James Milton Baumgardner

This series of stories traces the Baumgardners of Maryland from Europe until today. Contributors of information in this series comes from Dr. Marion Baumgardner of West Lafayette Indiana, Robert Baumgardner, John Fuss, John Baumgardner, decedents of Polly Baumgardner Shank, and many decedents of Johan Jorge Erhardt Baumgardner. Complete files are maintained by James Baumgardner of Yorktown Va. The files belong to the family, and information is fed to James by the family with the understanding that all decedents have access to the files by contacting James.

The name Baumgardner was first documented about 1400 in Langnau Im Emmental (Emmin River Valley) Switzerland where the tallest pine trees in Europe grew. They were woodsmen and lived on a farm. Some of their decedents stayed on the farm, and as of 2003, still live on the farm. Others migrated westward to the Palentine area of Europe bordering France. Much migration took place during this period as there were many wars going on between the Baptists and Anti-Baptists during the 1400,1500, 1600 period. The Johan Baumgardners were Lutheran's and our best information is that they lived in Strausbourg, Germany, which is now a part of France. In the 1700's, the King of England was recruiting throughout Europe for people to settle in the English Colonies of America.

The Johan Jorg Ehrhardt Baumgardner Family

Johan and his wife Mary Eve accepted the challenge and arrived in Philadelphia Sept. 7, 1748 on the ship Hampshire. They were listed as from Palantine. He was naturalized in October 1767. They had eight children, Margaret, Mary, Catherine, Marelis, Johan Peter, Jacob, and Henry. Our part of the family were decedents of Johan Peter.

The Johan Peter Family

Johan Peter was a blacksmith in Mt. Joy Township in Adams County Pa. He served in the American Revolution. He served in Capt. Bradley's Co. 9th Battalion Lancaster county militia 4/10/ 1781. He married Elizabeth Brauner. They had nine children, Jacob, Catherine, Daniel, John, Peter, Margaret, Rosanna, Henry, and Mary.

The Peter Baumgardner Family

Two of these were instrumental in settling in Maryland. Henry settled in Taneytown, and Peter in Keysville Maryland. Peter married Sarah Shoemaker and settled on a farm along the Monocacy River where the Keysville road and the Baumgardner road meet. They had nine children, William, Jacob, Christian, Mary Catherine, Lavina Susan, Moses Peter, Andrew, Sarah Ann, and Emily. Sarah died in 1842. Sometime after that, Peter married Mary Jane Shaner. They had one child, Margaret Ann. Peter, Mary Jane, and Margaret Ann later moved to Frankford Missouri where he died in 1877 and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Hannibal Missouri.

The Moses Peter Baumgardner Family

While most of the rest of this Baumgardner Story follows the line of Moses Peter, I'm sure that there are many other stories to tell. Moses Peter married Ann Stambaugh and they lived on the home place along the Monocacy River. They had 10 Children, Peter B, Mary Catherine, John Milton, Sarah Elizabeth, Thomas Benjamin, Andrew Jackson, Carrie Bell, Fannie Margaret, Samuel Jessie, and Anna S.

During the civil war, Moses was drafted into the Northern Army. With such a large family to support, he sold his wheat crop for $600 and avoided the draft. He was drafted a second time, and paid $1,500 in lieu of serving.

When the Union Army was en route to the battle of Gettysburg, They procured food and horses from local farms. They took Moses's horses to pull supply wagons and guns to Gettysburg. The day following the end of fighting at Gettysburg, Moses went to Gettysburg and found his horses. The Union Officer advised him to get his horses and get out in a hurry or he would have to help bury the dead.

The Peter Baumgardner Family

Peter B. married Annie K. Naill. They lived on the Francis Scott Key farm in Keysville Maryland. They had five children, Roy Elwood, Elsie Maud, Mary Esther, Norman Robert, and Lillie K. Roy married Sarah Ann Newcomer. She died and Roy remarried Vallie Kiser. They had no Children.

