Emma (Schaull) Vonnegut

Emma Schnull born 4 SEP 1857 in Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana d. aet 81 17 Feb 1939 Culver , Marshall, Indiana. Burial: Oct 24, 1939 Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana Section: 6 Lot: 4 daughter of Heinrich "Henry" Friedrich Schnuell and Mary Mathilde Schramm.

1930 - Sep 21 - Most Successful Woman Orchardist Is Claimed by Marshall County

By Marguerite Reid Johnston



The Clemens Vonnegut home on Lake Maxinkuckee



Everybody up Culver way in Marshall county knows the Vonnegut orchards and many know and call friend the woman past 70 years of age, able of body, alert of mind, young in spirit, who manages that orchard.

It is Mrs. Clemens Vonnegut, formerly of Indianapolis, whose interests call her to that city on frequent occasions, but who makes her home just back from the shores of Maxinkuckee.

Mrs. Vonnegut makes no claims for herself, and while she enjoys talking of her orchard to which she devotes the greater part of her time, she leaves it to Marshall county, Culver and Maxinkuckee region to claim that no other Hoosier county can produce as successful and versatile a 70-year-old woman orchardist as can Marshall.

The management of the Vonnegut orchards was taken over some years Mrs. Vonnegut, that her son Walter, who had previously enjoyed that work, might realize his ambition and enjoy a career on the stage. She is continuing in the work that he may have spot which lures him away from the limelight on frequent occasions, to which he may retire, when the stage shall lose its glamour for him.

Devotee to Beauty.

While the project is essentially commercial, Mrs. Vonnegut is such a devotee to beauty and possesses a rare quality of sentiment without sentimentality, which has enabled her to make of her place a spot which draws many to investigate its charms and its processes attendant on the perfection of apple culture.

It is true that the byways are marked here and there with small arrows and the words "Vonnegut Orehards," but the approach from the main highway bespeaks naught of commercialism and much of inviting "The Hollyhocks," that is the sign that meets your eye as you wend your way slowly along the highway on foot.

Walking is much in vogue near Maxinkuckee, for she hides many of her beauty spots from the hasty traveler. Walk, then, to the sign of "The Hollyhocks," look back at each step over clear Lake Maxinkuckee and the blue of Aubenaubee bay, as lovers of beauty do and feel that nothing as lovely to the eye can be found back from the rocky, tree-lined, columbined shore, where squirrels play at will and man finds peace and beauty. Look again, the sign of "'The Hollyhocks" leads. on and the mind, eagerly searching for something on which to feed, shoots the thought, "Has some selfish ingrown soul built a spot for beauty-loving eye and then shut out that spot."

No Gate to Bar Way.

A few steps more. No gate to bar the way but trees and grass and flowers and the lazy, distant drone of bees invite you up the lane. The Hollyhocks, a riot of color, a setting for the rare flowers and plants, the delight of the woman orchardist are just a part of the scheme of things.

A large old farmhouse, painted white, tucked away under towering elders calls you to the lane's end, through an arch of apple trees that have weathered many storms and have survived many pests.

One knock at the door brings Mrs. English (straight from Ireland), director of house affairs, or Mrs. Vonnegut, to give a warm welcome to the inner shrine. And yet no sign of commercialism. Visitors are shown through the orchards and if questions are asked profit and loss and yield, the successful woman manager finds enough to tell of the orchard, the care of it, the scores of small attentions the trees must have they are to bring forth abundant harvest of first grade fruit.

To the busy bee, the Hoosier orchardist attributes a goodly portion of the credit for the success she has enjoyed in the business of orchard eighteen hives are kept and the bees do their part well in scattering the pollen from tree to tree that the varieties needing this attention may not become sterile.

Gives Information Freely

Mrs. Vonnegut gives freely facts and figures to those who seek such information for the purpose of bettering orchards, for planting them or because of a desire to learn how woman past 70 years, who so a actively engaged in many things, domestic and otherwise, manages an orchard of acres in which are growing and thriving 1,500 apple She will tell her questioner that to be a successful orchardist one must have patience and perseverance and a love of nature coupled with a creative instinct. "Fine apples," she warns, "are not brought forth in weeks or months, but years of watchful waiting and careful nurturing are required to develop strong trees which will bear the delicious fruit of the Grimes Golden, the Winesap, the Northern Spy, the Delicious, the Wagener and the Greening."

Two other varieties the orchards produce and of the Grindstone she sighs, "What a horrid give an apple," and of the Jonathan, "That is the best of all."

The orchard now harvests 16,000 basketfuls. It was put out in 1911 and the first small crop was picked five years later by the Vonnegut family, their neighbors and friends.

Pine Trees Break Winds.

The windbreak of pine trees, which now towers high above the precious apple orchard, was put out with careful consideration for the preservation of the apple trees against Indiana snows and changeable weather.

It is a veritable picture in itself and out of the score and sixteen, stands every tree, with 1 the exception of one erect, with all boughs symmetrically perfect. That one tree was shorn of its beauty a few years ago by hunters of Christmas trees.

One year ago Mrs. Vonnegut picked her first mushrooms from her cave, which she started as an adjunct to her orchard business, and with it all she finds time to do her sewing and to keep up her accomplishment as a pianist to the extent of playing for her pleasure and that of her friends.

