living on his 160 acres in Colorado at the time, homesteading, perhaps living in a tent or makeshift cabin. Perhaps the census taker missed him. Perhaps he was not enumerated at all in 1910. 

I will keep looking…

[1] “Henry M. Schumm Homesteading, Mining, Ranching, Logging,” Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, Homestead Patent, Serial No.COH0004271, 1915; TheLandPatents.com,  https://thelandpatents.com/owners/483990 , viewed 15 Dec 2021.

Dec 14

Tombstone Tuesday-Obelisk Grave Marker

Obelisk shaped tombstones are commonly seen in cemeteries. They are found in various sizes and some are quite large.

Obelisk, Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Ohio.

An obelisk is a narrow, four-sided monument with a pyramidal shape at the top. Obelisks have been used as grave markers since the mid-1800s and are one of the most popular types of cemetery memorials. An obelisk can be used in a relatively small space and one obelisk is sometimes used for several graves or it may be the central monument of a family plot.  

Obelisk, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.

Obelisks, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio.

Obelisks originated in Ancient Egypt about 2600 BC, but some other ancient cultures also built them. Ancient obelisks could symbolize a god, an important astronomical event, or commemorate the achievements of an important person. Ancient Egyptians embellished all four sides of the obelisk with hieroglyphs, engraved inscriptions, portraits, or other symbols. They were made of a single slab of granite and capped with real gold to reflect the sun. Shaped like a ray of sunshine, obelisks were often a symbol of the Egyptian the sun god Ra, who had the power of creation, and the monument seemed to follow the sun’s movement across the sky. They were usually erected in pairs and placed in front of a temple.

Today, obelisks symbolize greatness and majesty.

Obelisk, Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio.

Some gravestone obelisks are quite tall. One of the tallest is 150 feet high, erected in 1897 for Dr. Thomas W. Evans and located in Woodlands Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A 117-foot obelisk monument marks the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary, and three of their sons in Springfield, Illinois. I visited this site in 2011.

Obelisk at Abraham Lincoln’s tombs, Springfield, Illinois. (2011 by Karen)

Although not a grave marker, the 555-foot Washington Monument in Washington DC is an example of a modern obelisk and was completed in 1884.

Obelisk, Woodland Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Some ancient Egyptian obelisks were moved out of Egypt and were erected in other parts of the world. One was moved to Central Park, New York City, in 1880 and others were moved to London, Paris, and Italy.

Dec 10

Schumm Family Enumerated Twice in 1920

As I was researching this week’s Tombstone Tuesday, Agnes Schumm (1888-1921), I noticed that Agnes’ father Henry M. Schumm was not enumerated with the family in Willshire Township in 1910 or in 1920. Henry did not die until 1941, so just where was he in 1910 and 1920?

I am still working to find Henry in 1910 but I have the 1920 enumeration figured out.

In 1920 Agnes Schumm was enumerated with her mother Wilhelmina (Hoppe) Schumm, five of her siblings (Alma, Emanuel, Clara, Alfred, and Oswald), and her grandmother (Abalonia Freese), on the family farm in Willshire Township. [1]

Family members missing in the 1920 Willshire enumeration are the father Henry M. Schumm and his children Emil and Edna Schumm. Did the census taker miss those three family members in Willshire Township or were they living somewhere else?

As it turns out, Henry M. Schumm was enumerated in the 1920 census. He was enumerated with his wife Wilhelmina and three of their children (Clara, Alfred, Oswald) in Cheyenne, Colorado.

How interesting! Henry M. Schumm’s wife Wilhelmina and their children Clara, Alfred, and Oswald were all enumerated twice in the 1920 census.

How did that happen?

The 1920 census was taken in Willshire Township on 7 January 1920. The Schumm household, as enumerated in 1920: Wilhelmina H Schumm, 59, IN, head; Agnes, 31, OH, daughter; Alma, 30, OH, daughter; Emanuel, 28, OH, son; Clara, 21, OH, daughter; Alfred, 19, OH, son; Oswald, 17, OH, son; and Abalonia Freese, 83, Germany, widow, who was Wilhelmina Schumm’s mother. [1]

1920 US Census, Willshire Township, Wilhelmina Schumm.

The 1920 census was taken in Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne, Colorado, a little over a month later, on 12-13 February 1920. Wilhelmina, Clara, Alfred, and Oswald probably left Ohio and went to Colorado between 7 January and 12 February, the dates the two enumerations were taken.

The Henry M. Schumm family as enumerated in Cheyenne, Colorado, in 1920: Henry M Schumm, 58, OH, head; Wilhelmina H, 59, IN, wife; Clara Schumm, 20, OH, daughter; Alfred Schumm, 18, OH, son; Oswald Schumm, 16, OH, son. Henry was a farmer and owned house with a mortgage. [2] 

1920 US Census, Cheyenne, CO, Henry M Schumm.

This also explains why Agnes Schumm’s 1921 obituary appeared in a Colorado newspaper, reprinted from the Willshire Herald. Some members of the Henry M. Schumm family were living in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado.