• Elsie married Mervin Conover 3/25/1926. They had a son Charles Elmer. Mervin did custom farm work. He had tractors, thrashing machines, and silage cutters. They lived in Taneytown Md.
• Mary Esther married Charles W. Devilbiss. They had three children, Roger W, Paul, and Sylvia Ann.
• Roger married Emma Garrett. They had one child, Rodney W.
• Paul Married Bettie D. Perry. They had one child Jerry Allen. As of July 2003, Paul lives in Keysville Md . Paul manages the Keysville Maryland Cemetery.
• Norman Robert married Edna Mehring. They had one child Mildred E. Norman had a farm store in Taneytown Maryland along the railroad track in the center of town.
• Lillie married William M. Ohler. They had no children.

The Moses Peter Baumgardner Family

Moses Peter's daughter Mary Catherine married Edward Meade Fuss. Details of this family can be found in the story of the Fuss family provided by John Fuss.

The John Milton Baumgardner Family

John Milton Baumgardner married Grace Rebecca Martin, daughter of George Thomas Marshall Martin.  John and Grace started their family across the creek from the Moses Peter farm. They had nine children, Edith, Raymond, George M., Murray M., Kenneth W., Addy, Marian, John Lester, and Mary Ellen. Edith and Raymond were born at the farm along the Monocacy. About 1900, they bought a farm along Toms Creek, where the Keysville Road crosses Toms Creek. The rest of the children were born at the Toms Creek farm.

The Russell Benjamin Ohler Family

Edith married Russell Benjamin Ohler. They bought a farm along the Emmitsburg-Taneytown road about 5 miles east of Emmitsburg and 3 miles west of Bridgeport. They had four children, Joseph, Paul, Russell B. Jr., and David. Joseph married Bernice Elizabeth. They moved to Baltimore and lived there until their death Nov.26, 1998. They were both killed in their home by a thief on the same day. They had no children.

Paul married Virginia. They had one son Paul David Jr. They moved to Washington State. Paul was an electronic engineer for the IBM corporation. Russell and Edith sold the farm and built a stone house in the east end of Emmitsburg. David married Anna Marie Topper and after Russell died in 1963, he stayed at home and took care of his mother. David was an electrician and provided maintenance for St. Josephs College. He and Anna Marie were married after Edith died and lived in the house his parents had built in Emmitsburg. Russell B. Jr. married Eleanor Valentine from Rocky Ridge. They had no children.

The Raymond Earl Baumgardner Family

Raymond married Ethel Grace Grimes, daughter of James Ephrim Grimes. James E. Grimes started to farm west of Emmitsburg on a farm owned by the Hokes. Later, he bought a farm along Toms Creek along a road now called Grimes Road. Ethel had two brothers, Robert and Edgar. James was better known in the community as Ephrim. He was very active in the Toms Creek Methodist Church. He taught the men's bible class and was referred to in the article about the Fuss family. He and John Fuss taught the class at different times. Raymond lived with his parents at the Toms Creek farm until about 1917 when he went to Florida to pick Oranges.

Upon the start of World War 1, Raymond joined the Army in Tampa Florida. He was later sent to Fort Sill Oklahoma where he made Sergeant in the Quartermaster Corps. He was a builder (carpenter) in the Army until he left the Army at the end of WW1.

He met Ethel when he returned from the Army and they were married Dec.17, 1920. They bought the upper 74 acres of John and Graces Toms Creek farm and built the buildings. The buildings were built from lumber cut from the Blue Ridge Mountains above Emmitsburg. The mountain lots from which the lumber came had been owned by Moses Peter. The land was surveyed for the buildings on Oct. 25, 1922 by Emory C. Crum, Civil Engineer and Constructor.

Raymond and Ethel had three children, Frances Grace, James Milton, and Betty Mae. They were dairy farmers. They raised most of the feed for their animals on the farm. They had milk cows, hogs, chickens, beef cattle, turkeys, and rabbits. They had three horses by 1927 named Prince, Tops, and Maude. They did not have a tractor until 1944.

