Nov 23

Tombstone Tuesday-Anna W. & Henriette C. Schumm

Anna W & Henrietta C Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Anna W. and Henriette C. Schumm, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Anna W.
Geboren
18 Marz 1883
Gestorben
10 Oct 1901
Text
John 8:61

Henriette C.
Geboren
18 Feb. 1885
Gestorben
21 Nov. 1901
Text
Psalm 119:92

Tochter von H.G. u. Anna M. Schumm

SCHUMM

Anna W, born 18 March 1883, died 10 October 1901. Henriette C, born 18 February 1885, died 21 November 1901. Daughter[s] of H.G. and Anna M. Schumm.

Sisters Anna Wilhelmine and Henrietta Clara Schumm were the second and third of five children born to Henry George “H.G.” and Anna M. (Roehm) Schumm. H.G. Schumm (1854-1939) and Anna M. Roehm (1857-1901) married at Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, on 1 April 1879

Anna Wilhelmine Schumm was born in Willshire Township on 18 March 1883. She was baptized at Zion Schumm on 26 March 1883, with Susanna Roehm, Sophie Schumm, and Mrs. Rev. Seemeyer serving as her sponsors.

Henriette Clara Schumm was born in Willshire Township on 18 February 1885. She was baptized at Zion Schumm on 1 March 1885, with Mrs. Maria Grund and Rosine Schumm serving as her sponsors.

The Henry George Schumm family in 1900: Henry G, 45; Annie M, 43, wife; Amelia, 19, daughter; Annie W, 17, daughter; Henrietta, 15, daughter; Walter E, 11, son; Esther, 6, daughter; Marie Schumm, 79, mother. The father H.G. Schumm was a farmer in Willshire Township. [1]

The following year was a tragic year for the H.G. Schumm family as typhoid fever ravaged the family. H.G.’s 44-year-old wife Anna (Roehm) Schumm died from typhoid fever on 23 September 1901.

Daughter Anna Wilhelmine died in Willshire from typhoid fever on 10 October 1901, at the age of 18 years, 6 months, and 22 days. She was buried on the 25th.

Daughter Henriette Clara died in Willshire from typhoid fever on 21 November 1901, at the age of 16 years, 9 months, and 3 days. She was buried on the 24th.

Widower H.G. Schumm, left with three children at home, married widow Wilhelmina “Mina” (Kroemer) Limecooly (1863-1951) on 23 November 1904. H.G. and Mina did not have any children of their own but Mina (Kroemer) had three children from her marriage to William F. Limecooly (1857-1900). [2]

Sisters Anna Wilhelmine and Henriette Clara Schumm had the following siblings:
Maria Amalia Schumm (1880-1946), married John Henry “Hugo” Schumm
Walter Emanuel Schumm (1888-1967), married Erna Theresa Schumm
Esther Emilie Schumm (1893-1983), married Amos Clemens Schumm

[1] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, p.10, dwelling 193, family 206, Henry G Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com, viewed 22 Nov 2021.

[2] Children of William F. & Mina (Kroemer) Limecooly: Edward Frederick (1890-1961); George D. (1893-1972); Mary Margaret (1897-?).

Nov 19

Weisenborn Research Opportunity

Calling all Weisenborns. For those of you with a Weisenborn connection in your family tree, there is an online worldwide Weisenborn database.

A few months ago I corresponded with family genealogist Toon Weisenborn, from Nordhorn, Germany. Toon has been interested in her family’s Weisenborn genealogy since she was a young girl and she has since set out to gather information about all Weisenborns in Germany, the Netherlands, and around the world. 

Because of this interest, Toon has created the website, Project All Weisenborns and Wittenborns, to help Weisenborn researchers. Her website is freely accessible and she will add information and make corrections to the Weisenborn information she has already compiled there.

You may find your Weisenborn family in one of her trees. If not, she offers to add new Weisenborn data to an existing tree or add a new tree when necessary.

Her efforts are a great aid to all Weisenborn researchers.

I do not believe I have any Weisenborns in my family tree but there were and still are Weisenborns in this area.

Luther Weissenborn (1846-1864) is buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm. [1] The John Christoph and Mary Catharine (Schüt) Weisenborn family attended Zion Chatt in the mid-1860s and later. Zion’s records indicate that John Christoph and Mary Catharine were from Niederdorla, Thuringen, and Grossherzogtum, Baden, respectively. Several Weisenborns are buried in Kessler/Liberty Cemetery and several in Hopewell Township’s Friends Cemetery, both cemeteries in Mercer County.

