Christian W. Sommer

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1893, Dewey, Champaign Co., IL
• Residence: 1936, Fisher, Champaign Co., IL

Notes:

Obit:
Sommer.-Christian W., son of John and Anna (Smith) Sommer, was born near Metamora, Ill., May 4, 1867; died at Miami, Fla., Nov. 22, 1944; aged 77 y. 6 m. 18 d. He moved to the vicinity of Dewey, Ill., in 1893, where he lived until 1936, when he moved to Fisher, Ill. On Sept. 24, 1896, he was married to Frieda Carle. To this union were born 8 sons and 5 daughters: Henry, of Fisher; William, Champaign, Ill.; Eliza Tabor, Miami, Fla.; Joseph, Paxton, Ill.; Carrie Studer, of Fisher; Benjamin (in military service); Samuel, Dewey, Ill; Andrew, Gibson City, Ill.; Mary Clark, Fostoria, Ohio; Emma Butts, Hampshire, Ill.; Carl, of Fisher; and Esther Barton, Elburn, Ill. One son (Lester) died at the age of seven. His wife preceded him in death Feb. 2, 1939. Other surviving relatives include 26 grandchildren, 2 brothers (George and Joe, both of Metamora, Ill.), and 2 sisters (Elizabeth Massanari, of Fisher, and Bena Darr, Urbana, Ill.). Three sisters and 4 brothers passed on into eternity before him. He had been spending the past few winters with his daughter Eliza in Florida. He had just gone with her again for the winter but became ill en route and passed away about ten days later. As a young man he accepted Christ as his Saviour and united with the Mennonite Church of which he was a faithful member until the Lord called him home. He was a man of strong convictions and had a keen interest in the welfare of his family and his church. Funeral services were held Nov. 26 at the East Bend Mennonite Church near Fisher, Ill., in charge of Henry Schertz, Harold Zehr, and Dr. G. D. Troyer. Burial was made in the church cemetery.

Buried:
East Bend Mennonite Cemetery

Christian married Friedaricka Carle on 24 Sep 1896. Friedaricka was born on 31 Jan 1876; died on 5 Feb 1939; was buried in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Henry Sommer
2. William C. Sommer was born on 19 Feb 1899; died on 14 Oct 1972; was buried in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL.
3. Eliza Sommer
4. Joseph Sommer
5. Carrie Sommer was born on 21 Mar 1904 in Dewey, Champaign Co., IL; died on 30 Oct 2008.
6. Benjamin Sommer
7. Samuel Sommer
8. Andrew Sommer
9. Mary Sommer
10. Emma Sommer
11. Carl Fredrick Sommer was born on 26 Jun 1917; died on 6 Apr 1996; was buried on 9 Apr 1996 in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL.
12. Esther Sommer
13. Lester P. Sommer was born in 1911; died in 1918; was buried in Fisher, Champaign Co., IL.

Notes:

Obit:
Sommer. - Lingering in an unconscious state for five days following a stroke of apoplexy, John Sommer died at the home of his daughter, Lizzie Sommer. in Metamora, Ill., Aug. 2, 1912; aged. 76 y. 11 m. 27 d. He has been in failing health since three years ago, when he suffered a paralytic stroke at the home of his son John, in Oklahoma. He was brought back to Illinois a few months afterwards, and has since then made his home with his daughter Lizzie. He was born in France Aug. 6, 1835, and two years later came with his father's family to Partridge Twp., where he grew to manhood and was married to Anna Smith, June 24, 1863. Thirteen children were born to this union, 9 living, of whom all but one were at the father's bedside during his last days of illness. His wife preceded him in death, July 25, 1900. He united with the Dunkard Church at Stuttgart, Ark., 14 years ago and remained a faithful member to the end. The surviving children are George I., Joseph D., Bena, Lizzie, Lena, wife of John Wagner, John J., Chris W., Anna., wife of Sam Studer, and Peter B. Five brothers and 1 sister also survive; also 23 grandchildren.
Funeral services Aug. 4 at the Union Church, Metamora, Ill., conducted by E. Eschliman and Andrew Schrock. The services were attended by a large throng of relatives and friends of the family. After the services the remains were taken to the Hickory Point Cemetery west of Metamora for burial.