They obtained lime from a lime kiln in Woodsboro Maryland and hauled it in a wagon to the farm where they slacked it and spread it on the fields with a lime spreader attachment attached to a manure spreader. Raymond covered the barnyard with concrete. He hauled sand from Toms Creek below the bridge, and stone from the Charles Fuss quarry. The quarry was part of the Fuss farm, and was formed mostly to build roads in Frederick County when they were paved. Ethel's Dad, Ephrim Grimes helped to pave roads when had spare time from the farm.

Raymond shipped milk to Motter's Station. It was hauled by Mr. James Long who lived near Motter's Station. When the Creamery at Motter's was closed, Mr. Long took the Milk to Western Maryland Dairy at Detour Maryland. Before the Motter's Creamery was closed, there was a bad winter in 1936 and it snowed so bad that the roads were impassable. The Emmitsburg school was closed for a month for there was no way for the bus to get through.

Raymond's brother John had the home farm along Toms Creek and also shipped milk. Raymond and John took turns taking the milk to Motter's Station Creamery. The farmers laid down their fences, and they used a two horse sled and took the milk over the farms to the creamery. In the spring when the snow melted, there were terrible floods. Raymond, Ethel, John and Maude traveled to see the Potomac River in Flood below Frederick.

Frances started school in the Toms Creek School House, about 1/2 mile south of the Toms Creek Church that was built about 1900. After 2 years, the school was closed and consolidated in Emmitsburg. John Milton's children all went to Toms Creek School. Kenneth was the first one to go to Emmitsburg at the same time that Frances went. The Emmitsburg Consolidated School had grades 1-11. James & Betty both went to Emmitsburg for all 11 grades.

In the early 1940s, James and Raymond joined the Emmitsburg Minute Men. They drilled in Emmitsburg on the Firemen's Field once each week. James Joined the U.S. Navy in January 1944 in the V5 Aviation Cadet program. He was sent home to complete his Senior Year in High School and received his orders to active duty on high school graduation day. He reported to Mt. St. Marys College to the navy unit where he went until November 1945 when he was transferred to Villanova College to complete his college work. He graduated from Villanova and was commissioned a Paymaster in the U. S. Navy in 1947.

Frances went to Baltimore and studied nursing at St. Josephs Hospital and became a registered nurse. Betty married Sgt. Jerry Hoskins, USMC. Framces met Mr. Thomas Bosley while she was nursing in Baltimore. They married and started housekeeping in Baltimore. James met Betty Jean Baird from Altoona Pa. They married in 1948 and started housekeeping in Portsmouth Va. where James was in the Navy.

In 1960, Raymond and Ethel sold the farm and built a new home at the west end of Taneytown where they had bought a piece of land from Norman Sauble on the corner of The Emmitsburg and Harney roads. Raymond died of a heart attack in 1963. Ethel stayed in Taneytown until 1986 when she sold her home and moved to Florida with Betty & Jerry Hoskins where she stayed until she passed on in 1993.

The George M. Baumgardner Family

George M. Baumgardner was born November 13, 1901. George was the first child of John and Grace to graduate from high school. He went on to college at Mt. St. Marys College and went on to medical school at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. He started his Medical Practice in Baltimore and married Virginia Clingan. They had two children, Nancy and John. Virginia died in 1968.

George later married the nurse that worked in his office, Aurelia Lloyd. George lived at Golden Ring north of Baltimore and had his office in his home. John married Pat. He taught school and they also had a furniture store for a number of years. They had three children, Brandy, Amy, and Derek. They lived in Finksburg Md.

Nancy married and became ill and died without any children.

The John Lester Baumgardner Family

John Lester was born June 4, 1905. John went to Emmitsburg High School. He married Maude Stambaugh from the Rocky Ridge area and they farmed the home place on the Keysville Road just along Toms Creek west of the intersection of The Keysville and Motter's Station Roads west of the Toms Creek Bridge. They had five children, John Elwood, Robert Lee, Shirley Virginia, Paul David, and Martha.

