Gottlieb Bumen & Amelia Franz Bumen

Gottlieb: Born 12/29/1832 in Kiechlinsberger, Baden, Germany. He arrived in New York 12/01/1853, the only one of his family to come to the US. He was studying to be a priest but he met and married Amelia Franz 12/13/1855 in Madison Indiana. They had 2 boys and 7 girls, which included 2 sets of twins. He died 7/19/1897 in Madison of Bright's Disease (affects kidneys) and was buried at St. Patricks Cemetery in Madison.

Amelia: Born 5/16/1832 in Overhausen, Baden Germany. She arrived in New Orleans on 12/5/1854 on ship Heidelburg with her brother. (Note: Her obit says she landed in New Orleans 1/1/1855 and came direct to Madison.) She worked for the Klein family in Madison. She died 11/15/1913 of arterial sclerosis and senility. She and Gottlieb share a gravestone at St. Patricks Cemetery.

From Kathryn Gahan's letter to me dated 3/3/1991: The only time that I remember seeing (Amelia Bumen) was by the roadside in front of the home of Uncle Hans and Aunt Jose and my grandmother Catharine Schnell Steinberger was staying there too. I was about 4 or 5 years of age, squatted down in the buggy at my Grandmother's feet. (No seat belts!) We did not get out of the buggy. Amelia Bumen spoke only German but it was easy to see that she was furious with Grandmother Christina Bumen Zapp.

Gottlieb's birth record

Gottlieb Naturalization record

Gottlieb and Amelia's family record

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7 Daughters of Gottlieb and Amelia:
Christina Zapp, Molly Zapp, Barbara McClelland, <twins> Elizabeth Hill,
Mary Kahn, <twins> Kate Yunker, Josephine Steinberger

They had 2 sons, John I Bumen and Joseph A Bumen

Molly and Christina Bumen, sisters, married brothers, Phillip and Nicholas Zapp.

Gottlieb went back to Germany only one time, to get his inheritance when his father died. He supposedly buried it in his cellar in Madison ($5,000 in gold pieces) and his son Joe is reputed to have dug it up.

Gottlieb Bumen death announcement. He died 7/19/1897
at age 64 from Bright's Disease

Amelia Bumen death certificate, she died at age 81 of Arterial Sclerosis.
Her father listed: Jos France, he was born in Baden Germany.
Listed mother as born in Baden Germany.

Amelia Obituary Madison Herald. Note: "She died at the home of her youngest daughter, Mrs. J. M. Steinberger, on the Michigan Rd. She was born at Overhousen, Baden, Germany."

Gottlieb and Amelia's gravestone

Gottlieb's precious book collection is at Ball State University, donated by Margaret. This collection needed a constant temperature and humidity control due to it's age. These books are by famous German authors, such as Schilling.