Sunday's Obituary - Earl M. Schwemm

Pioneer Press - November 23, 1996

Memorial Services for Earl M. Schwemm, 95, will be held Saturday, December 7, at 11 am, at the Barrington United Methodist Church and at 2 p.m. at the Elliott Chapel on the grounds of the Presbyterian Home in Evanston. A native of Barrington, Mr. Schwemm died Nov. 15, 1996 at the Presbyterian Home.

Mr. Schwemm was the former manager of the Chicago agency of Great-West Life Assurance Co. of Canada. He ran the agency for 25 years, until his retirement in December 1961.

Mr. Schwemm lived in Barrington almost all of his life and was an active civic leader, including nine years on the high school board of education, three as president, and seven years of the Barrington Village Board.

His grandfather, Gustav Meyer, opened a cabinet-making shop in Barrington just after the Civil War, and his father, John Schwemm, had a livery barn in downtown Barrington until after World War II. His mother, Gertrude, was a prime mover of the library, and wrote the history of the Methodist Church in 1940.

Earl and Eunice Butler Schwemm

______________________

Other news articles over the years include:

Barrington Review - November 1, 1917

Nelta Schnetlage (Room 3), Grace Schwemm (Room 5), Ruth Schwemm (Room 7) and Earl Schwemm (High School) were on the 'Roll of Honor' in October. It was noted that every pupil to be on this honor roll must have no grade below 90 in any of the regular studies. Music, writing, drawing and deportment are no included.



Barrington Review - December 12, 1918
Henry Boehmer of Chicago spent the week end with his cousin, Earl Schwemm.

Barrington Review - April 8, 1926
Earl M. Schwemm, who spread the speical assessment for Barrington's sewer system, states that he is now ready to make dividing orders where property has since been sold.

Any person desiring their assessment divided in order that it will apply against the present property owner should apply to Mr. Schwemm now.
Anyone who owned a tract of land or a piece of property when the assessment was spread, but has since sold part of it, or divided it in any way, can have the assessment proportioned to the new owners, Mr. Schwemm explains.
"It should be remembered," Mr. Schwem says, "that if the entire piece of property was sold there is no division to be made. It is just a change of ownership. A case like this should be reported to the village collector and the County court notified. Where the assessment is to be divided or reapportioned, then get in touch with me."

The Herald - Arlington Heights, IL - November 17, 1960

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Frasier, 425 N. Cumnock were dinner guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Schwemm in Jewel Park, Barrington, Saturday evening. After the dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Schwemm showed pictures of their second trip to Europe, taken last summer.

Barrington Courier Review - 1978
The Earl Schwemms: Fifty years together

They were high school sweethearts. And is was 50 years ago yesterday that Earl Schwemm and Eunice Butler were married.

Earl Schwemm was born here in Barrington. Eunice Schwemm came here to live when she was 9 years old. Both are graduates of Barrington High School, he in 1920 she a year later. Earl went on to the University of Illinois, graduating in 1924 and Eunice graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1925.

They were married on February 1, 1928 in the tea room in the building which now houses Barrington Realty.

They never left Barrington. They made their home here and Earl worked in Chicago for 30 years as agency manager for the Great Lfie Insurance Co. He was active in the community, serving on the high school board of education for eight years and as its president for three. For seven years, until 1975, he was a trustee for the Village of Barrington and last year he marked 50 years of membership in the Barrington Lions Club and the local Masonic Lodge

Eunice has been a long-time member of the Barrington Woman's Club and the League of women Voters. She also has been active in the Women's Society of Barrington, United Methodist Church and the Volunteer Bureau.

The Schwemm's raised three sons; John, who lives in Downer's Grove; Richard who lives in Wilton, Conn; and Robert, a residen of Lexington, Ky. All five of the Schwemms' grandchildren are girls.

"I have the best wife, the best kids, the best of everything. I've been a lucky man," Earl Schwemm said.

Louisiana, Maryland and A Quick Trip Home

Louisiana

April 30th marked Louisiana's anniversary of statehood. The year was 1812 but Louisana had their first census in 1810 when it was the Orleans Territory.

Check out my blog, Celebrate Your Louisana Heritage, for links to help in your research.

Maryland

Maryland became a state on April 28, 1788. For a list of what census records are available for Maryland check out Maryland Census Records.