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

I urge Weisenborn researchers to check out Toon’s Weisenborn website. [2]

Enjoy!  

[1] Tombstone Tuesday-Luther Weissenborn, Karen’s Chatt, 27 Nov 2018.

[2] Project All Weisenborns and Wittenborns, Toon Weisenborn, https://weisenborn-boer.nl/Weissenborn_Wittenborn/Stambomen/data.htm.

Nov 16

Tombstone Tuesday-Bird Symbol

A bird symbol on a tombstone, often depicted as a dove, symbolizes peace, resurrection, and innocence and is often used on a child’s tombstone.

Bird on zinc child’s tombstone.

A dove holding an olive branch symbolizes peace or that the soul has reached divine peace in heaven.

Flying bird with olive branch.

A flying bird symbolizes the winged soul, a tradition dating back to the early Egyptians. An ascending bird represents the transport of the departed’s soul to heaven. A descending bird or dove represents a descent from heaven and the assurance of a safe passage.

Flying bird symbol.

Flying bird symbol on zinc tombstone.

Flying bird symbol.

Birds are sometimes used as part of an organization’s logo, as seen below for logos of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the Knights of Columbus (Roman Catholic fraternal organization), and the 32nd degree Mason.

Bird included in GAR logo.

Dove included in Knights of Columbus logo.

Bird included in 32nd degree Mason logo.

A bird lying dead symbolizes a life that was cut short prematurely.

Dead bird symbol.

Dead bird symbol.

Lastly, a hummingbird incised on a tombstone.

Hummingbird symbol on tombstone.

Nov 11

Veterans Day 2021

Today is Veterans Day. A day to thank, honor, and remember our United States veterans.

To all veterans, thank you for your service to our country.  

There are some veterans in my immediate family: my uncles, my dad’s brothers, Vernie and Ken Miller, as well as my cousin Ron and nephew Mike.

Carl LaVerne “Vernie” Miller, Army Anti Aircraft Artillery

Kenneth Miller, 278 Regimental Combat Team, 1953-55

Thank you for your service.

I have other, more distant relatives who also served, too many to recognize individually because I do not want to inadvertently leave someone out.

Thank you for your service.

I would also like to honor those veterans who have passed, including my dad, Herbert Miller (1925-2012), who was a World War II veteran.

Herbert Miller, WWII, 84th Division, 333rd Company, Infantry, 1944-46.

Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day and was created to commemorate of the end of World War I. Fighting between the Allied Nations and Germany ceased on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the date generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Armistice Day became a legal holiday on 11 November 1938, primarily to honor World War I veterans and dedicated to the cause of world peace. After World War II and the Korean War the name was changed to Veterans Day. On 1 June 1954 Veterans Day became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Thank a veteran today. They deserve our thanks and gratitude and so much more.

Nov 09

Tombstone Tuesday-Elizabeth (Boroff) Smith Schumm

Elizabeth (Boroff) Smith Schumm, Tomlinson Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Elizabeth (Boroff) Smith Schumm, located in Tomlinson Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Mother
Elizabeth Smith
Schumm
1886-1962

Hester “Elizabeth” Boroff was born in Dublin Township, Mercer County, Ohio, on 20 September 1886, the daughter of William I. and Mary Catherine (Coil) Boroff. [1] Her mother died in 1889 and her father married Effie Hale in 1891.

The William Boroff family in 1900: William, 43; Effie J, 41; Ida B, 16; Hester E, 13; Adam G, 12; and Basil Franklin, 4 months. William Boroff was a farmer. [2]  

Elizabeth Boroff married Edwin Augustus Smith in Van Wert County on 16 January 1907. Edwin was the son of W.L. and Elizabeth (Sprain) Smith. [3]

Elizabeth and Edwin had one daughter, Leone “Ida” Smith, born in York Township, Van Wert County 18 October 1907. [4]

Elizabeth’s husband Edwin Smith died of pneumonia in Liberty Township, Van Wert County, on 10 January 1909. [5] He is buried in Tomlinson Cemetery.

John Martin Schumm married widow Elizabeth (Boroff) Smith at the parsonage of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, on 9 February 1911.

