Surnames: Gummert, Clemmer, Shutz, Sheppard, Hastings
Dr Lewis C Gummert, a prominent young physician and surgeon of Brownsville, is a son of Thomas C Gummert and Amanda A Clemmer Gummert, and was born in Brownsville, February 5, 1860.The ancestry of Dr Gummert's family goes back to Revolutionary days when Christian Gummert, his great grandfather, left Germany on account of religious persecution and landed at Richmond, Virginia. He entered the Continental Army and served throughout the war. After his discharge he settled in Virginia, and died at Shepherd's church, that State, after seeing twelve birthdays in the second century of his life.
Christian P Gummert, the grandfather of Dr Gummert, was born in 1806 in Charlestown, Virginia, and came to Fayette county in 1820. He was a shoemaker and secured a contract for making the shoes for the men then employed on the National Roade between Uniontown and Washington, Penna. In connection with his shoe business, he did a profitable and successful banking business. He was one of the old members of Christ's Protestant Episcopal church.
He married Miss Shutz and then Miss Sheppard of West Virginia, and died in 1856. He was a prominent and influential Mason, and was one of the first officers of Brownsville Chapter No 164, R A M; Gummert Lodge No 252, A F and M. Fayette City was named for him. He was for many years grand master of the Masonic Order of Pennsylvania, the most important office in that ancient order.
Thomas C Gummert, the father of Dr Gummert, was born in 1832 and died in 1883. He was engaged for a while with his father in the banking business, afterward he was with John T Hogg in the banking business at Mt Pleasant, Greensburg, Pittsburgh and Brownsville. In 1854 he became assistant cashier in the Bank of Louisiana at New Orleans. In 1856 he returned home. In 1861 was employed in the United States commissary department during the war, and was stationed at Parkersburg, West Virginia. In 1865 he became chief clerk for Westley Frost, United States revenue collector of the Twenty second district.
At Frost's death he became collector, and served as such until 1869 when the Twenty second annual district was consolidated along with the Twenty fourth. He was a democrat, and was once nominated by his part for tegister and recorder of Fayette county, but declined to run on account
of his mercantile and other business at Brownsville. He was a member of the Episcopalian church, justice of the peace for sixteen years, a Knight Templary in Masonry, besides being a prominent member in five other secret orders. He was an active, useful, influential and honorable citizen of the county.Thomas C Gummert was married in 1858 to Miss Amanda A Clemmer of Smithfield. They had three children: Thomas N Gummert; C Lewis Gummert; and John S Gummert. Mrs Gummert was born in 1828 and died in 1879. Her father, Lewis Clemmer, was a native of Germany and a saddler by trade. His wife, Esther C Clemmer, was a niece of the Hon Benjamin Butler.
Dr C Lewis Gummert was educated in the public schools of Brownsville, and on leaving school engaged as a clerk in a store for four years. He quit the store to read medicine with his uncle, the late Dr U L Clemmer, attended lectures at the college of physicians and surgeons, Baltimore, Maryland. From this school he was graduated March 2, 1882, ranking eighth in a class of one hundred eighty four. In addition to his regular graduation he received an honorary diploma for operative surgery.
In May, 1882, he came to Brownsville and began the practice of his profession where he has practiced with great success ever since. He was appointed United States examing surgeon, August 4, 1885, and medical inspector to the State Board of Health in April, 1888. He is a member of
the Fayette County Medical Society, the American Medical Association, and the Internal Medical Congress. He is medical examiner for eight or ten secret order associations.Dr Gummert was married September 11, 1880, to Miss Mary Hastings of Brownsville. She was born in 1859, and died May 5, 1881.
He is a member of the I O O F, I O R M, and K of L. He is a solid democrat, a prominent citizen and an intelligent, skilled and careful physician.