Reisterstown Community Cemetery: Samuel & Rebecca Storm

April 9th marks 122 years since the death of Samuel Petrus Storm.

Samuel was born on September 4, 1807 in Adams County, Pennsylvania, the son of Petrus ("Peter") and Eva Storm. Per the baptism records of the Sacred Heart Church in Conewago, he had at least three older siblings: Anna Maria, Lucia, and Jacobus. In the 1810 census, the Storm family was living near York, Pennsylvania.

Samuel moved to Maryland sometime prior to the 1830s, as on December 4, 1832, he married Rebecca Rachel Richardson Larsh, a widow with an eleven-year-old son, James (see the blog post from April 2013). Rebecca's first husband, Charles Larsh, had died in 1829. Samuel and Rebecca had three known children born in the 1830s, but the 1840 census indicates that there might have been another child; four children under the age of fourteen were living in the household that year.

On September 12, 1846, during the Mexican-American War, Samuel Storm received a commission in the Baltimore County Militia's 36th Regiment.

For the 1850 census, Samuel served as an Assistant Marshal, and as such, swore to "make a true and exact enumeration of all the inhabitants within the district" and "faithfully collect the other statistics therein". Assistant Marshals were paid two cents for each person they counted, ten cents per farm, fifteen cents for "each establishment of productive industry", and were allowed ten cents per mile "for necessary travel". Samuel's name was included on each of the 490 pages of population schedules for Baltimore County's first district, including over 19,000 residents. The forms for the 1850 census had 42 lines on each page, but interestingly, Samuel left the first and last lines blank on his forms - perhaps to make counting easier, with an even 40 names per page?

The Storm family was counted on the last census page for the district. Appropriately, Samuel listed his occupation as "Deputy Marshall". He was 42 years old, and owned real estate valued at $2,000. Two children were living in the household, fourteen-year-old Samuel and ten-year-old Juliet, both of whom were attending school.

The following year, Samuel was elected to serve as Sheriff of Baltimore County, winning only by a close margin. He received 1,966 votes, whereas his opponent William Duncan received 1,803 votes. Samuel served a two-year term, from 1851 to 1853.

In the 1860 census, Samuel had no occupation given, and curiously, was not listed as owning any real estate. His two children Samuel and Juliette were still living at home, with Samuel working as a clerk. Living next door was his son Edwin, a hotel keeper, with his wife Sarah and infant son William.

Samuel Storm was a staunch Confederate supporter during the Civil War, serving as Captain of the Reisterstown Riflemen. Samuel's son used to tell the story of how Union troops were going through the town in search of Captain Storm, who had hidden in the cellar of a house near the Lutheran Church on Main Street. The cellar had a wide plank that covered a little stream, where the lady of the house stored cream, milk, and butter, and where Samuel chose to hide. According to the tale, several Union soldiers went down into the cellar, but it was so dark, they couldn't see, and one of them accidentally walked into the stream. The soldier yelled out, "Come and get me! There is no damn Rebel down here!" And Samuel was never found there.

The Storms' eldest son Edwin was just 33 years old when he passed away on April 17, 1867. His widow Sarah and their four young children went to live with Samuel and Rebecca before the 1870 census, when they were all counted in one household. Samuel was listed as a saddle maker, with Rebecca keeping house. Son Samuel was working as a court clerk. While Samuel's personal estate was valued at $500, and daughter-in-law Sarah's at $300, it is curious to note that Rebecca is the one listed as owning the real estate, valued at $1,200.

A map of Reisterstown from 1877 shows the location of the Storms' home, located at the south end of Main Street, between present-day Walgrove Road and Berrymans Lane.

Rebecca Storm passed away on July 28, 1875, at the age of 75.

In the 1880 census, Samuel Storm's occupation was given as magistrate. His daughter Juliette and daughter-in-law Sarah were keeping house, while grandson William was apprenticed to a printer, and grandchildren Samuel and Rosa were attending school. Also living in the household were Sarah's mother, who was listed as a nurse, and two boarders, Sarah Chew and her son Frank.

Tragedy struck on August 7, 1890. Samuel and Rebecca's son William was vacationing with his wife Rosalie, daughter Edith, and son Bayard, at Rosecroft in St. Mary's County for the summer. That afternoon, Rosalie and the children had gone swimming with a group of friends in St. Inigoes Creek, when a steamer passed by, causing an undertow which pulled several of the swimmers out into deeper waters, including Rosalie. Edith went further into the water to try to save her mother. Local oystermen were able to rescue nine people, but neither Rosalie nor Edith were among those saved. A distraught William quickly returned home to Baltimore with Bayard. A solemn double funeral was held a few days later, but Samuel Storm, near 84 years old, was unable to make the trip into the city for the service.

Samuel Storm passed away three years later on April 9, 1893.

Samuel and Rebecca's children were:

Edwin L. Storm, 1833-1867, husband of Sarah Keagey
Samuel William Storm, 1835-1916, husband of (1) Rosalie Clair Hancock and (2) Blanche Hackette
Juliette Rebecca Storm, 1838-1909, unmarried

Samuel Storm's Signature

Sources:
Ancestry.com (census records & map)

Year: 1810; Census Place: Heidelberg, York, Pennsylvania; Roll: 57; Page: 132.
Year: 1840; Census Place: District 5, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: 162; Page: 161.
Year: 1850; Census Place: District 1, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: M432_280; Page: 464A.
Year: 1860; Census Place: District 4, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: M653_468; Page: 36.
Year: 1870; Census Place: Reisterstown, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: M593_569; Page: 282A.
Year: 1880; Census Place: District 4, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: 495; Page: 571B.