This is the 24th installment in this series. Click here for the previous installment.
Note: This column is in two parts. It follows three children whose parents were Johannes and Magdalena Amstutz Sommer. These three children came to America.
This column’s focus is Johannes and Magdalena’s son, Abraham and his wife, Anna Gerber Sommer.
A second column's focus on Jacob and Marianna Amstutz, and Jacob’s second wife, Lydia Amstutz.
The second column's focus is also on Marianna Sommer Leichty and her husband, Benedicht Leichty. Click here for the second part of this two-part series.
Is your family name Sommer or Sommers?
Kent Richard, author of “Peter Bogli-Elisabeth Amstutz, 1776-2000” states: “It appears some descendants changed their last name to Sommers, although sources disagree.”
The first Sommer families who came to this area were Abraham, Jacob and Marianne Sommer.
They were the children of Johannes and Magdalena Amstutz Sommer, who had nine other children. The three children mentioned above came to American from 1869 to 1880 and the remaining nine, with their parents, stayed in Switzerland.
Abraham, third child of Johannes and Magdalena, was born Feb. 13, 1844, in Canton Jura, Switzerland, and married Anna Gerber. She was born Jan. 29, 1848, in Switzerland, and is the daughter of Christian and Elisabeth Geiser Gerber. The couple had children born in Switzerland, Berne, Indiana, and Riley Township, Ohio.
Jacob, the eighth child of Johannes and Magdalena, was born Jan. 20, 1851, in Canton Jura Switzerland. He married Marianna Amstutz on Nov. 30, 1875. She is the daughter of Abraham B. and Anna Bucher Amstutz. Jacob and Marianne had six children.
Following Marianna’s death at age 32 in 1889, Jacob married Lydia Amstutz on Jan. 12, 1891. She is the daughter of John C. and Anna C. Kaufman Amstutz. Jacob and Lydia had three children.
Marianna, the third child of Johannes and Magdalena, was born Jan. 1, 1855, and married Benedicht Leichty on Nov. 28, 1874. He is the son of Christian and Anna Luginbuhl Liechty. The couple had three children born in Switzerland, five born in Ohio, and one child adopted.
Abraham, Jacob and Marianna’s father: Rev. Johannes Sommer
Born: Sept. 25, 1818, Commune Develier, Canton Jura, Switzerland
Died: Jan. 31, 1899, Les Bois, Canton Jura, Switzerland
Buried in Switzerland
Johannes’ father: Christian Sommer (1778-1870)
Johannes’ mother: Elizabeth Boegli (1784-1824)
Johannes’ second marriage was to Anna Amstutz
Abraham, Jacob and Marianna’s mother: Magdalena Amstutz
Born: Jan. 5, 1815, Chatelat, Canton Bern, Switzerland
Died: March 16, 1871, Switzerland
Magdalena’s father: Christian A. Amstutz (1772-1840)
Magdalena’s mother: Katherina Nussbaumer (1773-1844)
Rev. Johannes and Magdalena’s children who remained in Switzerland follow with scant information available about them.
• Katharina married Abraham Lehman, and later Christian Neukomm
Her birth: March 18, 1841, Lieu-Gallet, Canton Jura, Switzerland
• Christian
• Elizabeth married Christian Amstutz
• Isaac married Marianna Baumgartner
• Magdalena Sommer
• Rebecca Sommer
• Johannes married Marianne Leichty
• Peter Sommer
• Anna Sommer
Abraham and Anna Gerber Sommer
Abraham Sommer
Born: Feb. 13, 1844, Lieu-Gallet Canton, Jura Switzerland
Died: May 30, 1924, at son’s home in Michigan
Buried: Pandora Cemetery
Anna Gerber Sommer
Born: Jan. 29, 1848, Switzerland
Died: May 13, 1923, Pandora
Buried: Pandora Cemetery
Abraham and Anna’s children
Maria Lea Sommer
Born: July 13, 1869, Delemont, Canton Jura, Switzerland
Died: Nov. 27, 1953
Spouse: Sidney Beaney
Abraham F. Sommers (note spelling change)
Born: July 13, 1870, Delemont, Canton Jura, Switzerland
Died: Aug. 30, 1953, Wellington, Delaware
Spouse: Dina Basinger
Peter Sommer
Born: Sept. 9, 1871, Delemont, Canton Jura, Switzerland
Died: Sept. 24, 1871, Delemont, Canton Jura, Switzerland
Peter C. Sommer, Sr.
Born: March 25, 1873, Riley Township
Died: June 14, 1957, Michigan
Spouse: Addie Leora Taylor
Johann M. Sommer
Born: May 21, 1875, Berne, Indiana
Died: March 6, 1946, Pandora
Spouse: Lacy Vanscoder
Elizabeth Sommer
Born: May 26, 1878, Berne, Indiana
Died: Jan. 22, 1970, Ohio
Christian E. Sommer
Born: March 25, 1880, Berne, Indiana
Died: Sept. 4,m 1947, Pandora
Spouse: Zetta K. Mott
Carolina Sommer
Born: Dec. 8, 1881, Berne, Indiana
Died: Sept. 3, 1952, Indiana
Daniel D. Sommer
Born: Sept. 12, 1884, Berne, Indiana
Died: Feb. 28, 1941, Indiana
Rosella Ellen Sommer
Born: April 18, 1887, Berne, Indiana
Died: Dec. 15, 1965
Spouse: Lue (Lewis) Lehman
Maggie Estelen Sommer
Born: June 13, 1890, Riley Township
Died: Nov. 15, 1976, Florida
