Edward Adam Stumpf (1860-1936)
Edward Adam Stumpf was born in Wald-Michelbach in the Grand Duchy of Hesse on 23 August 1860 to Johan Adam Stumpf and Maria Margaretha Knapp. He was the 10th of 11 children.
His father was a stone mason from Ober-Absteinach. His mother was born in Wald-Michelbach, the daughter of an Innkeeper. The family had financial means enough for Edward to be very well-educated. The family was Roman Catholic and the oldest son, Johannes became a priest. Their three daughters (Elizabeta, Anna Maria and Sofia) and one son (Johan Georg) remained in Germany. But seven of their sons (Adam, Peter, Christof, Josef, Georg, and Edward) immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Richmond, Virginia.
Find out more about the Six Stumpf Brothers here.
Immigration to the U.S.
Maria Margaretha Knapp's sister, Anna Maria Knapp married Georg Sebastian Michel. Two of their children were the first in the family to immigrate. Son Johan Leonhard Michel immigrated by 1865 and married in New York by 1869. Daughter Eva Barbara Michael married in Manhattan, New York in 1871. The Michel family was involved in the brewery business like the Stumpfs. It was with these families that the first Stumps arrived in the U.S.
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Peter and Elisabeta are living with the Michel family in New York City by 1870.
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Peter moved to Richmond, Virginia. But Elisabeta seems to have returned to Germany.
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Christof died in Richmond, Virginia in July 1874.
Edward is first mentioned in Richmond in 1877 working as a bartender at John Marxhausen and living adjacent to his brother's Adam and Peter. By 1883 several of the brothers are working and living in Richmond:
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Adam is a stonecutter living at 203 East Marshall Street
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Edward has open his saloon at 826 East Main Street and lived at 203 East Marshall Street
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Georg worked at Edward's restaurant as a bartender and lived at 203 East Marshall Street
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Peter opened his own company, beer makers, Peter Stumpf & Co., with John Messerschmidt at 1817 East Main Street.
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Joseph arrived in the U.S. by 1883 and was in Richmond by 1885.
Marriage to Bertha Fredericka Schumann
When he was 24 years old, Edward married Bertha Fredericka Schumann on 31 August 1884. Edward was Catholic, but Bertha's family was Protestant. Her father Julius G. Schumann helped start the German Evangelical Church (now St. John's). Bertha was born in Richmond in 1861 to German immigrants. Julius arrived in Richmond from Leipzig in 1851. Her mother, Fredericka Catharina Dick arrived in New York City from Geislingen, in Wurttemberg in 1848 with her maternal aunt, Matilda (Kolesch) Emmiger, who died shortly after their arrival. Her uncle-in-law left her in the guardianship of the Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, who married the couple in 1858. Bertha was said to be an excellent cook and learned her high German from her mother. She converted to Catholicism in order to marry Edward.
Edward and Bertha are reported to have been a love match. They had three children in quick succession.
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Edward Adam Jr. was born 7 May 1886
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Julius Johannes was born 27 Jul 1887
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Marie Louise was born 22 August 1888.
That's 3 children in under 2.5 years. There is a family rumor that Edward look at trip to "visit family" in Europe shortly after Marie Louise was born. Once he returned the couple had no further children.
Bertha (Schumann) Stumpf helped run the family restaurant and later the hotels. A few of her recipes survive.
Edward's Business & Personal Life
Besides his restaurant on Main Street in downtown Richmond. Edward was involved in the social life of Richmond, and frequently appears in the social columns of the local newspapers. He voted Democrat. In 1898 he purchases his father-in-law's jewelry store that had been struggling financially. He purchased the land and the building for $1640. The following year it was taxed for taxes at $11,950. In 1901 he was fined for selling Liquor on a Sunday. By 1908 he was the President of the Richmond Liquor Dealers Association. He travelled multiple times back to Europe and on one association met (along with his brother Joseph) with Adolph Busch the president of Anheuser-Busch Company. Edward was in business with his brother Peter (of Peter Stumpf Brewing Company and Richmond Cold Storage).
1908-1909
Edward, Bertha, Julius and Marie Louise took a trip to Europe in 1908, departing in June of that year. Edward had business there. Julius and Marie Louise enjoyed their Grand Tour visiting many towns and meeting family. Edward's family returned on 18 November 1908 to New York City.
Sadly, their son Julius died 20 December that same year of tuberculosis at age 21. He was unmarried.
About 3 weeks later, on 11 January 1909, while that family was still likely deeply mourning, Edward's daughter Marie Louise was assaulted three or four blocks from their home, early in the morning, on her way to Confession before Mass at St. Mary's German Catholic Church. Edward and Marie's names were printed in newspapers all over the country as the news of the attack on a wealthy businessman's daughter by a black man spread. Read more about her story here.
In June 1909 Edward expanded his business. He was opening a Hotel at the corner of 8th and Main Streets. A year later on 6 August 1910 the Stumpf Hotel was opened. Edward doubled the hotel's size by 1913.
World War I
The backlash against German immigrants in the U.S. during World War I, prompted Edward to join with other business owners to promote the purchase of Liberty Bonds to raise funds for the war effort.
Later Life
In January 1920, Prohibition Laws in the U.S. affected the remaining Stumpf brothers living in Richmond. In 1922 the Stumpf Hotel closed. Edward transitioned to running Southside Brick Works Company. He also had worked with his brother Peter to run Merchants Cold Storage and Ice Manufacturing.
His wife, Bertha died of pneumonia in 1926. They are buried with their son Julius is Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery.
Edward died in 1932 at age 71 of heart failure after living his remaining years with his son Edward's family.
Edward lived a remarkable life.
