Tag Archives: Holmes County

Sunday’s Obituary – Sevilla Sheneman

Mrs. Sevilla Sheneman

Died at her home near Berlin Sunday, her age being 61 years, 10 months and 25 days. She was a daughter of Nicholas and Barbara Schwartz, and had spent her entire life in Holmes county. She was the wife of Michael Sheneman. She had been a member of the Berlin M. E. church for many years. The funeral occurred Tuesday, from her late home, services being conducted by Rev. Rowler of the Millersburg M. E. church. Interment in the Berlin cemetery.

“Mrs. Sevilla Sheneman,” Holmes County Farmer (Ohio), 17 May 1917, p. 1.

Obituary of Mrs. Sevilla Sheneman

We made brief mention ast week of the death of Mrs. Sevilla Sheneman, which occurred at her home near Berlin on Saturday evening, May 12 after an illness of two months. Deceased was born June 17, 1855, on the home farm south of Berlin, where she spent her childhood days. When quite young she united with the Berlin M. E. church and remained a faithful member until death called her. In 1883 she was married to Jacob Engel who preceded her in eath. To this union four children were born – Edith, Etta and Frank at home, and Mrs. Wm. Kaser of Charm. She is also survived by her husband, Michael Sheneman to whom she was married in 1898. Five brothers, one sister and many nieces and nephews are also left to mourn her departure. She was a loving, indulgent mother always thinking of others before herself. Our home is very lonely now but our consolation is that we will meet again. The funeral was held Tuesday, May 15, and internment was made in Berlin cemetery.

Those from a distance who attended the funeral were: S. N. Schwartz, Cleveland; Charles Schwartz, Painesville; Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Schwartz and Mrs. Wm. Fulton and family, Sugarcreek; Fred Schwartz, Mr. and Mrs. Ebersole, Mrs. Sevilla Malone and Wm. Schwartz, Dundee; Mrs. A. D. Maxwell, Cuyahoga Falls; Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Steele, Meadville, Pa.; Chester Beachy, Kent; John Schwartz and Mrs. Corwin Decker, Canton’ Mrs. Albert Deuber, Winesburg; Mrs. Charles Kunkler, Wadsworth; T. G. Syler, Baltic; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lowe and Mr. and Mrs. John Lowe, Bedford.

We wish to express our thanks to the friends and neighbors who gave us assistance during the sickness and death of our dear mother, Sevilla Sheneman also for the beautiful flowers and music at the funeral.

HUSBAND AND CHILDREN

“Obituary of Mrs. Sevilla Sheneman,” Holmes County Farmer (Ohio), 24 May 1917, p. 1.

Elizabeth (Schwartz) Yegerlehner and her sister Sevilla Sheneman(Photograph courtesy of Eric Graham)

[Special Thanks goes out this week (and last) to the Wayne County Public Library in Wooster, Ohio and their Genealogy and Local History Department for providing the obituaries of Sevilla and her brother Jacob.]

Sunday’s Obituary – John Schwartz

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Death of John Schwartz

The subject of this notice was born at Canton Berne, Switzerland, May 11, 1838, and came with his parents to America, arriving here May 15, 1852. He was baptized May 24, 1838, and united with the Reformed church at Trail, March 27, 1853. He was united in marriage to Mary Rohrer, in 1862, who preceeded him in death July 29, 1903. To this union, ten children – five sons and five daughters – were born, all of whom are living. Besides his family, 8 brothers, 4 sisters, 28 grandchildren and a host of friends are left to mourn his death. His age was 65 years, 9 months and 21 days. He was a kind and loving father, a good neighbor and always ready to help in time of need. We desire to thank the friends and neighbors for their kindly assistance during the death and burial of our father.

THE CHILDREN

“Death of John Schwartz,” Holmes County Farmer (Ohio), 10 March 1904, p. 1.

[This week’s thank you goes out to the Wayne County Public Library and their Genealogy and Local History Department for retrieving John’s obituary for me.]

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John Schwartz was the first born child of Niklaus Schwartz and his first wife Elisabeth (Kunz) Schwartz. According to the town of Biglen birth abstracts, John was born on March 4th, not the 11th. He married Mary Pauline Rohrer on 14 August 1862 in Holmes county, Ohio. John appears to be the only son who chose neither medicine or the law as a profession, but remained a farmer.

John and Mary had 10 children: Savilla, William, Elizabeth, John, Catherine, Christian, Lydia, Charles, Elsie and Joseph.

John and Mary are buried at the Trail Swiss Church Cemetery in Winesburg, Ohio.

If you are the owner of this photograph, please contact me so I may provide proper attribution.

A New Story

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For the last 10 days, I have shared the story of Roberta Van Sickle’s tragic death. The process of searching for and then finding contemporary newspaper clippings is exciting. I found that I really like telling stories this way, giving little bits at a time, like an old newspaper, radio or television serial. Yesterday, I reached the end of this part of Roberta’s story. Any good historian or genealogist will tell you that the story is never over. There are always new documents and discoveries to be found. So today, I am picking up a new thread to weave. This one takes place over several decades as the pieces of one man’s life were woven into place. Like Roberta’s story, I will let the documents, clippings and book excerpts tell the tale in chronological order.

My new story tells the tale of William B. Schwartz, also known as W. B. Schwartz. He was the son of Niklaus Schwartz and his second wife, Anna Barbara Kunz, emigrants from Switzerland. William was one of the younger children in the family so he had the privilege of being born an American. William’s older sister, Elizabeth, became the wife of Christian Yegerlehner. I hesitate to call them half siblings as Niklaus’ two wives were sisters. So even though William and Elizabeth had different mothers, they had the same grandparents. Until 1880, William lived in Holmes County, Ohio where he was born. By 1883, he was living in Clay County, Indiana near his sister Elizabeth and her family. He was a school teacher, teaching his nephews at the local school in Harrison township. This is where my story begins.

1880 Census detail from Holmes County, Ohio – Household of Nicholas Schwartz

The first newspaper clipping to mention William was posted several weeks ago in the post School Grades.

Tombstone Tuesday – Niklaus & Barbara (Kunz) Schwartz

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Schwartz, Nicholas & Barbara - gravestone

Photograph by Madeline Troyer

Nicholas (Niklaus or Nickolus) was the father of Elizabeth (Schwartz) Yegerlehner. The Schwartz family emigrated from Switzerland in 1852. Upon arriving in America, they traveled to Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio, and there Niklaus and several of his children stayed. Niklaus had a very large family. He had fifteen children between his two wives. Some of the children moved around Ohio, while two traveled further west into Indiana. Elizabeth moved to Clay County, Indiana after she married Christian Yegerlehner. Her younger brother William B. Schwartz also settled in Clay County.

Niklaus married Elizabeth Kunz who bore him six children: John, Jacob, Christian, Elizabeth, Anna Barbara and Niklaus (d.y.). After Elizabeth died in 1846, Niklaus married his wife’s younger sister Anna Barbara. Their children were Nicholas F., Gottfried, Samuel, Charles, Sevilla, Henry, William, Sophia, and Henrietta.

Niklaus and Barbara are buried at Berlin Cemetery in Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio.