Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Hummell, Sarah E. 1912 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net July 11, 2010, 3:16 pm The Portland Observer, Thursday, February 29, 1912 A shadow of gloom was cast over Sebewa township last Friday afternoon when the news of Mrs. Jacob Hummell’s sudden and tragic death by cremation flashed through the locality. Mrs. Hummell, who was 64 years of age, was burned to death when her home fell victim to that ruthless destroyer, fire. Almost completely isolated from neighbors by high drifts of snow which made the highways difficult to travel, fire originated in the Hummell home, located 1 ˝ miles east and one mile north of Sebewa Center, at about 1:00 o’clock Friday afternoon. The frame structure was soon consumed by the flames, help being slow in arriving. Mrs. Hummell was alone in the house when the fire broke out, and when she detected the odor of smoke from the attic she grabbed a pail of water, and running to the scene of the blaze soon extinguished it. Then the fire broke out in another place and it was not long before the flames had enveloped the entire structure. Mrs. Hummell resided with her son, Charles, who had gone to Sunfield that day, but a grandson, Willie Franks, aged 15, was at home. A number of valuable papers were in the burning home, and Mrs. Hummell rushed back after them. She was never seen alive after that, the charred trunk of her body being found in the cellar when the ruins were explored. The head was detached from the body, and when the searchers attempted to pick it up it crumbled to ashes. Mrs. Hummell was a native of Virginia, being born April 25, 1848. She came to Michigan at an early age and her marriage to Jacob Hummell occurred about 46 years ago. The couple had nine children, but two died in infancy, and the following survive: Charles, George, Jerry and Marion Hummell, Mrs. Marion Franks, Mrs. Porter Stair, of this vicinity, and Thomas Hummell, who resides in Wisconsin. The husband died about four years ago. Mrs. Hummell was an active church worker. She was a member of the Methodist faith, and funeral services were held at the Center church, where she had attended many meetings, Sunday afternoon at 1:00 o’clock, conducted by Rev. Early. The remains were taken to Lake Odessa for interment in Lakeside cemetery. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/h/hummell6698nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 2.8 Kb