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery

John married Anna Smith on 24 Jun 1863 in Woodford Co., IL. Anna (daughter of Christian Smith and Catharina Baechler) was born on 4 Dec 1841; died on 25 Jul 1900; was buried in Metamora, Woodford Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Age 58 y. 7 m. 24 d.

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery

Notes:

Married:
(Or June 22, 1862 per county records)

Other Events and Attributes:

• Religion: Amish
• Residence: Spring Bay, Woodford Co., IL
• Immigration: 15 Sep 1836, New Orleans, LA

Notes:

George became a deacon in the Partridge Amish Church. The name later became spelled Summer through a clerical error. (See notes for son, Peter.)George became a deacon in the Partridge Amish Church. The name later became spelled Summer through a clerical error. (See notes for son, Peter.)
Sommer family
Sommer (Sommers, Summer, Summers), a Mennonite family name of Swiss origin. The early homes of the family were Sumiswald and Lützelflüh in the Emmental, canton of Bern, Switzerland. During the fore part of the 18th century members of the family moved to the Jura, Montbéliard, Alsace, and the Palatinate. The migrations of the early 19th century brought several Sommer families from their European homes to Ohio and Illinois. Isaac Sommer became one of the first settlers in the Sonnenberg settlement in Wayne County, Ohio, coming there in 1819 from the Jura. A brother, Ulrich Sommer, came in 1824. Christian Sommer came in 1819. Christian Sommer (1811-1891) was ordained to the ministry in 1838 and bishop of the Sonnenberg congregation in 1862. He preached his farewell sermon 4 October 1891, just two months before his death. Ulrich Sommer (1792-1880) came from Switzerland in 1824 and was ordained a minister of the Sonnenberg congregation in 1827 and bishop in 1842.

In 1836 George Sommers (1801-83) migrated from Alsace to Woodford County, Illinois. He was a deacon in the Amish Mennonite church, and one of the pioneer settlers in central Illinois. Peter Sommers, a son, was a minister of the Metamora (Mennonite Church) church for many years.
Pierre Sommer (1874-1952) was the leading minister and elder of the French-speaking congregations in France 1900-50.

Goertz, Delbert L. "Sommer family." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 30 Mar 2019. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sommer_family&oldid=120475.

Residence:
Partridge Creek area

Immigration:
From Le Havre de Graci, FR, on the ship Mozart, captained by John Colling.

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery

George married Anna Gosser (Gasser) on 4 Apr 1831 in Diane-Capelle, Moselle, FR. Anna was born in 1810 in Rhodes, Moselle, FR; died on 2 Apr 1889 in IL; was buried in Metamora, Woodford Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery - Gravestone has surname spelled Gosser.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1829, Lancaster Co., PA
• Residence: 1833, Partridge Creek Settlement In Illinois

Notes:

Born seven months after his father’s death in an accident at the age of 33. Changed name from Schmitt/Schmidt to Smith while in Lancaster Co., PA. At one time traded some pigs for a stove that “aroused the wonder and amazement of everyone in the community and for several days people came from miles around to see it.”

Birth:
Gravestone gives year as 1800

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery

Christian married Catharina Baechler on 26 May 1838 in IL. Catharina (daughter of Jacob Baechler and Anne Marie Gerber) was born on 8 Apr 1805 in St. Jean Kourtzerode, Moselle, FR; died in 1860 in Eureka, Woodford Co., IL; was buried in Metamora, Woodford Co., IL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Hickory Point Cemetery

Notes:

Married:
By Christian Engel

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Valet, plowman in 1797 at the farm of the Glaconnière

Notes:

Died:
Witness : Joseph SOMMER 1795-1850-Witness : Christian SOMMER 1805-1858

Christian married Barbe Verly about 1793 in Raon-sur-Plaine, Vosges, FR. Barbe (daughter of Ulrich Jean Claude Verly (Werelin) and Madeleine Steiner) was born in 1772; died on 5 May 1806. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Miller In Zimming

Notes:

Died:
At age 33.

Christian + Barbe Gingerich. Barbe died in Aug 1807. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
at age 36.

Jacob + Anne Marie Gerber. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]