She married George Close after John Hummel died and moved to Bellevue, OH. The obvious question is how did she meet a man from Ohio in about 1869? The answer has something to do with these facts: John Hummels first wife was Susan Hilbish, whose nephew was John Hilbish, who married Angeline Close and they had previously moved to Bellevue, OH.

Her obituary appeared in the Bellevue Gazette 10 May 1900. It gave her age 81y, 2m, 5d from which I’ve computed her birth date. She was born in Hazelton. It said she married first George Snyder in 1840 and moved to OH before 1850. It said he died in the early 1850’s and she married second George Close in 1856. I believe that last statement is wrong because I think she married second John Hummel in the 1860’s and married George Klose later.

Floyd does not give any ancestry at all for John Hummel. Meiser shows this John Hummel of Freeburg to have been a son of John Frederick. Though I wasn’t sure whether I believed that at first, I now think it is proven.

The dates and place of burial as stated by Meiser would mean that these Census listings are this man.

1830. Washington Twp age 20-30.

1840. Washington Twp age 30-40.

1850. Washington Twp age 51.

So, Mr. Meiser, who then is this?

1840. Union Twp age 30-40.

1850. Union Twp age 49 -- isn't this the son of John Frederick?

27 Aug 1863 Deed book 5 page 33. John Hummel gentleman of Freeburg and wife Sophia deed to John Hummel Jr. of Washington Twp for $8000 130 acres + another 15 acres adjoins Peter Hilbish acquired from Peter Hilbish 30 Mar 1831 recorded 16 Sep 1833. [I noticed that among the buyers at his vendue were Sophia Humel and Jac. Hummel. Sophia is clearly wife 2. It would be helpful to know which Jac. it was. Nothing else in this file helped identify John’s parents or siblings.]

7 Sep 1868. LOA to John Hummel Jr. on estate of John Hummel of Washington Twp. Among the disbursements were what looked like a list of heirs and included: Sarah Sterner, Susannah Rine, Henry Hummel, Benjamin Rine (guardian) and John Hummel. [The children I have for John are: John and Henry, Susan wife of Benjamin Rine and Caroline wife of Charles Rhode. So where is Caroline, did I miss her? Who is Sarah Sterner? Is Susannah Rine perhaps a granddaughter of age her mother having died and that’s why Benjamin is guardian for some of the heirs?]

For a long time, I had an issue with John as to whether I believed Meiser as to whether he was the son of John Frederick. I wondered about this since there was another man, Jacob Hummel, who also lived and died in Freeburg in the same timeframe as John and according to Meiser, was totally unrelated to John, as he was the son of George Adam. Jacob’s brothers, for the most part, stayed in Middlecreek and Jacob alone went to Freeburg.

And in a parallel story, all of John Frederick’s sons ended up in Kratzerville, except his son John who strayed and went to Freeburg. There is also the apparent issue that John Frederick always had one too few sons in Census.

However, a deed recorded after Frederick’s death named his heirs and the list included John Hummel and wife Susan (Susanna). This has to be John Hummel of Freeburg. I believe now it was total coincidence that two unrelated men named Hummel ended up in Freeburg and were buried at the same church.

J L Floyd had a write-up on John’s granddaughter Susan, who married Frank P Waldron:

"John Hummel, grandfather of Mrs. Waldron, followed farming near Freeburg, Snyder County, where he died. He married Susan Hilbish, and they had children: Henry, John, Caroline (Mrs. Charles Rhode) and Susan (Mrs. Benjamin Rhine). Henry Hummel, son of John, was born in Snyder County and died at Milton, Nov. 1, 1900, aged seventy years, seven months, thirteen days. All his life he followed farming, owning a farm place in Chillisquaque Township, along the Susquehanna River. Fifteen years before his death he removed to the borough of Milton, where he passed the remainder of his days. To him and his wife Sarah (Lantz), daughter of Samuel and Magdalena (Martz) Lantz, were born children as follows: Susan M (Mrs. Frank P. Waldron); Sarah J (Mrs. Ogden Brown) living in Union County; Catharine A (who married Irwin Romig); William E, who makes his home with his sisters Mrs. Waldron and Mrs. Brown; and John S, who married Anna Gillinger and has one son, Jackson."

So this is a very interesting family, especially if that lineage is true. Susan M (Hummel) Waldron and her siblings and all of their descendants are related to us in any number of ways. They share our ancestors Hans Peter Mertz the immigrant and his wife, John Jacob Hummel and Eva Marie DeTurk and Peter Hilbish and Susanna Schell. We are related to them in three different ways, not unlike the Amermans who also share our Hummel, Hilbish and Mertz ancestors.