My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE HUMMEL, whose death occurred at Mechanicsburg, March 29, 1893, was one of the honest and upright business men, who was held in universal esteem, and whose death left a place not easily filled in the ranks of business, or in the hearts of kindred and friends. Mr. Hummel was born Feb. 7, 1822, in the city of Harrisburg, son of David and Susan (Kunkle) Hummel, the former of whom was born Sept. 8, 1784, at Hummelstown, and the latter May 31, 1790, in Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Pa. Both families are of German extraction, and old settlers of Lancaster and Dauphin counties. The children of David and Susan Hummel were: Catherine, David, Christian, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, George, Albert, Anna, Emily, and others who died in childhood. By trade David Hummel was a saddler, and at one time was a man of property in Harrisburg, owning a part of the land where the “Commonwealth Hotel” now stands.

The late George Hummel was educated in the excellent schools of Harrisburg, coming later to Mechanicsburg, Cumberland county, to engage in the lumber and warehouse business, in which he continued many years, amassing a comfortable fortune. He was one of the directors of the First National Bank, of Mechanicsburg, and was its president at the time of his death. In politics, he was an active Republican, and served with much credit as a member of the council of Mechanicsburg, also filling other offices of a public nature. In religious belief and observance Mr. Hummel was a Lutheran.

In 1850 Mr. Hummel married Sarah Dietz, of York county, who was born Aug. 19, 1825, and five children were born to them, as follows: Luther M., who died at the age of twenty-seven years; Catharine D., of Mechanicsburg; Mary W.; Susan K.; and Elizabeth G., who married John L. Shelley, an attorney at Mechanicsburg, and has six children, Sarah E., Elizabeth G., John L., Jr., D. Hummel, Paul Webster and Rachel.

Mr. Hummel was always very active in church and Sunday-school work, and was liberal in his donations to all religious affairs. He was known as a man of high moral character, charitable to the poor and devoted to his home and family. His bereaved widow survived him until March, 1898, when she, too, met a Christian death. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hummel were widely known, and were considered with feelings of esteem and affection by a large circle.