School Children at Schumm, 1847

This roster of school children is included in Zion Lutheran Schumm’s church records, a list of children, 9 boys and 11 girls, who attended the parochial school at Schumm. The roster also includes their dates of birth. The list itself is not dated but the children range in age from 6-15 years, their birth dates ranging from 1832-1841. That nine-year age range would correspond to grades 1 through 8. Back then, completion of the 8th grade was the highest level of education most children received.

1847 School Children, Zion Lutheran, Schumm

Considering all those things, this list is probably from about 1847.

The birth information on this roster predates the oldest of Zion Schumm’s records that survive, records that begin in 1845.

Zion Schumm’s minister was probably the schoolteacher. It was not uncommon for a minister to teach school since he was usually one of the best educated persons in the area. Zion Schumm’s minister during that time was Rev. John G. Streckfuss, their pastor from 1847-1856.

The school roster is divided into two columns, boys and girls. Below is the list as recorded in the church records, with the child’s name and date of birth. I am unsure of a couple of the surnames.  

Boys:

Billman, Joseph, 2 Oct 1833
Schueler, Georg, 1 May 1834
Billmann, Heinrich, 26 Dec 1837
Schumm, Friedrich, 12 Jun 1839
Schumm, Daniel, 2 Mar 1840
Billmann, Friedrich, 16 Feb 1840
Schumm, Wilhelm, 16 Sep 1840
Schumm, Ludwig, 25 Nov 1840
Samuel Leininger, 27 May 1838

Girls:

Dietrich, Mar Cath [Maria Catharine], 6 Apr 1832
Billmann, Isabella, 4 Oct 1835
Pflueger, Elisabeth, 28 Jul 1835
Schueler, Magdalena, 3 Nov 1835
Norten [?] Stoker [?], Catharine, 11 Jul 1836
Schueler, Rosina, 17 Aug 1837
Scheck, Caroline, 15 Sep 1837
Haeberle, Rachel, 16 Oct 1835
Schueler, Maria, 17 Feb 1840
Haeberle, Susanna, 10 Sep 1841
Roth, Catharine, 16 Jul 1832

On the list below I have included some additional information about the school children, if I could find additional information. Some of the birth dates disagree slightly with some other records.   

Boys:

  • Joseph Billmann (2 Oct/2 Jul 1833-9 May 1875), s/o Michael Billmann
  • Georg Schueler (1 May 1834-9 Feb 1893), s/o Michael & Maria Katherine (Schumm) Schueler; m. Anna Maria Barbara Furhmann
  • Heinrich Billmann, 26 Dec 1837
  • Jacob “Friedrich” Schumm (12 Jun 1839-24 Aug 1927), s/o George Martin & Maria (Pflueger) Schumm; m. Maria Germann
  • Daniel Schumm (2 Mar 1840-8 Feb 1863), s/o Johann Jacob & Hannah (Billman) Schumm
  • Friedrich Billmann (16/19 Feb 1840-19 Apr 1913), s/o Michael Billmann; m. Elizabeth Casto
  • Wilhelm Schumm (16 Sep 1840-28 Dec 1906), s/o Johann Friedrich & Magdalena (Meyer) Schumm; m. Anna Maria Heffner
  • Ludwig Schumm (25/28 Nov 1840-21 Aug 1922), s/o George Martin & Maria (Pflueger) Schumm; m. Mina Domke
  • Samuel Leininger, 27 May 1838

Girls:

  • Maria Catharine Dietrich (6 Apr 1832-12 Sep 1870), d/o Johann Jacob & Maria Katharine (Werner) Dietrich; m. Peter Germann.
  • Isabella Billmann (4 Oct 1835-16 Feb 1885), d/o Michael Billmann; m. Henry Volland
  • Elisabeth Pflueger (28/30 Jul 1835-6 Feb 1913) d/o Christian & Anna Barbara (Sekel) Pflueger; m. Jacob Bienz
  • Magdalena Schueler (3 Nov 1835-21 Sep 1916), d/o Michael & Maria Katherine (Schumm) Schueler; married John Bienz
  • Catharine Norten/Stoker, 11 Jul 1836
  • Rosina K. Schueler (17 Aug 1837-11 Feb 1912), d/o Michael & Maria Katherine (Schumm) Schueler; married Henry William Christian Meyer
  • Caroline Scheck, 15 Sep 1837
  • Rachel Haeberle, 16 Oct 1835
  • Maria Schueler (17 Feb 1840-), [probably Hannah Marie], d/o Michael & Catharine (Lakehard) Schueler
  • Susanna Haeberle, 10 Sep 1841
  • Catharine Roth (16 Jul 1832-)

Early lists like this are very helpful for genealogy research. They not only indicate who lived in the area and went to church at Zion Schumm, but this list goes even farther and gives the students’ birth dates. And, because these children attended school in about 1847, we know they were alive at that point in time. Sometimes individuals disappear between census enumerations, which were taken every ten years. The tombstone of a child who died between the censuses in the 1800s may not have survived and we may not know what happened to an individual. From this list we know that these children were alive in about 1847. 

2 comments

    • Deb Rain on April 16, 2023 at 3:53 am
    • Reply

    My maternal grandmother went to Schumm School and my mother attended it as well..she often talked about it and some if the teachers and students….sadly mom passed away last May…19 days after her 100th Birthday….

    1. Quite a few students attended their school over the years. My grandfather and mother also attended the Schumm school. So sorry to hear about your mother’s passing, but how wonderful that she got to the 100-year milestone. Thanks for writing!

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