1st in a 2-part series on the children in this family
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