Tombstone Tuesday-Walter E. & Erna T. (Schumm) Schumm

Walter T. & Erna T. Schumm, Zion Lutheran Ceetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Walter E. and Erna T. (Schumm) Schumm, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

SCHUMM
Walter E.
1888-1967
Erna T.
1894-1971

Walter Emanuel Schumm was born 16 November 1888, the fourth child born to George Henry and Anna (Roehm) Schumm. He was baptized at the church on 25 November 1888, with Martin Schumm and Henry Roehm serving as his sponsors.

Walter Schumm, with his family in 1900: Henry G Schumm, 45; Annie M, 43; Amelia, 19; Annie W, 17; Walter E, 11; Esther, 6; and Maria, 79. [1]

Walter‘s family in 1910: HG Schumm, 55; Minnie, 47; George Limecooly, 16, step-son; Margaret Limecooly, 12, step-daughter; Walter Schumm, 21, son; and Esther, 16, daughter. [2]

Walter Schumm married Erna Schumm on 25 May 1918 at the home of the bride’s mother, married by Rev. George J. Meyer. H.G. Schumm and Naomi Schumm were witnessed to the marriage. It is interesting to note that their siblings had married just 10 days before, when Erna’s brother Amos C. Schumm married Walter’s sister Esther Schumm. Amos and Esther Schumm were featured in last week’s Tombstone Tuesday.

Erna Theresa Schumm was born 9 November 1894, the third child born to Frederick (Jr) and Mary (Buchner) Schumm. She was baptized at home on 18 November 1894, with Henry Buchner and Mrs. Maria Neubrecht serving as her sponsors. Her mother Mary (Buchner) was the second wife of Frederick Jr and Erna had six living step-siblings when she was born. Erna‘s older full sister Justina Louise Schumm died in infancy.

Erna Schumm, with her family in 1900: Friedrich Schumm, 56; Mary, 39; Hugo A, 24; Leona B, 22; Henrietta A, 20; Lawrence W, 15; Amos C, 8; Erna T, 5; and Naomi M, 3. The family lived on a farm in Black Creek Township, Mercer County, Ohio. [3]

Erna‘s father Frederick Schumm Jr died 24 December 1907.

In 1910 Erna lived with her widowed mother Mary (Buchner) Schumm and her siblings: Mary Schumm, 49; William, 25; Amos, 18; Erna, 15; and Naomi, 12. [4]

Two years after their 1918 marriage, Walter and Erna Schumm in 1920: Walter E, 31, and Erna T, 25, living in Willshire Township, where Walter farmed. They lived very close, probably next door to Walter’s father Henry George Schumm and his second wife Mina (Kroemer). [5]

In 1940, three of Walter and Erna Schumm’s nieces lived with them: Walter, 51; Erna, 45; Marcile, 20; Hilda, 12; and Virginia, 13. All were Schumms. [6] According to the census, Marcile, Hilda, and Virginia Schumm were nieces, but that was not actually true for all three girls.

The specifics: Marcile Schumm (1920-1988) was the daughter of Hugo & Ada (Wilson) Schumm. Walter and Marcile were second cousins once removed; Marcile was Erna’s niece. Hilda Schumm (1928-1993), was the daughter of Amos and Esther (Schumm) Schumm. Both Walter and Erna had the same relationship to Hilda: second cousins once removed and Hilda was niece to both. Virginia Schumm (1926-1983) was the daughter of Charles and Amelia (Germann) Schumm. Walter and Virginia were first and second cousins once removed; Erna and Virginia were second cousins once removed. So, Marcile and Hilda were nieces and Virginia was a relative, but not a niece. And remember, years ago relationships were often stated differently than as we understand them today.  

Walter Schumm died 13 March 1967 in Van Wert County. Walter’s obituary:

Walter E. Schumm
Walter E. Schumm, 78, a retired farmer of Rt. 1, Willshire, died at 10:25 p.m. Monday at the Van Rue Geriatric Center. He had been in failing health for two years and seriously ill one year.

Born Nov. 16, 1888, in Willshire Township, he was the son of Henry G. and Anna (Roehm) Schumm. He was a lifetime resident of the Willshire area. His widow, Erna T., whom he married May 25, 1918, survives.

Mrs. Schumm served as secretary of the Zion Lutheran Church in Willshire Township for a number of years. He was a member of the church and the Lutheran Laymen’s League.

Survivors include a niece, Mrs. Marcile (Schumm) Buechner of Sacramento, Calif., who was raised by the Schumms, and a sister, Mrs. Amos (Esther) Schumm of Rockford. Three sisters preceded him in death.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Cowan and Son Funeral Home and at 2 p.m. Friday at the Zion Lutheran Church. The Rev. Elmer W. Braun will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday afternoon and evening. Friends may call at the church from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. [7]

Erna (Schumm) Schumm died 25 August 1971 in Van Wert County. Erna’s obituary:

Erna T. Schumm
Willshire-Services for Mrs. Erna T. Schumm, 76, of Rt. 1, will be 2 p.m. Saturday in Zion Lutheran Church, near here, Rev. Robert D. Schuler officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Mrs. Schumm died 1:29 p.m. Wednesday in Van Wert County Hospital, following a long illness.

She was born Nov. 9, 1894, in Mercer County, the daughter of Frederick and Mary Buechner Schumm. She married Walter E. Schumm, who died March 13, 1967.

Also surviving are a brother, Amos of Rt. 1, Rockford; and a sister, Mrs. Naomi Schumm of Rt. 1, Willshire. Two brothers and two sisters are deceased.

Friends may call at Cowan and Son Funeral Home, Van Wert, after 1 p.m. Friday and at the church after 12:30 p.m. Saturday. [8]   

Walter and Erna (Schumm) Schumm had no children but they raised Marcile Schumm after the death of both her parents in the early 1930s. Marcile was Erna’s niece, the daughter of Erna’s half brother Anton “Hugo“ Schumm.

[1] 1900 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 97, p.10, dwelling193, family 206, Henry G Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : viewed 31 May 2020).

[2] 1910 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 114, p.6A, dwelling 110, family 111, HG Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884/ : viewed 31 May 2020).

[3] 1900 U.S. Census, Black Creek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 74, p.2, dwelling & family 29, Frederick Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : viewed 17 May 2020).

[4] 1910 U.S. Census, Black Creek, Mercer, Ohio, ED 107, p.2A, dwelling & family 26, Marry Schwinn; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7884/ : viewed 17 May 2020).

[5] 1920 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 146, p.3A, dwelling & family 50, Walter E Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/ : viewed 8 Jun 2020).

[6] 1940 U.S. Census, Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, ED 81-28, p. 4B, house no 27, visited 86, Walter Schumm; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2442/ : viewed 8 Jun 2020).

[7] Van Wert Time Bulletin, Van Wert, Ohio, 14 Mar 1967, p.2, Walter E. Schumm obituary; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com, viewed 8 Jun 2020.

[8] The Lima News, Lima, Ohio, 26 Aug 1971, p.4, Erna T. Schumm obituary; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com, viewed 8 Jun 2020.

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