Tschumperlin Family Papers

18.22 linear feet [42 boxes]

The Tschumperlin Family Papers contain eight record series: Mining, Furniture, Funeral, Red Cross, Books, Personal and Photographs, Other, and Financial Records. The papers relate mostly to Aloys John Tschumperlin, son of Aloys Tschumperlin and Mary Grandelmeyer.

Series 1: Mining

This series contains records related to the mines near the city of Hamilton in White Pine County, Nevada. The mines were initially owned by Aloys Tschumperlin's uncle Joseph Grandelmeyer, who settled in the area ca. 1868. Grandelmeyer died in December 1906 and left the mines to Tschumperlin and other nieces and nephews. Tschumperlin helped manage the mines from afar, often leasing them to other parties, periodically investigating the remaining mineral worth, and attempting to sell them for profit. Tshcumperlin and the others eventually lost ownership of the mines due to the non-payment of back taxes during the Great Depression.

Series 2: Furniture

Divided into two sub-series, this series contain records about the Tschumperlin Furniture Company

Sub-series 1: Correspondence and Invoices

There are letters of correspondence to and from manufacturers and wholesalers regarding advertising, pricing, stock, quotes, order problems, and shipping. The majority of invoices are from wholesalers to Tschumperlin Furniture Co. for both merchandise and published ad space.

Sub-series 2: Advertisements and Catalogs

This sub-series contains catalogs (included is the year the catalog was released) and advertisements from manufacturers that often include a price list.

Series 3: Funeral

Divided into two sub-series, this series contain records about the Tschumperlin funeral business

Sub-series 1: Correspondence, Invoices, and Other Material

There are letters of correspondence to and from manufacturers and wholesalers regarding products, discounts, equipment, order inquiries, stock, shipping, and payment. The majority of invoices are from manufacturers to the Tschumperlin Company for supplies and equipment, mostly from the St. Paul Casket Co. There are also invoices from Tschumperlin Co. to clients for embalming services. There are various permits and certificates including transportation of corpse permits from dead World War I soliders and also for Tschumperlin's mother Mary. There is a certificate from the Minnesota Board of Health to Tschumperlin's brother Joseph W. that shows he was a licensed embalmer in the state of Minnesota.

Sub-series 2: Advertisements, Catalogs, and Publications

The records include publications that update changes within the funeral business - funeral and supply codes, health, and chemicals. They also include new merchandise, articles about restorative art, infection prevention, and embalming treatments.

Series 4: Red Cross

Tschumperlin was named chapter chairman of the Red Cross Stearns County chapter in June 1932. The chairman was tasked with the distribution of flour and feed to the needy farmers and families in the county. The Red Cross requisitions contain a notebook with Red Cross notes and American National Red Cross Warehouse requisition slips to the Stearns County chapter noting the delivery and distribution of flour.

Series 5: Books

This series contains books from Tschumperlin's personal collection of books, including those in German, spelling books, a hymn book, and a violin methods book. There is also an account book of Earl Scott who worked in the real estate and insurance business. (Tschumperlin purchased the house Earl Scott and his family lived in and turned it into a funeral home in 1930.)

Series 6: Personal and Photographs

Divided into two sub-series, this series contains personal correspondence and images.

Sub-series 1: Personal

This sub-series contains personal correspondence written to Aloys Tschumperlin from 1901 to 1930. The correspondence chronicle mostly personal matters and, sometimes, business. The letters from friend Gustav Schwyzer and Tschumperlin's wife Elizabeth McLaughlin (including letters before they married in August 1907) had been separated from the rest of the correspondence. Other correspondents include daughter Margaret, sisters Mary, Anna, and Ethel, brothers Joseph and Ray, cousins Rosa Grandelmeyer and Luella Morehead, father-in-law Jason McLaughlin, uncles Joseph and Chris Grandelmeyer, St. Cloud State faculty member George Hubbard, George Benz, and other extended famliy members and friends.

Sub-series 2: Photographs

The images here are mostly unidentified except for the folders that have identified images, including Aloys and Margaret Tschumperlin and the Schwyzer family. Also included here is a confirmation certificate for the Martha, Edna, and Emma Kuhlman.

Series 7: Other

This series contains records that do not fit into other series. Included is a medical record for Aloys Tschumperlin from St. Raphael's Hospital, Tschumperlin's World War I registration card, miscellaneous financial records including three small notebooks, school work that belongs to Peter Scott (Tschumperlin purchased the house from the Scott family and turned it into a funeral home in 1930), various newspaper clippings, and records pertaining to Tschumperlin's various business organizations such as Elks Home Fund Association, St. Cloud Business Men's Association, and Catholic Order of Foresters. There are also records pertaining to the Pan Motor Company in which Tschumperlin was a stockholder of for at least 20 shares. There are letters to subscribers and shareholders asking for money and updating on shareholder meetings and news. Also included is a Pan Car brochure, stock certificates, and copies of purchases orders from S.C. Pandolfo to Tschumperlin Furniture Company. There is also a letter Tschumperlin wrote in support of Pan Motor Company being able to sell stock in Minnesota. The records from the St. Cloud Credit Association contain weekly bulletins. Their goal was to maintain an adequate credit rating system for businesses in St. Cloud. The bulletin had updates on those with chattel mortgages, liens, deeds, real estate mortgages, etc.

Series 8: Financial Records

This series includes multiple volumes of financial books and ledgers pertaining to the furniture or funeral businesses. The accounting journals list cash receipts and disbursements on a double entry basis, and receivables and credit sales on a single entry basis. The account ledger contains Tschumperlin's customer accounts and the transactions of each customer. The ledger keeps track of customers in alphabetical order. The St. Cloud Normal School is listed in this ledger along with its transactions with Tschumperlin Furniture Company. The sales journals keep track of what is being sold by listing the date, customer's name, and what they purchased along with the price.

The Tschumperlin Family papers are organized into eight series: Mining, Furniture, Funeral, Red Cross, Books, Personal and Photographs, Other, and Financial Records.

Series 1: Mining

The records are organized in alphabetical order.

Series 2: Furniture

Split into two sub-series, the records are organized in alphabetical order.

Series 3: Funeral

The records are organized in alphabetical order.

Series 4: Red Cross

The records are organized chronologically.

Series 5: Books

The books are organized chronologically.

Series 6: Personal and Photographs

Sub-series 1 is organized alphabetically and then by date. Sub-series 2 is organized in alphabetically and then identified when possible.

Series 7: Other

The records are organized in alphabetical order.

Series 8: Financial records

The records are organized alphabetically and then by date.

Records are located at 37D.5a-7f, 37E.1a-7b, and 38A.1a.

There are no access restrictions.

Permission to publish, quote, and reproduce must be secured from the copyright holder.

According to the accession file, the records were donated by Thomas Williams, whose famliy had owned the Williams Funeral Home - and formerly the Tschumperlin-Williams Funeral Home.  The papers were in the attic of the funeral home at 315 West St. Germain Street in the former Edelbrock-Zapp-Scott home. Aloys Tschumperlin turned the home into a funeral home in 1930. The home was torn down in late 1973 and the business moved to 1900 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud, MN, and is today (2019) the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home.  Bernard Williams had purchased the Tschumperlin funeral home business in 1949 and his son Thomas donated the Tschumperlin papers to the Central Minnesota Historical Center in 1973.

Gift

Donated to the now former Central Minnesota Historical Center, now under the auspices of the St. Cloud State University Archives.

Processed by Marissa Hendrickson from October through December 2019.