Tombstone Tuesday–Child of W. A. & A. Koch

Child of W.A. & A. Koch, St. John's Cemetery, Pusheta Township, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2015 photo by Karen)

Child of W.A. & A. Koch, St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Pusheta Township, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2015 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of the infant child of Wilhelm A. and Emilie (Schumm) Koch, located in St. John’s Cemetery, Pusheta Township, Auglaize County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Kind Von
W. A. und A.
KOCH
Geb und Gest
Den 27 Marz
1904

Translation: Child of W. A. and A. Koch, born and died 27 March 1904.

This was infant child of William A. and Emilie/Amelia (Schumm) Koch, of Wapakoneta, Ohio. Emilie (Schumm) Koch was originally from Schumm, in Van Wert County, and was the daughter of William and Anna Marie (Heffner) Schumm.

When I wrote the Tombstone Tuesday about Emilie (Schumm) Koch a few weeks ago the 1910 census indicated that she had given birth to four children but only three were living. [1]

Three of her children were identified, but not the fourth. I estimated that the fourth child would have been born between 1901 and 1906, but I could not find a birth or death record for a fourth child. Even the Schumm genealogy did not mention a fourth child.

Thanks to reader and Schumm descendant Sue Allen who helped me locate the infant’s tombstone, enabling me to identify the child’s birth and death date. Unfortunately the tombstone did not indicate the gender of the child.

Child of W.A. & A. Koch, St. John's Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2015 photo by Karen)

Child of W.A. & A. Koch, St. John’s Cemetery, Auglaize County, Ohio. (2015 photo by Karen)

Only the initials of the parents are inscribed on the tombstone–W. A. and A. The father’s tombstone, located a few rows away, shows his name as Wilhelm A. Koch. Although the mother’s name was officially Emilie, her christening name, she occasionally went by the name of Amelia, as enumerated in the 1910 census. [1]

This child is buried a few rows from the father Wilhelm’s grave-site and from the grandparents grave-site, Wilhelm’s parents.

Emilie (Schumm) Koch moved back to Willshire after Wilhelm’s death in 1906. She died in 1952 and is buried in Zion Lutheran Schumm’s cemetery.

 

[1] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert County, Ohio, ED 114, p.2B, dwelling 44, family 44, Amelia Koch; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : assessed 28 March 2015); from FHL microfilm 1375251, from NARA microfilm T624, roll 1238.

2 comments

    • Deborah Colletti on December 2, 2019 at 12:28 pm
    • Reply

    Hello Karen,
    I came across this information in doing a family search I believe Wilhelm Koch is a great great great grandfather of mine. Do you happen to have any more information on the family. I believe Wilhelm and Emilie had a son named Emil Koch 1872-1942. Thank you , Deborah

    1. Thank you for writing, but I do not have any more information on this family, only what I have written in the blog posts. Good luck with your research!

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