John Elwood joined the army. Following WWII, he went to college and following graduation, went to work with the Upjohn Drug Company. He married Nancy Brandenberg. They had three children ,John, Norman, and Nancy.

Robert Lee was born Dec. 1,1930. Upon graduating from High School, he married Lois Keihlholtz and they started farming in Pennsylvania. They had five children, Robert, Daniel, Elizabeth, Mark, and Bryant.

Shirley Virginia was born Nov. 28, 1935. Shirley graduated from Emmitsburg High School and married Donald Wantz an Electrical Contractor. They started housekeeping in Taneytown Md. They had three children, David, Mary, and Virginia.

Martha was born Dec. 26, 1941. Upon graduating from High School, Martha went to a paralegal school. She married Stewart Sites a communication engineer and they lived in the Fairfield area. They had two children, James and Ashley.

Paul David was born Oct. 15, 1952. Upon graduating from High School, He started to farm the home place. John and Maude built a home in the east end of Taneytown. Paul married Nancy Fink. They had two children, Dwight David, and Mark Joseph. They later divorced and Paul married Susie Wivell.

Addy and Marian were not married. Marian died in infancy and Addy died in 1931.

Mary Ellen was born in 1909. She married Charles Hesson from Taneytown. They had one son Charles who Married Joan Hallameyer. They live in Baltimore.

The Murray M. Baumgardner Family

Murray was born July 27, 1912. Murray went to business school following high school and became a banker in Taneytown. He was also a notary public. He married Virginia Ohler. They had two children , Allen and Dennis. Allen went to law school and became a lawyer and for awhile was a judge near Hagerstown Maryland. Dennis became a radio announcer. Allen married Mary Alice Dress. They had three children, Matthew Christian, Mark Andrew and Michael Alexander. Dennis married a nurse Linda Byers.

The Kenneth Wilson Baumgardner Family

Kenneth was born June 2, 1916. Kenneth stayed on the farm with John and Maude for awhile after John and Grace left the farm and retired to Taneytown. Kenneth finished high school in Taneytown and went to Western Maryland College in Westminster Md. He taught music in several colleges, He earned his Doctors degree in music and became head of the music dept. at Brenow College in Gainsville Ga. Kenneth married Elizabeth Gibson in 1942. They had three children, Kenille, Vivian Elizabeth and Darrel. Kenneth Died Nov.15, 2002.

Emma S., Sarah Elizabeth, and Fannie Margaret Baumgardner

Emma S. Baumgardner married Mr. Emory Springer. They were divorced and had no children. Emma moved back home to the farm along the Monocacy river. Sarah Elizabeth and Fannie Margaret were never married. The three sisters stayed at the home place for the remainder of their lives. Their brothers and nephews visited them frequently to insure of their health. They were referred to as the GIRLS, Maggy, Sally, and Emma. Sarah died in 1952, Fannie died in 1963, and Emma died in 1959.

Their nephew John Stewart Baumgardner farmed the home place and was the primary care giver for them.

The Andrew Jackson Baumgardner Family

Andrew Jackson Baumgardner was born August 2, 1871 and died April 21, 1935. He married Edna Wantz. They had no children known to the writer. They lived on a farm near Taneytown on the Keysville-Taneytown Road.

The Harry Dern Family

Carrie Bell Baumgardner married Mr. Harry Dern. They had a farm on the west side of Toms Creek adjoining the Martin farm. They had eight children, Anna, Julia, Lloyd, Paul, George, Ethel, Reatta, and Alvie. Their farm was on the opposite side of Toms Creek from the Raymond Roop farm. Anna Dern was born Sept 16, 1905 or 1906, and died in Sept. 1986. Anna married Robert Grimes, the brother of Ethel Baumgardner. Robert and Anna bought the Ephrim Grimes Farm on Grimes road where it crosses Toms Creek.

