Jerome Monroe Smucker
Jerome Monroe Smucker | |
---|---|
Born | December 5, 1858 Wayne County, Ohio, United States |
Died | March 20, 1948 (aged 89) Wayne County, Ohio, United States |
Occupation(s) | Farmer, entrepreneur |
Known for | Founding The J.M. Smucker Company |
Jerome Monroe Smucker (December 5, 1858 – March 20, 1948)[1] was an American farmer and entrepreneur who founded The J.M. Smucker Company food and beverage firm in 1897, starting out selling apple butter from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. He was of Swiss descent.
Biography
Smucker, born in
On March 23, 1890 Smucker married Ella M. Yoder, of Bristol, Ind., who predeceased him on March 6, 1933. Early in life he accepted Christ as his Savior and united with the Oak Grove
He was an active Christian worker, serving the Sunday school as teacher and superintendent for many years. He was also greatly interested in the educational and missionary activities of the church, supporting the work through his prayers and liberal giving. He was a lifelong resident of the Orrville community, where he attained prominence by founding the manufacturing company which bears his name.[3] Funeral services were held at the Oak Grove Church on March 23, in charge of V. M. Gerig and I. W. Royer. Interment was made in the Crown Hill Cemetery at Orrville.
The distinctive surname was originally Schmucker, when Smucker's great-great-grandfather came to America from Switzerland in the 1700s. It was later spelled Smoker for about two generations, before the family's forebears grew uncomfortable with a name that suggested tobacco use and took to spelling the name Smucker.[2]
Smucker's great-great-grandson, Mark Smucker, has been CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company since 2016.[5] Jerome's son Willard led to a significant expansion of the company in the 1950s and 1960s.[6]
References
- ^ www.findagrave.com
- ^ a b c "Jerome M. Smucker". Ohio History Central.
- ^ a b "10 Things You Might Not Know About Smucker's". 29 Jan 2016. Retrieved 31 Dec 2023.
- Business Week. October 4, 2004.
Richard Smucker: He [Jerome Smucker] was a Mennonite. My grandfather [Smucker's son, Willard E. Smucker] was Presbyterian. And then our father [Paul Smucker] came into Christian Science through our mother during World War II
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". The J.M. Smucker Company. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "Willard Smucker. 1891 - 1970". Retrieved December 31, 2023.