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.

2 comments

    • Mildred Willis on December 10, 2021 at 11:41 am
    • Reply

    This is Mildred Merkle Willis. I am very surprised to find that a Schumm traveled to CO. I always thought they stayed close to the Willshire area. This piece was very interesting.
    I did find when I was researching Jerry’s ancestry that if someone in the family was gone as in working in the fields the cenuser may have not counted them. There could have also been language issues too.
    Thanks for all your research.
    Merry Christmas!

    1. Yes, most Schumms did stay in our area but some moved to other states, California being one that comes to mind. Note that Henry M. and family did move back to the area by 1930. I think there was an allure to move westward in the early 1900s. Thanks for writing and Merry Christmas to you!

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