In 1920 the John Martin Schumm family lived on Hogan Street in Willshire, where John Martin worked as a house carpenter. The John Martin Schumm family in 1920: John Schumm, 46; Elizabeth Schumm, 34; Dolores Schumm, 2; and Leone I Smith, 12. [6]

The John Martin Schumm family in 1930: John Schumm, 55, head; Elizabeth Schumm, 43, wife; Leone Smith, 23, stepdaughter; Dolores Schumm, 12, daughter; and Donald Schumm, 7, son. John Martin Schumm worked at a grain elevator in 1930. [7]

The John Martin Schumm family in 1940: John, 66; Elizabeth, 55; and Donald, 17. [8] No occupation is given here for John but at some point he was a marshal and constable in Willshire.

John Martin Schumm died at his home in Willshire on 28 April 1954 and he is buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery at Schumm. His widow resided in Willshire after his death.

Hester (Boroff) Smith Schumm died of heart disease at the Van Wert County Hospital, on 31 March 1962, at the age of 76. She was buried on 1 April. [9]

Elizabeth’s obituary:

Willshire-Mrs. H. Elizabeth Schum [sic], 76, Willshire, died Saturday in Van Wert Hospital. She was a member of the Methodist Church and Pythian Sisters.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Leone Passwater [sic] Willshire, and Mrs. Delores Shady, Fort Wayne; a son Donald E., Fort Wayne; a sister, Mrs. Ida DeVere, Continental; nine grand-children, and two great grandchildren.

Services will be at :30 [sic] p.m. Monday in the Willshire Methodist Church. Burial will be in Tomlinson cemetery, Mercer County. The body is in the Cowan and Son funeral home. [9]

Elizabeth is buried next to her first husband Edwin Smith.

Edwin and Elizabeth (Boroff) Smith had one child:
Ida L Smith (1907-1999), married Thomas Passwaters

John Martin and Elizabeth (Boroff) Smith Schumm had two children:
Dolores Louise Schumm (1917-1976), married Doyle C. Shady
Donald Wayne Schumm (1922-2009), married Barbara Baker

Last week I wrote about Elizabeth’s second husband John Martin Schumm (1873-1954), who is buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery at Schumm. A few years ago we walked through Tomlinson Cemetery and I noticed Elizabeth Schumm’s marker and photographed it at that time. I usually take note and photograph a Schumm marker when I see one in a cemetery where I am not expecting to see the Schumm name. This was the case for Elizabeth’s marker and we did not have to travel back to Tomkinson Cemetery to get the photo for this blog post.

[1] “Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003,” Vol. 2, p.41, Ester Elizabeth Boroff, 20 Sep 1886; database with images, FamiySearch.org  (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RYW-S6DY?i=87&cc=1932106&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AVN7V-MXY : viewed 8 Nov 2021). [Elizabeth’s marriage and death certificate give her date of birth as 23 August 1886]

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Dublin, Mercer, Ohio, ED 77, p.3, dwelling & family 58, William Boroff; digital image, Ancestry.com (viewed 1 Nov 2021).

[3] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016,” Van Wert, Vol. 12, p.390, Edwin A Smith & Elizabeth Boroff, 1907; database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-S5Q4-59?i=227&cc=1614804 : viewed 8 Nov 2021). [This record indicates Elizabeth was born 23 Aug 1886.]

[4] “Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003,” York Twp, Van Wert, Leone Smith, 18 Oct 1907; database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RYH-SXK4?cc=1932106&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AVNW6-VF5 : viewed 8 Nov 2021).

[5] “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953,” Liberty, Van Wert, Edwin Augustus Smith, 10 Jan 1909; database with images, FamilySearch.org  (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PKG-WNM?i=2444&cc=1307272&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXZ2B-66P : viewed 8 Nov 2021).

[6] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.7A, dwelling & family 2, John M Schumm; digital image, Ancestry.com (viewed 1 Nov 2021).

[7] 1930 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 22, p.1A, dwelling & family 14, John Schumm; digital image, Ancestry.com (viewed 1 Nov 2021). 

[8] 1940 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-26, p.2A, house 34, John Schman; digital image, Ancestry.com (viewed 1 Nov 2021).

[9] “Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001,” Pleasant Township, Van Wert, Hester Elizabeth Schumm, 31 Mar 1962; database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89ZY-T6WX?i=667&cc=2128172&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AF6C6-K2T : viewed 8 Nov 2021). [This record indicates she was born 23 Aug 1885.]

[10] Elizabeth Boroff Smith Schumm Find a Grave memorial no. 49050058, Tomlinson Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio, viewed 1 Nov 2021.