Partial Kummer Family Tree

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In Europe, neither the Catholics nor the Lutherans wanted anything to do with the more fundamentalist sects, like Mennonites. Such "problem" people were often apparently asked to leave the country of their birth. At least, this was true of Switzerland. The Stauffer family, for example, was supposedly kicked out. They went to Germany (some probably went to Holland), possibly to the Krefeld area. In the late 1600s, William Penn toured Holland and parts of Germany, inviting the persecuted peoples to come to Philadelphia (Penn was a Quaker, you know). Many Germans/Dutch (whom Penn called "meine Hollander") took him up on the offer. The first organized group arrived in Philadelphia in 1683 and settled the area now known as Germantown. Penn and Franz Daniel Pastorius, a lawyer from Sommerhausen, met the ship when it arrived. Information provided by Linda Bauer of Boyertown PA

Bobb grist mill built before 1744

Bobb Mill where Isaac Kummerer and Elizabeth Bobb met when Isaac came to work for Daniel Bobb. In 1744 Conrad Bopp purchased from Christain Beidler 100 acres of land and a grist and oil mil in what is now know as Forge Dale on Dale Forge in Washington Township, Berks County. He died intestaate but the mill continued to be operated by his oldest son Daniel until 1774 when Daniel bought it, continuing its operation until 1827, when he sold it to his son Daniel. The Bopp mill is about 1/2 mile above Barto on the north barnch of the Perkiomen (see Cyclopedia of Montgomery Couujnty by H. W. Ruoloff, 1895). When this mill was in need of enlargement or repair, the man secured was Isaac Gumry, who worked all winter (1792-1794) living at the Bopp home. In the spring he married the oldest daughter, Elisabeth. Other genealogy: Conrad Bopp married Elisabeth Stauffer. Their children were: Daniel 8 Aug 1747 - 17 Feb 1833 married Catharine Gilbert 24 May 1755 to 2 Sept 1840. Both are buried Hill church: will recorded Reading book 7 page 104. Son Daniel and son-in-law Isaac Gumry executors. Estate divided among his 6 children. Homestead at Saylor's Mill. Taxpayer I Heeford 1780 - 84 - 85. Census Hereford 1790, 1800, 1810 1830. Their children are 1) Elisabeth 23 March 1776 sponsors George Fred Beideman and Magdalena Gilbert, 2) John Daniel 25 July 1780 sponsors Andreas Meyer Maria Magdalena daughter of Bernhart Gilbert, 3) Mary Magdalena 6 Dec 1782 sponsors Jacob Gilbert Elisabeth Schier, 4) Catharine 30 June 1791 sponsors Abraham Bopp Catharine 5) Sarah sponsor John Landis. Other information --- John a tailor of Douglass, Montgomery in 1774, Abraham a joiner in Hereford in 1774, Ann a spinster in 1774; later married Bowman. ---
Linda believes that the familes were among the Pennsylvania Dutch people who were invited to American by William Penn. The Stauffers and Bobbs were Mennonites. The Kummerers who lived in Philadelphia in 1719 or 1720 were the Dunkards They were called "Dunkards" because they believed in full immersion baptism. The first Dunkard baptism in America (still colonies at the time) was in the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia (Germantown?) on December 25, 1719 or 1720. It was held on the land owned by the first Kummerer (Gumre, as it is spelled in the book); after the baptism (by total immersion, by the way; the participant were dunked in the cold, cold Schuylkill), they retired to the Gumre home to change clothes. The last group of what is now known at the Pennsylvannia Dutch came over in the 1780's. Information provided by Linda Bauer of Boyertown PA her source Gumry 321 (3) of Gardner Moyer'' Letter 1/13/57

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Front of Isaac and Elisabeth Kummerer's house

Marlys Kummer Doerflinger standing in front of back of Kummerer house

Gene Doerflinger standing in the side yard next to the millstone at the Kummerer house

House was built sometime after 1805 on 28 acres Isaac bought in 1794. Isaac ran a mill also. Elisabeth (Bobb) and Isaac Kummerer's children were; 1) Catharine born 18 Dec 1795 baptized 13 March 1796 sponsors Abraham Bob and Catharine married George Walker 2) Jacob born 19 November 1798 died 8 April 1877 (not in baptismal records, but on cemetery as son of Isaac and Elisabeth Kummerer) 3) Elisabeth born 19 January 1800, baptized 6 April 1800, sponsors Daniel Bobb and Catherina 4) Isaac born 23 Dec 1802 baptized 30 May 1803 sponsors George Fronheiser and Elisabeth 5) Daniel born 15 August 1805 baptized (date not recorded) sponsors Daniel Bob and Anna 6) Jonas born 16 March 1808, baptized 7 May 1808 sponsors Johannes Lauteler 7) Sara born 10 July 1811 baptized 8 September 1811, sponsor Samuel Ridenhauer and Catharine Bob 8) Johannes born 24 Dec 1813, baptized 1 May 1814 sponsors John Bob and Martha. Mentioned in Isaac's will dated June 4, 1838 are his children Jacob, Isaac, Daniel Jonas, Aaron William, Catherine (wife of George Walker?), Elizabeth (wife of William Young?), and Sara (?) (wife of George Gilbert). --- Information provided by Narona Gebert and K.R. Kummerer>

St Joseph's (Hill Church) Oley Pennsylvania

Marlys (Kummer) Doerflinger standing behind Elisabeth and Isaac Kummerer's headstones They are among the first in the cemetery. People were buried as they died not necessarily in family groups.