Marshall county doesn't boast an orchardist who merely directs, but one who gets into the actual working of things, dressed for the work and enthusiastic about it all.

She is not daunted by the pests and weather; she orders more spraying and no doubt does more praying.

Translates Family Letters.

That her grandchildren may have authentic history of the family, Mrs. Vonnegut has for some months devoted a portion of her time to the translation from German into English to letters written by her grandfather Jacob Schramm to friends and relatives back Germany, These letters written in 1830 were later published in book form, and many of them appeared in the newspapers of Nurnberg in the hope of discouraging others from leaving the Fatherland for America, as they contained detailed descriptions of the hardships being endured by those formerly accustomed to the comforts and ease of life.

The translation has been completed and will be published in the near future.

The widow of Clemens Vonnegut (at the time of his death, vice president of the Vonnegut Hardware Company, established in Indianapolis in 1850, the oldest company in the city), the granddaughter of Jacob Schramm, by contact, inheritance, personal ability and perseverance has come into the public eye much later in life than the average person. She is not hindered by this fact and is taking a keen interest in many things.

As an orchardist she is a member of the Woman's Rotary Club of Indianapolis, a member of the board of trustees of the free kindergarten and Children's Aid Society of that city she finds time to enter into the social life of Indianapolis and Culver.

A woman who finds interest in everybody she meets, her company is sought by those desiring to learn of orchards, of business management, of nature in many forms and of life itself. -- Indianapolis Star

The orchard is said to have operated from before 1910 until her death in 1939; an aerial view one can see the original house "hollyhocks" in the lower right hand corner and acces was gained from 18th Rd and not East Shore Drive as today.

1939 - Feb. 18 - CULVER.--Mrs. Clemen's Vonnegut, 81, a former resident of Indianapolis, who for the last 10 years has lived at Hollyhocks, near Lake Maxinkuckee, died Friday noon after a short illness. A pioneer in the summer colony, she came to Maxinkuckee 50 years ago and had a wide variety of children, Mrs. Kurfortt Stewart, activities. Surviving are, three Louisville, Ky.; Anton Vonnegut, of Indianapolis, and Walter Vonwill be held in indianapoliser Mrs. Vonnegut, Culver. Vonnegut owned and managed the Vonnegut orchards at Maxinkuckee, for which she was well known. The funeral will be held at 11 a. m. Monday in the Flanner & Buchanan with funeral burial in chapel, the Indian- Crown Hill cemetery there. - - South Bend Tribune

Mrs. C.Vonnegut, 81, Passes away Sunday

Mrs. Emma Schnull Vonnegut, age 81 years, died Friday at the home "The Hollyhock", on the east side, after an illness of twelve days from complications. She was the widow of the late Clemens Vonnegut.

The Vonnegut were pioneers among the cottagers having started coming to Lake Maxinkuckee from Indianapolis fifty years ago.

Ten years ago Mrs. Vonnegut purchased the Peeples farm and has been conducting an apple orchard that gained fame for its quality throughout northern Indiana and southern Michigan.

Three years ago the home was destroyed by fire and Mrs. Vonnegut at once rebuilt a house that was her "dream home".

Surviving are one daughter Mrs. W. K. Stewart, of Louisville, Ky.; two sons: Anton of Indianapolis, and Walter who was associated in the operation of the orchard; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, as well as a host of friends.

Funeral services were held Monday morning at the Flanner-Buchanan funeral home, Indianapolis, with internment in the Crown Hill Cemetery there. The remains were taken to Indianapolis Sunday afternoon.

Mrs. Vonnegut was a woman of unusual character, personality, and business ability. To know her was to admire and respect her in every way. Her indomitable courage was demonstrated when her home with priceless belongings was destroyed by fire without wavering or seeking refuge in courting expressions of sympathy, she set out at once to plan for the future. Instead of bemoaning her loses she gloried in the responses from her friends. Mrs. Vonnegut's passing is a loss to the community for her type is few and far between. - 22 Feb 1939 Citizen

This obituary from the Rochester News-Sentinel of
Saturday, February 18, 1939

Culver , Ind., Feb. 18. -- Mrs. Emma SCHNULL Vonnegut, 81 years old, widow of Clemens Vonnegut, died last night following 12 days' illness.

She and her husband came to Culver from Indianapolis 50 years ago and were among the first persons to establish homes on the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee.

Ten years ago the family home was established at the Peeples farm and now is known as the Hollyhock.

Mrs. Vonnegut operated a widely known apple orchard with the help of a son, Walter [Vonnegut].

Other surviving children are Mrs. W. K. STEWART of Louisville, Ky., and Anton Vonnegut of Indianapolis. Funeral services will be held at the Flanner & Buchanan funeral home in Indianapolis at 11 o'clock Monday morning. Burial will be at Crown Hill cemetery there.

m. Sep. 4, 1878 Indianapolis, Marion, In. 15/346

2 - Clemens, Jr. , born November 19, 1853 Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, died 18 Jan. 1921 Indianapolis, Marion Burial: Jan. 21, 1921 Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana

They have three children (see Vonnegut Family)

Ella Vonnegut is the wife of W. K. Stewart, and they have one child, Susan.

Anton Vonnegut married Ina Holleweg, and their three children are: Louise, Richard, and Antonette.



Walter Vonnegut
married Margaret [Stella Marjorie] Potts. They have one daughter, Irma Ruth.

Vonnegut Family Index