From Newspapers.com I constructed a timeline of Henry M. Schumm’s movements to and from Colorado in the early 1900s. Henry had planned the move and moved there several years before.

On 23 February 1907 Henry M. Schumm entered a Homestead contract in Cheyenne County, with five years to establish claim of his land. Information concerning his final proof to establish that claim appeared seven years later in a 1914 Colorado newspaper. [3]

The following newspaper entries indicate the Henry M. Schumm family resided in Colorado as early as 1913.

1913: Agnes Schumm spent Sunday with Anna Tuxhorn. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 1 Aug 1913, p.8.)

1914: H.M. Schumm came in with his witnesses to make proof on his homestead, last Monday, and while here left us a big wheel on subscription for which he has our thanks. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 26 Feb 1914, p.5.)

1914-15: Henry M. Schumm, Cheyenne County farmer, received second prize at the county fair for a 6-inch bundle of field corn. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 1 Oct 1914, p.1.) In 1915 he received recognition at the county fair for his Durham and Macaroni Wheat. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 30 Sep 1915, p.1.)

1916: Henry M. Schumm ran for Justice of the Peace in Cheyenne Wells’ Precinct no.2, running as a Democrat. His PO address, residence, and place of business was Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 2 Nov 1916, p.6.)

1917: Emil F. Schumm, of Schumm Ohio son of H.M. Schumm of this place is one of the operators at the depot here. He came this week. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 8 Nov 1917, p.5.)

1919: Roll of Honor–The following parties have renewed their subscriptions to the Record since our last issue:…H.M. Schumm, Aug 1. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 13 Nov 1919, p.1.)

1921: Agnes Schumm’s obituary was reprinted from the Willshire Herald. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 3 Mar, 1921, p.1.)

1921: Henry M. Schumm’s son Emil married Louise Stock in Colorado Springs, Colorado. [4] Emil had moved to Colorado about 1917 and lived in Colorado Springs.

1921: Emil Schumm came down from Colorado Springs on Saturday night in answer to a telegram stating that his father H.M. Schumm, was quite ill. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 15 Dec 1921, p.5.)

1922: W.H. Schumm arrived here on Thursday of last week from his home at Schumm, Ohio, for a short visit with his father, H.M. Schumm, of this city. (Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 8 Jun 1922, p.1.)

That was the last clipping I found about the Henry M. Schumm family in Colorado. Perhaps things did not work out in Colorado or maybe the family decided to move back to the Schumm area to be near family.

By 1930 Henry M. Schumm (68) and his wife Wilhelmina (69) were back in Van Wert County, just the two of them living in Willshire Township. [5]

Henry M. Schumm’s wife Wilhelmina (Hoppe) died 19 November 1937.

In 1940 widower Henry M. Schumm lived with his children Alma and Oswald. [6]

Henry M. Schumm died 1 February 1941.

Interesting that the Schumm family went back and forth between Ohio and Colorado quite a bit. That would be quite a drive today and even more time consuming and challenging in the early 1900s. Perhaps they took a train to and from?

Henry’s mother-in-law, widow Abalonia Freese, lived near or with her daughter Wilhelmina Schumm in Willshire Township. Wilhelmina was Abalonia’s only surviving child, which is probably why Wilhelmina and the children made several trips between Willshire and Colorado before Abalonia died in 1923.     

However, I still have research problems with this family. I cannot account for every family member in every census. And that drives me nuts. 

Where were Emil and Edna Schumm in 1920?

I do not know where Edna was in 1920 but one Emil Schumm lived and worked for the railroad in Sharon Springs, Wallace, Kansas. Age 26, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, and mother born in Indiana are consistent with Emil’s family history. Newspaper items above indicate Emil worked for a depot in Colorado. [7]

Then there is the issue of the 1910 census in Willshire Township, where, yet again, Henry M. Schumm is not enumerated with his family. The family in 1910, living in Willshire Township: Minnie [Wilhelmina] Schumm, 50, head; Edna, 22, daughter; [unreadable], 20, daughter; Emanuel, 18, son; Emil, 17, son; Edna, 15, daughter; Clara, 12, daughter; Alfred, 10, son; and Oswald, 8, son. [8]

Unfortunately, I have not found Henry M. Schumm in 1910 yet, but I am still looking.

This 1910 enumeration raises other questions: Edna is listed twice, with different ages; I am not sure who the first Edna is, age 22. Daughter Agnes would have been 22 but it appears that she was living in Logansport, Indiana. Was Agnes enumerated twice in 1910? The census dates: Logansport on 22 April 1910 and Willshire on 28 April 1910. I guess I have to consider all options. And who is the 20-year-old daughter whose name I cannot read? It appears the name begins with an A, relationship is Daughter, but sex is male. Daughter Alma Abalonia would have been about 20. Could it be her? Very confusing.

Nevertheless, finding several people who were enumerated twice in a census is pretty exciting for someone who enjoys finding unusual and interesting bits of information. 