The Maryland State Archives holdings span the spectrum of Muster Rolls from the American Revolution to Index of Colonial Probate Records 1634-1777. It takes more than a few clicks to appreciate all the information available online.

If you live in the area the Maryland Genealogical Society has a "Back to Basics Workshop" on June 25th, 2011. The Society website also has an online database "Baltimore City Church Register Transcriptions" and they are FREE!

Going Home (aka A Quick Research Trip)

I try to to visit my mom and sister at least once a year. An email flyer I received this week from the McHenry County Genealogical Society talked about some historical presentations, walks and new publications that were being sponsored this month. Since I could I decided I would. I booked my flight and will be going home to the northwest suburbs of Chicago in mid May.

My sister will be going with me on an "Old Town Algonquin Walking Tour" and then we will be visiting the Cary-Grove Historical Society to pick up a copy of "Images of America: Cary and Fox River Grove.

I will also be spending time at the Barrington Library so I began a list of people I needed to look up. I had also found some errors on Findagrave.com recently, so that was another list. Recently I found one local cemetery listed twice, so a ride to Dundee to visit and document the error is needed.

While I was in Barrington I needed to visit the local funeral home to find out why my grandfather does not have a military marker. I also wanted to stop at the Barrington Historical Society to see if they ever found that box of 'lost Schwemm photos'.

If the opportunity presented itself, would you be ready to take a 'quick research trip'? I am ready for the research trip now I just have to fit in some time to spend with my mom!

Take Care,
Pattie

Sunday's Obituary - Gustav Adolph Blum

Gustav Adolph Blum
Born: October 14, 1881 - Germany
Died: December 12, 1914 - New York

Brother of Johanna Pahlke

Barrington Review - December 14, 1916
Suicide of Former Citizen

Chicago evening papers of Wednesday published the account of the suicide
in New York City of a former Barrington boy, Gustav Blum, aged about 35, who enlisted in the U. S. Navy when he was about 18 years old. His only remaining relative in this community is Mrs. August Pahlke of the Schoppe farm, southeast of town, who is in Barrington today trying to get by telegraph more definite details of her half-brother's death.

The press item states that Mr. Blum shot his son John, aged 10 years, and daughter Elsie, aged 4 years, and then killed himself. Two weeks ago he wrote to Barrington telling of his hard life at present, for his wife has been in an insame aslym for a year and his children were boarding away from him.

He was very despondent because there seemed no hope of his wife recovering her reason; her grandmother and other relatives were also insane.

Mr. Blum was born in Germany but came to Barrington when a young boy with his mother, Mrs. Matilda Schumacher; who lived on North Hawley street and died four years ago. He always called in Barrington when on shore leave and was here to his mother's funeral.

For several years he had been stationed, as secretary, on the U. S. S. Granite, at the foot of 96th Street, New York harbor. He is favorably remembered here and old friends are sorry that life for him was so tragic. He always took the home paper and kept track of Barrington affairs.

Sunday's Obituary - Matilda Mueller Schumacher

Born: Matilda Mueller
Date: August 18, 1848 - Salzuften, Lippe-Detmond, Germany
Married: Herman Henrich Strunk on April 24, 1872 - Evangelisch, Salzuflen, Lippe, Germany
Married: Andreas Blum on March 21, 1880 - Evangelisch, Salzuflen, Lippe, Germany
Married: Henry Schumacher - June 22, 1889 - Cook County, IL
Died: January 9, 1914 - German Evangelical Deaconess Hospital, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Barrington Review - January 15, 1914

Mrs. Schumacher Dies of Cancer

Mrs. Mathilda Schumacher of North Hawley Street died in Chicago at the German Evangelical Deaconess hospital at noon last Friday, January 9 and was brought to Barrington for burial. The funeral was held Sunday at St. Paul's Evangelical Chuch on Main Street with Rev. Eugene Wilking conducting the service. Interment was in Main Street Cemetery.

Mrs. Schumacher had been ill since last spring and was taken to Chicago on November 30 for an operation which could not be performed on account of her weak condition. She was suffering from cancer of the liver.

