Richard J. Somers (1821 - 1883)

Born 11 Jun 1821 in Frome, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Lorinda (Church) Summers — married 1 Jan 1851 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Died 20 Dec 1883 at age 62 in Gladstone, Henderson, Illinois, USA

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Richard Somers migrated from England to USA.

Biography

Richard Somers (Sommers, Summers) was born in Marston, Somerset England on 11 Jun 1821, the son of Joseph Somers and Nancy Ann Hopkins. Richard was baptised on 16 Oct 1791 in Repton, Derby, England.^[1]

Richard immigrated to Illinois with his mother Nancy Ann Summers and his siblings aboard the ship Bristol, arriving in New York on 6 Jul 1835^[2].

Marriage and Family

On 11 Jul 1846, Richard married Mary Whaling in Chicago, Illinois, but she died in 1849.

Richard Summers married Lorinda Church on 1 Jan 1851 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Lorinda and Richard had the following children:

• Charles 1851-
• Albert Joseph 1853 -
• Richard 1856 (died as infant) -
• Ada - 1858 (confirmed by 1880 census)
• Adele -1862 (confirmed by 1880 census)

Death in Railroad Accident

Richard was killed in the Gladstone railroad accident near Chicago. The Pleasanton Observer-Enterprise of Pleasanton, Kansas ran a story of the accident on page one on 29 Dec 1883. It read:

A passenger train on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad ran into the rear end of another train at Gladstone, 111., the other morning, telescoping a Pullman car, which ignited and was completely destroyed. Richard Somers, Superintendent of the Dining Car Service, was instantly killed and his body burned almost beyond recognition. Six other passengers were more or less injured, but none probably fatally. Two coaches were consumed. Loss about $50,000.

The Weekly Hawk Eye of Burlington, Iowa ran a biography of Richard Summers in its 27 Dec 1883 edition:

Richard Somers, who was killed in the Gladstone railroad accident, was a known and popular hotel man. He was born in Frome, Somersetshire, England on June 21, 1821, and, through in his 63rd year, he was active and thorough in all his business matters.

He arrived in New City from England July 8,1834, in his thirteenth year, and soon received his first hotel experience in Baggs' hotel, Utica, New York.

June 10, 1826, he arrived in Chicago, and was for some years and was for some years a steward on the lake steamers.

In 1872 Mr. Somers went to New York take charge of the Grand Union hotel near the Grand Central depot, and in 1878 he returned to Chicago and accepted a position of steward at the Palmer House.

In 1873, in company with John A. Rice of the Tremont House, he went to Philadelphia to manage the Globe hotel, the temporary hotel erected opposite the Centennial buildings.

When this was torn down, in 1870, Mr. Somers went back to Chicago again and took the stewardship of the Tremont house. Soon after he went back again to to the Palmer and then to the Gardner house, which was under the Goodrich management.

In 1878, he went to Galveston Texas, and managed the Tremont House there for six monts. Eaily in 1879 went to the Plankinton house, Millwaukee, as steward, and remained here until October 1 last, when he signed to take the position he was at the time of his death--that of superintendent of the commissary department he Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, having charge of the dining eating houses, and lunch counters on the line of that road between Chicago Denver.

At the time of his sudden and painful death, Mr. Somers was on a trip to the west to do something more for the organization of the service. He had recently completed this work, and by the end of the year would have had his business well in hand, but to establish his headquarters in Chicago and direct ieutenants.

Mr. Somers was a splendid organizer and very enthusiastic about his work.

Notes

Other spellings of last name entered when profile was created: Sommers, Summers.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptismal record, cited below
2. ↑ 1835 Arrival document for ship Bristol, under name "Ann Simmers" cited below

• Richard Sommers baptismal record: [1]

• Source Citation Year: 1835; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Line: 14; List Number: 445; Page Number: 3. Description: Ship or Roll Number: Bristol: [https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7488/images/NYM237_27-0190?pId=1022396863}

• Pleasanton, Kansas Enterprise: [2]

• The Weekly Hawk Eye (Burlington, Iowa), 27 Dec 1883, Thu, Page 12: [3]

• 1880 Census: [4]

• Richard Summers will: [https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9048/images/007654214_00379?pId=109888[