[1] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.3A, dwelling & family 48, Wilhelmina H Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[2] 1920 U.S. Census, Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne, Colorado, ED 56, p.7B, dwelling 84, house 89, Henry M Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[3] Notice for Publication, Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 29 Jan 1914, p.8, Newspapers.com, viewed 8 Dec 2021. [Details: Department of the Interior U.S. Land Office at Hugo, Colorado, 15 January 1914, Notice given that Henry M. Schumm of Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, made Homestead entry no.04271 on 23 February 1907 for the NW ¼ Section 8 township 15 S range 43 W, sixth principal meridian. He made final five-year proof to establish claim of this land before the Cheyenne County Court on 23 February 1914.]

[4] Colorado, County Marriage Records & State Index, 1862-2006, Emil Schumm & Louise Stock, 28 Sep 1921; database, Ancestry.com, viewed 8 Dec 2021.

[5] 1930 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 24, p.5B, dwelling 105, family 108, Henry M. Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[6] 1940 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-28, p.5A, house visited 88, H M Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[7] 1920 U.S. Census, Sharon Springs, Wallace, Kansas, ED 243, p.9A, dwelling & family 195, Emil Schuman; Ancestry.com, viewed 9 Dec 2021.

[8] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 114, p.2A, dwelling & family 37, Minnie Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 8 Dec 2021.

Dec 07

Tombstone Tuesday-Agnes Schumm

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

This is the tombstone of Agnes Schumm, located in row 10 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Agnes Schumm
1888-1921

“Agnes” Wilhelmine Barbara Schumm was born 17 April 1888, the first child born to George Martin “Henry” III and Henrietta Wilhelmine “Minnie” Hoppe. Agnes was baptized at Zion Schumm on 29 April 1888 with Barbara Schumm, Mrs. Wilhelmine Seemeyer, Mrs. A. [Abalonia] Freese, and Frederick Schumm Jr. serving as her sponsors.

Agnes Schumm, enumerated with her family in 1900: Henry M Schumm, 39; Wilhelmina H, 40; Agnes, 12; Alma, 10 Emanuel, 9; Emil, 6; Edna, 4; Clara, 3; Alfred, 2 months; Henry Freese, 63, father-in-law; Abolonia, 61, mother-in-law. [1] Abalonia Freese was Wilhelmina (Hoppe) Schumm’s mother and Henry Freese was Wilhelmina’s step-father.

In 1910 Agnes, 21, worked as a servant in the Logansport, Indiana, household of Maurice Winfield Sr and Jr. The Winfields were employed in law and real estate, respectively. [2]

By 1920 Agnes had returned to the family farm near Schumm and was living with her mother, grandmother, and several siblings: Wilhelmina H Schumm, 59; Agnes, 31; Alma, 30; Emanuel, 28; Clara, 21; Alfred, 19; Oswald, 17; and Abalonia Freese, 83, widow. [3] Abalonia was Wilhelmina’s mother and her husband Henry Freese had died in 1902.  

Agnes Schumm died following surgery at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on 1 February 1921. She was 32 years, 9 months, and 14 days old. Agnes was buried on the 5th.

Obituary of Agnes Schumm
Miss Agnes Schumm, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Schumm, of Schumm, Ohio, was born April 17, 1888, and died at the Lutheran hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind. February 1, 1921, aged 32 years, 9 months, and 15 days. She leaves to mourn her early demise her parents, an aged grandmother, four brothers; and three sisters-Alma, Emanual, Emil, Edna, Alfred and Oswald, together with a host of relatives and friends, who expressed their love and esteem in the sending of a myriad of beautiful flowers. All were present at the funeral except Emil, who is in a hospital at Colorado Springs, Colo.

At the time of her demise she was secretary of the Schumm local of the American Luther League. She was a member of Evangelical Lutheran church from which the funeral services were held on Saturday February 5, 1921, with interment in the Lutheran cemetery, Rev. R.O. Bienert conducting.–Willshire, (Ohio) Herald. [4]

Agnes Schumm never married. She had the following siblings:
Alma Apollonia Schumm (1889-1972)
“Emanuel” Henry John Schumm (1892-1973), married Edna Scaer
Emil Fredrick Schumm (1893-1960), married Louise Stock
Edna Alwine Magdalena Schumm (1895-1990)
Clara Anna Maria Schumm (1898-1984)
Alfred Oswald Ferdinand Schumm, Rev. (1900-1981), married Irma S. Wambsganss
Oswald Hugo Otto Schumm (1902-1987) 

[1] 1900 U. S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, dwelling 183, family 196, p.9, Henry M Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[2] 1910 U.S. Census, Logansport Ward 4, Cass, Indiana, ED 29, p.8B, dwelling 204, family 232, Maurice Winfield II; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[3] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.3A, dwelling & family 48, Wilhelmina H Schumm; Ancestry.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021.

[4] Agnes Schumm obituary, Eastern Colorado Times, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, 3 Mar, 1921, p.1, Newspapers.com, viewed 6 Dec 2021).