Tombstones in the cemetery at St Joseph's (Hill Church) listing the Kummerer name are: 1) Isaac Y. born 23 Dec 1803, died 20 November 1873 69 years 10 months 27 days, 2) Sarah Amanda born 1 April 1848, died 16 August 1859 11 years 4 months 16 days, 3) Sarah, nee Herb, wife of Jacob Kummerer born 31 August 1801, died 17 November 1878, 77 years 2 months 16 days, 4) Isaac Kummerer b 27 October 1769, died 16 April 1838, 68 years, 5 months, 19 days, 5) Elisabeth Kummerer born 23 March 1776, died 30 June 1850, 74 years, 3 months, 7 days, 6) Jacob Kummerer born 19 November 1798, died 8 April 1887, 88 years, 4 months, 19 days, 7) Daniel Kummerer born 15 August 1805, died 27 January 1881, 75 years, 5 months, 12 days, 8) Julianna, nee Fenstermacher, wife of Daniel Kummerer (she did not get the dates), 8) Mary Ann Kummerer born 12 March 1843, died 8 September 1921, wife of John H Dotter b 26 Dec 1837, died 29 August 1923,. They had a daughter Emma Isabella born 12 May 1877 died 5 November 1907 30 years 5 months 23 days. Information provided by Narona Gebert and K.R. Kummerer

Our ancestors were living in Stephenson County Ilinois in the 1860's.

My great-great grandfather was , I think, Walter Kummerer* and my great great grandmother was Sophia Richard. Their son, Oscar Milton Kummerer, was born in Stephenson County Illinois on December 5, 1862.

Stone barn built by Rudolph Orth near Piqua, Kansas before 1880

The 1870 census shows him living with his mother Sophia Richard and her parents, Isaac and Hannah Richard in the Davis Illinois area. Sophia married Rudolph Orth of Owl Township, Woodson County, Kansas on January 21, 1873 in Stepehson County Illinois. Sophia and Oscar moved to Woodson County, Kansas. Sophia had three more children , Will J, Annie and Albert before Rudolph's death on January 4, 1880. Oscar moved back to the Davis area after the 1880 census was taken in Kansas. He probably lived with his grandparents Isaac and Hannah Richard. (Rudolph was 16 years older than Sophia. Sophia was Rudolph's second wife. His first wife was Mary Wilhimena Raymer. Mary and Rudolph were married on December 11, 1852 in Stephenson County. There were two Orths who were in 'general merchandise' in Davis in the 1870's )

Oscar Milton and Maria Corl were married on December 16 1880 in the Evangelical Church in Davis Illinois. The members of this church spoke German at the services until 1885. Their marriage license says that his father was Albert Kummerer.* It also says he was a farmer from Rock Grove. Oscar also worked as a carpet weaver in later life. My father, Marvin Corl Kummer, was named after his red headed grandmother Maria Corl. I have traced her family tree to some early settlers of Hartleton PA, near Lewisburg. She is a descendent of George Kiester, who gave land in that area upon which a school was built.

Oscar, Maria and their children Clayton, Charles and Dorsey taken in South Dakota in 1899 or early 1900

Oscar and Maria had three children. My grandfather Clayton Lester Kummer born March 18 1882, Charles born November 14, 1884 and Dorsey born March 10, 1894. Dorsey died on that date in 1900. Records show that both Clayton and Charles were born in Freeport, Illinois. I assume that Dorsey was also. The family moved to Lennox South Dakota around 1900. They then moved to Interior South Dakota where Oscar's and Clayton's family homesteaded. I Charles moved there also. The extra er was dropped from their last name to make during the war to make it sound less German. The Clayton Kummerer family moved back to Lennox after August in 1914. Charles never married. Clayton Lester married Minnie Alveda Ambur (2-22-1887 to 8-5-1951) and had five children. See the picture below.

Elsie born Oct 26, 1909, George born Nov 7, 1911, Marvin born Aug 10, 1914, Arthur born Nov 9, 1916 and Bernice born Dec 18, 1918. The picture was taken around 1920

Also living in this small town, Davis Illinois, were Jonas B and Lovina (Kauffman) Kummerer. This is the same Jonas B who is the son of Isaac and Elisabeth Kummerer whose house is pictured here. They moved to Illinois around 1850. Their children were 1) Walter, born on Feb 22, 1837 owned and operated the Star Steam Laundry on Van Burean in Freeport Illinois 2) Alfred, born in 1840, was a cigar maker 3) Tilghman, born in 1846, was wounded in the Civil war later moved to Philadelphia and worked in real estate 4) Ellen born in 1848 never married and 5) Marcus, born in 1850, studied to become a jeweler and moved to Minneapolis Minnesota, owned the Kummerer & Abrams Jewelers and lived about 3 miles from the house we lived in in 1950. His address was 3018 Pleasant Ave . Walter and Marcus died on the same day in 1915. 6) Mary E Kummerer born in 1852. In the 1880 census their grandaughter, daughter of Mary, was living with them. Her name was Betty McKinzie

* In search for the father of Oscar Milton Kummerer, I have narrowed down the possibilities for his father to the three older Kummerer boys, Walter, Alfred and Tilghman. Alfred married his wife Mary E Curtis on September 10, 1861. Tilghman was away fighting in the Civil War when Oscar was conceived. He married Anna F Sharp on October 15, 1865. Walter never married. I believe that the Albert mentioned on the marriage license was made up. I could not find an Albert Kummerer. Albert was the name of Oscar's year old half brother.

If you have additional information or think you are a desecendant of the people mentioned above, e-mail Marlys