Emma Scherer was born in Naperville, Illinois on January 23, 1875, to Christian Scherer and his wife Mary Stenger Sherer.  According to her granddaughter, "At some time when she was a young teenager, she went to get medicine for her mother and it was extremely cold outside.  Her eardrums cracked and she was deaf the rest of her life.  If you talked real loud she could hear you.  I think  that is why she did so much crocheting and quilting.  She also played the piano,;  she would put a pancake turner in her mouth and touch it to the piano, and could somehow identify music by the vibration.

    "Her father owned the Scherer Hardware store in Naperville.  My grandmother married Edward Mertz in 1901 and they had 5 children." Emma Scherer Mertz  died October 28, 1957.

    The following is a list of Naperville deaths, compiled by Emma Scherer Mertz and  submitted by her granddaughter, Dyonne Brys.  It appears that she began by listing the names of all people she had known in Naperville who preceeded her in death.  The last pages of names appear to have been added as these people died.   At times it must have seemed that she had been left behind by the entire town that she once knew.

    Several of the surnames appear to be misspelled, or perhaps I am misreading Mrs. Mertz's handwriting.  I have not made any corrections, but if you find an error, please let me know and I will correct the spelling in postscript.  Pat Sabin.   Transcribed September 1999


 
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