Two months ago her son, Gustav Blum, who is in the United States Navy and is stationed on the battleship, Granite State, at the foot of the 96th Street, New York City, came here to see his mother and with his sister Johanna Pahlke who lives east of town, decided to send the mother to the city for treatment. He then returned east. He arrived in Barrington again Sunday for the funeral.

Mathilda Muller Schumacher was born in Salzuften, Lippe-Detmond, Germany,
on August 18, 1848. When a young woman she was married to a Mr. Blum and they were parents of five children of whom three died when young. Mr. Blum died, and as a widow of 40 years, Mrs. Schumacher came to this country in October 1888. She has sinced lived in Barrington. For two years she was the wife of Henry Schumacher.

Besides the son and daughter mentioned the other relatives are six grandchildren, two in New York and the four Pahlke children.

The Grauenverein of St. Paul's Church, of which Mrs. Schumacher was the treasurer, attended the body.

Enjoy the Holidays and Create a Family Cookbook

Family Gatherings
There are a few times a year when the entire family gathers around the dining room table and shares a meal. Everyone has a favorite main course, side dish or desert from their childhood. Mine was Grandma Pahlke's beef gravy, it was the best. My mother would try and try to make beef gravy like grandma's but there was always something missing. One day grandma told her to 'just add a little catsup' and WHAM! gravy as good as grandma's.

I also loved Grandma's German Potato Salad, Navy Bean and Ham Soup and the list could go on and on. Unfortunately I never had a chance to get the recipes. My mom learned how to make the Navy Bean soup but where would I find her German Potato Salad recipe?

The photo above is of three of my aunts. From left to right they are my Aunt Mabel (grandma's daughter), Aunt Ruth (grandma's daughter in law) and Aunt Sharon (my mother's sister - no relation to grandma).

A couple of years ago I was visiting Aunt Sharon and we were talking about Grandma Pahlke. Aunt Sharon had lived with Grandma when she first moved to Barrington and guess what - she had Grandma's German Potato Salad recipe! Why - because she asked for it!

Family Heritage Cookbooks

How do you start putting together a Family Heritage Cookbook? Just start asking for the recipes served at your family meals. But, more important asked about their history. Here are a few tips and suggestions to help you on your adventure.

* Start by finding a recipe template
* Personalize each recipe, consider adding a biography of the creator
* Review the recipes' instructions and ingredients to bring them current
* Request a picture of the submission
* Decide how to organize the recipes (by family, geography, or type)

If you cannot locate a favorite recipe of an ancestor check out ebay for church cookbooks; your ancestors or their neighbors my have contributed recipes.

What should you do after you have collected all the recipes? That is another article about self publishing!

Take Care
Pattie

Sunday's Obituary - John Lewis Schwemm

John Lewis Schwemm
Born - Jan 13, 1871
Died - August 21, 1947

Barrington Courier-Review
Thursday, August 28, 1947

Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the funeral home, 149 West Main Street, Barrington, for John Schwemm, 76, well-known and familiar figure of this community. He died suddenly Thursday, August 21 of heart disease.

Schwemm was born on a farm four miles south of Barrington January 13, 1871 and lost both of his parents before he had reached his 13th birthday. He lived on with his brothers and sisters, doing work on the neighboring farms until 1894, when he and his brother Herman started a farm implement business, which was carried on successfully for 23 years.

When the livery business was discontinued, Schwemm did teaming in Barrington, he and his team being known and loved by local residents. In November of 1946 the team was sold and Schwemm retired.

In 1900 he married Gertrude Meyer of Barrington, and from this union there were two children, Earl Schwemm of this village and Ruth Schwemm Hardarce of Highland Park. His widow and children survive him as well as four grandsons, John, Richard and Robert Schwemm and Phillip Hardacre.

Also surviving are a brother William of Crystal Lake and two sisters, Mrs. William Schnetlage of Barrington and Mrs. William Lyons of Chicago.

Schwemm, who lived at 111 East Liberty Street, had a happy and friendly attitude toward life and people. He found pleasure in simple things, and much of his enjoyment came in doing for others. He was genuine and sincere, and carried a youthful viewpoint throughout his 76 years.

Both Reverends Bertam G. Swaney of the Methodist Church and Christian J. Doenecke, formerly pastor of the Methodist Church presided at the funeral services.

