Thomas Fredrick Mihm

1852-1931

Thomas Fredrick Mihm was the son of David F. Mihm 1824-1907and Delilah Brouse 1832-1922. He was born on 7 Dec 1852 in Mercer County, Ohio. By 1860 Thomas was living in Moniteau County, Missouri with his parents. His father Davis was in the Union Army in Missouri during the Civil War. By 1880 he had relocated to Van Wert, County, Willshire Township, Ohio. On 30 Nov 1879 he married Elsie Ann Dull 1853-1937. They farmed for a living. Together they had four children, Charles William 1880-1881,  Justice Elmer 1882-1947 who married Ada Elisabeth Clouse 1888-1971, Forest David 1885-1946 who married Lucy Ann Tumbling 1887-1978, Olive Gertrude 1889-1971 who married Perry Z. Weisman 1883-1945. Thomas F. Mihm died on 23 Oct 1931 in Van Wert County, Ohio (#167). His wife Elsie Ann Dull died on 9 Feb 1937. They are both buried in Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Mercer County, Ohio. I was told by Mary (Mihm) Clay, a daughter of Justice and Ada Mihm, that Thomas and Elsie never had headstones and that her mother Ada thought Thomas and Elsie are buried in the remaining family grave plots near Thomas's father David Mihm's marker.

Photo- (L- R) Justice Elmer Mihm 1882-1947, Thomas Fredrick Mihm 1852-1931, Elsie Ann (Dull) Mihm 1853-1937,  Ada (Clouse) Mihm 1888-1971

In the year 2000, while working on my family history, I wrote to my mother back in Ohio asking her what she could remember about her grandma and grandpa Mihm. (Thomas Fredrick Mihm 1852-1931 and Elsie Ann Dull 1853-1937) Mom wrote back but thought she didn’t have much to tell. What she said however, gave me a much more vivid picture of them than I could get form photographs and records. 

Letter from my mother, Virginia (Mihm) Kohus,1921-2003, dated, October 28, 2000. 

They were poor, very clean and my mom did not like my grandma, and I guess it rubbed off on us kids. Grandpa Mihm as I recall was a very gentle man as was my dad. They never showed any love or concern for us. Maybe that was the way things were, I don’t know. Grandma and my mom got into an argument over my sister Helen, (when grandma lived with us), my sister was pregnant and married, and my grandma said she was a bad girl. Well, that really got to my mom. Mom said you got a lot of room to talk. At that time I did not know about grandma’s birth circumstances. Mom only told me when I was married and older. Well, mom called Aunt Lucy, uncle Forest’s wife, and said I’m sending grandma to your house. Grandma asked my dad for her checks, state old age pension money. Dad unlocked his drawer and handed her the envelope. She accused my dad of stealing her checks. One was up against the envelope. Well, that made dad angry at his mom. My dad was as honest as the stars. Well now, picture this. Mom packed the cloths and the taxi came and my grandma went out with her thunder mug in one hand. I imagine my dad took her cloths out to the cab and she never came to our house again. I do not think grandma cared much for my dad as she did for Uncle Forest.  

Now when dad was seven he worked in a saw mill and got caught in the saw and was hurt really bad. The doctor wanted to amputate his leg but grandma said no. He had a limp and his hand was crippled with one or two fingers missing, forgot how many. I guess they needed the money and dad suffered all his life because of it. I do not know if they grandma and grandpa owned their home or not. I can remember down to the last tee what the inside of the house looked like, the furniture and the rooms. I never was in the second floor. When I was a baby, mom tells a story. They went to the house and laid me on the bed and grandma said, supper over dishes washed nothing left but a piece of squash. Mom said never mind, I gotta nurse Virginia. Now, mom liked grandpa Mihm. He thought mom was so smart because she drove a car, but would argue with mom over politics. He was a republican and mom was a democrat. I never heard my mom say anything against grandpa, only grandma. I think he was a farmer but I don’t know where or for who or for himself. That was never talked about and when I got to know them I guess he was too old to farm and the state sent them a check every month. 

So, what was there to like?? I do not remember any one of them saying a word to me, taking my hand or anything. I only remember sitting on the old couch while mom and dad was there, and me sneaking a look into the little red room that had 2 double beds in it with a big trunk at the end of the path through the room. I can’t say I did not like them, really I did not know them. Even when grandma lived with us she never was friendly as I can recall. One day I was down the street at my girlfriend’s house and Mrs. Felger said, Virginia, isn’t that your grandma walking down the sidewalk? And sure enough, it was, her with an apple and a knife just gumming away on the apple. I ran home and told my mom. Someone went and got her. I think she was just a cold woman. Maybe she was ashamed of her birth. In those days it was horrible not like today. I can imagine my dad was torn between his mom and his wife, I really don’t know. The work of grandma fell on my mom, I know that. I guess I just can remember how clean and in order the house and yard was. Then they had only those push mowers. According to the picture of my grandpa, he sure looked like any poor person. To this day, no one knows where in Rockford Cemetery they are buried. Don’t know why but my aunt Ollie never was in on the care of grandma. She did enjoy poor health; Ollie was the only girl my grandma and grandpa had. She married Perry Wiseman and they had one girl, Pauline. Pauline was a nurse that took her training at the general hospital in Cincinnati.  

That is the story of my grandma and grandpa Mihm. Nothing to put in the genealogy folder that I can see. I would sum it up that they were poor, very honest people that taught one of their son’s, my dad, honesty and work, truthfully, just one great dad. For that I say thank you grandma and grandpa Mihm.  

Love you, Mom