John W. Mumm. Now living retired at Sidney, John W. Mumm for years controlled and directed the operations of some of the best farming lands in Champaign County. His career has been productive in the best sense of the term and has been significant of his sturdy character, upright manhood and long continued industry.
Mr. Mumm was born at Sidney in Champaign County, November 24, 1864, and represents a family of early settlers. His parents were John J. and Magdalena (Witt) Mumm, both natives of Germany. His father was a native of the old Danish province of Holstein. When a young man John J. Mumm came to America and located in Champaign County, and lived here to acquire a large holding of fertile farm land. He and his wife had eight children: Annie, wife of Henry Witt of Sidney; Emma, deceased; Mary, still at home; John W.; Peter, deceased; Henry of Sidney; Reimer, deceased; and a son that died in infancy.
John W. Mumm grew up on the home farm, attended the local schools, and at the age of twenty-one began his independent career as renter of sixty acres. Soon afterwards his father gave him eighty acres. He showed justifiable enterprise in handling this land and with the results of his labors was able to buy twenty acres. Later his father gave him another place of 120 acres and eventually eighty acres more. He worked the land, improved the buildings and other equipment and made for himself and family one of the most substantial rural homes in the county. A number of years ago he erected a handsome two-story veneer brick home.
On October 20, 1886, Mr. Mumm married Mame Malone, daughter of Christopher and Minnie (Gruel) Malone. Her parents were natives of Germany. Her father came to America as a young man and located in Champaign County, where he followed farming many years, but is now living at Pomeroy, Iowa. He and his wife had the following children: William of Rush Hill, Missouri; Elizabeth, wife of Harmon Passow of Jolly, Iowa; Mrs. John W. Mumm; Frederick, deceased; Christ W. of Pomeroy, Iowa; Caroline, deceased; Mollie, wife of Elmer Wells of Pomeroy, Iowa; Phillip, deceased; Mary, wife of Lewis Rost of Pomeroy, Iowa; Emma of Pomeroy; and Sadie, wife of Arthur Brown of Fonda, Iowa.
The efforts put forth hy Mr. Mumm as a farmer were always stimulated by the presence of wife and a family of growing children. The children born to their union were ten in number. DeEtta is the wife of Chester Place, a farmer; Frederick is deceased; Luther is still on the home farm; Otis of Tipton, Illinois, resides on an eighty-acre farm owned by his father; Myrtle is the wife of Rudolph Kiewitt, of Tipton, Illinois; the other children, all at home, are Vera, Luella, Hazel, Cordelia and Wilson.
In political matters Mr. Mumm has followed an independent course as a rule. He has served as school director and as school trustee, and in fraternal matters is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Masonic order. He and his family worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Sidney.