Internment was in the Evergreen cemetery. Emil Schwemm, Clifford Schwemm, Malcom Lyons, Frank Miller, Spencer Boehmer and Russell Smith, nephews of Schwemm, were pallbearers.

Genealogy, eBay and Harvey Hampers

Have you ever used eBay?

I started using eBay years ago to buy bisque, albums, replacement parts for computers, etc. Then one day I was bored and I put in "Barrington Illinois", the town my dad's family migrated to in 1864 from Germany.

My search yielded cookbooks published by various local groups, keepsakes from the town’s Centennial, unknown photos from the turn of the century and a sewing basket made at Harvey Hampers. My mom not only worked at Harvey Hampers when she first moved to Barrington from Michigan but made those sewing baskets. Mom was totally shocked when I told her not only were the sewing baskets for sale on eBay but I had bought one. While mom may not have made the one I bought I can share it with my grand daughter and tell her that Nan used to make them!

While I have not found a family bible or a complete family tree for auction the items I have found helped round out my understanding of Barrington over the years. The added bonus was that the cookbook contained recipes contributed by family members. While I attended the centennial celebration as a child I did not have a souvenir. Thanks to eBay a commemorative plate hangs in my kitchen.

eBay can become addicting but it can also help flesh out your research. Search town names, surnames, counties, etc. and see what you find. Postcards, photos, books, maps and even family bibles are being auctioned daily - you just have to start searching eBay to find them.

Take Care,
Pattie

Everyday Genealogy Desk Calendar

Sunday's Obituary - Nelta Amanda Schnetlage

Nelta Amanda Schnetlage
Born-June 9, 1908
Died - Oct 27, 1918

Barrington Review - October 31, 1918

Nelta Amanda Schnetlage, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Schnetlage, was born at Barrington June 9, 1908, and departed from 'the earthly house' at Barrington, to be with Jesus, whom she loved, at 2:15 Sunday morning, October 27, 1918, aged 10 years 4 months and 18 days.

She was a brave and patient sufferer, but unsuccessfully resisted the attacks of influenza and pneumonia, and in this she was kindly, lovingly and self-sacrificingly assisted by her loved ones, but the Lord willed otherwise, and to His will they believingly submitted.

From early childhood she was taught at home in the Salem church and Sunday School, where she was a faithful attendant, to know, to love and to believe in Jesus Christ as her Saviour. She loved to read her Bible and The Evangelical and was the youngest subscriber to The Evangelical on our Barrington list of subscribers.

Two sisters, one in infancy, and Helen, almost 3 years old, passed on before her to their heavenly home, where together they are now waiting for the coming of their beloved father and mother, two sisters, Anna and Stella, and one brother, Walter; also many other relatives and a host of friends.

The funeral was held from her late home on North Hawley street Tuesday
afternoon at 2 o'clock, Rev John Hoerner, pastor of salem Church, conducting the services, assisted by Rev. H.H. Thoren, presiding elder, Misses Mabel Grebe and Mabel Stiefenhoefer sang three selections at the house and one at the cemetery.

Sideways Research for People and Places

Genealogy Glossary

Sideways Research: Investigating your ancestors' brothers, sisters and extended families.

This is the tip of the day for June 5, 2011 in the Everyday Genealogy Calendar. Sideway research is the topic of many articles and genealogy presentation, but does it just pertain to people?

The majority of my paternal research takes place in Barrington, Illinois. Notice I did not mention a county. That is because the town of Barrington is divided by Cook and Lake County. Unfortunately once you get the 'lay of the land' it is easy to make asuumptions that are wrong.

Case in Point: Fred Schwemm built two houses in Lake County in the early 1900's and can be found in the 1910 through 1930 census records. He cannot be located in Lake County prior to 1900. Why? Because the original family homestead was in Cook County!

In this case "Sideways Research" means looking in neighboring counties and states if you cannot find an ancestor. In truth Barrington actually touches 5 counties, so I have become an experty on most counties in Northwestern Illinois.

What inspired this posting is the Lake County Illinois Blog. It is a wealth of history about the county and the people of Lake County (some of them may have lived in Cook County at some point!) If you click on the title of this article it will take you to their site.

Everyday Genealogy is still available at http://www.everydaygenealogy.com. If you use the promo code BLOG you will receice free standard shipping.

Have a great holiday
Pattie