The Samuel Jessie Baumgardner Family

Samuel Jessie Baumgardner was born in 1877 and died in 1947. He married Nettie E. Long. They bought the farm across the Monocacy River from the Moses Peter farm on the Keysville Rd. They had three children, John Stewart, Mark, and Richard. John Stewart farmed the Moses Peter Farm, and Mark farmed the Samual Jessie farm.

The Thomas Benjamin Baumgardner Family

Thomas was born Dec.16, 1869 and died April 3, 1948. Thomas married Mary Nina Morrison. They had eight children, Helen Elizabeth, Clarence Moses, Carl William, Mary Anna, Pauline Victoria, Nina Jane, Emma Bruce, and Dorothy Margaret.

Thomas & Mary lived on a farm on the Keysville Rd. about 1 mile west of the Monocacy River, about 2 miles from the Moses Peter farm.

Helen Elizabeth was born Sept. 11, 1895 and died Sept. 8, 1982. She married Mr. Harry McNair. They had nine children, Harry Tom, Alice, Rebecca, Helen, Mary, Patricia, Peninah, Paul D. and Carolyn.

They lived on a farm about 2 miles north of Emmitsburg on the Gettysburg road.

Clarence Moses Baumgardner was born Feb.2,1894 and died December 6, 1969.Clarence married Mary Hollinger. Clarence was known as Tad. He married and they owned a farm orchard about 1 mile west of Emmitsburg. He made cider and apple sauce in the fall of the year.

The Carl William Baumgardner Family

Carl was born May 6, 1904 and died March 31, 1991. Carl married Marion Catherine Koontz. They had two children, Audrey Marion and Wayne Carlton. Carl lived on the Thomas Baumgardner farm. He later retired to a home about 1 mile west of Emmitsburg. Audrey was a school teacher and Wayne was a manager for the Dept. Of Labor of the U.S. Govt.

The Fleet Howard Gall Family

Anna Mary Baumgardner married Fleet Howard Gall . Anna was born Jan. 29,1900 and died Sept.2,1980. They had three children, Joseph Thomas, David Carl, and Janet Ann. They had a restaurant in Thurmont Md., and lived above it for a number of years.

The Weldon Shank Family

Pauline Victoria married Weldon Shank. Pauline was born Dec.5, 1914. Weldon was born Dec.7, 1913 and died Feb.6,2002. They had nine children, Weldon Baxter Jr, Nina Virginia, Wendell Lee, Wilmer Thomas, William Amos, Wallace Bruce, Naomi Victoria, Nora Vivian, and Nita Valery.

They lived on a farm/mill about 5 miles west of Emmitsburg on the Waynesboro Rd. Shanks Mill was one of the oldest mills in the state of Maryland. The mill was run by water power from a mill race . The mill would grind flour as farmers brought in either corn or wheat. They would also make feed for farm animals. The Shank property also contained a hotel where people would stat overnight from horse drawn carriages. It is a very historic piece of property. As of August 5,2003, Pauline still lives on the property.

The George Baumgardner Family

Nina Jane Baumgardner married George Baumgardner of Taneytown Md. They had two children, Edith R. and Thomas D. Nina was born Dec.13, 1912 and died March 14, 2002. Georges father operated a bakery in Taneytown . George delivered bakery products in Westminster Md. and the Carroll County area.

The Edward Shorb Family

Emma Bruce Baumgardner married Edward Shorb. They had two children, Norma Lee, and Shirley. Emma was born April 29, 1908 and died April 21,1992. They lived in Taneytown Md.

The Charles William Knox Family

Dorothy Margaret Baumgardner married Mr. Charles William Knox. They had four children, Polly Ann, James Everett, Linda Sue, and Charles Thomas. Dorothy was born April 25, 1906 and died Feb.2,2000. Charles knox had a butter and egg business in Emmitsburg. He picked up butter and eggs in the Emmitsburg area and delivered them to Baltimore for Horner's Store that was located on the square in Emmitsburg.

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