Remembering PFC. Robert Dummer, KIA

I never knew my Paternal Grandmother. Not long after my father was born, she passed away, in March of 1930. My Grandfather was left with two young children, and being a single father back in the 1930s, was no simple task. Soon he met a wonderful lady, Marie Dummer, whose husband had also passed way to soon. She was also a single parent, and the two of them found comfort in each other, and the needed piece to the missing domestic puzzle.

It was agreed that although Marie would take her new husband's name, her children would retain their father's surname. This explains why my Paternal Uncles, have the last name Dummer. One of those young boys, was Robert. Since my dad was also named Robert, one was referred to as Bob, and my dad Robert. We always knew when dad got a call from someone in St. Peter, they would ask for Robert, the locals would always say Bob.

My dad wasn't even a teenager when WWII broke out, but his dad, and three of his step brothers eventually went off to war. Grampa Otto was a Sea Bee, having been an ambulance driver in WWI. Stanley, stationed in the South Pacific with the Navy and Lamoyne, a Merchant Marine, also in the South Pacific, and Robert. Youngest Brother Vane was in high school. They all came home, accept Bob. Some snippets of News article in the local St. Peter Herald

St. Peter Herald
Friday October 6, 1944

An infantryman of eight months experience in the army, Private Robert Dummer, son of Mr. and Mrs, Otto Schiebel of St. Peter, died on German soil September 16. Notification was received by his wife at Montevideo and by his mother, Mrs. Schiebel, Wednesday.

The War Department telegram simply said that he died of wounds in Germany.

The young St. Peter soldier would have been 21 years old in December. Born near Henderson, he came to St. Peter with the family when he was about 10 years old and had gone through St. Peter grade and high schools. He entered the army in December 1943 and after training at Camp Blanding, Fla. Infantry Replacement Center he was sent overseas last May. Just a week ago his mother received a letter saying he was then in Belgium.

St. Peter Herald
Friday October 13, 1944

A member of the Eighth Infantry, Robert was awarded the citation which had been given his outfit and he also wore a combat medal. He was home last April on Furlough and shortly thereafter went overseas

Pfc. Robert Dummer was buried in Europe, and at some point over the years his remains were moved to the Family Plot in Henderson MN. I visit him most every Memorial Day.

Flash

UPDATE: I have since done some digging, and found out how small of a world this is. Robert's only son Wayne, was later adopted by the man Robert's Widow would remarry. They would go on to have two daughters of their own. One of those daughters married a Stephen Hartwell, and they had two sons. One of those sons, I have discovered, marched with me in the Govenaires back in 2005. I have E-Mailed Aaron and it all checks out. Simply amazing. So, in case they start searching around, if there is a Michael Roozen, Shelbie Roozen (Dawkins ?), or Chelsea Roozen (Moffatt ?) out there that stumble upon this post, PLEASE contact me (flash -at- centrisity dot com ). Thanks