Notable people · Business
J. M. Smucker
Wayne County farmer and cider-mill operator who founded The J.M. Smucker Company in Orrville in 1897, first selling apple butter from a horse-drawn wagon. The firm was incorporated in 1921 and remains headquartered in Orrville.
At a glance
- Born
- 1858-12-05
- Died
- 1948-03-20
- Known as
- Business
- Organizations
- J.M. Smucker Company
Life story
Jerome Monroe Smucker was born in Wayne County in 1858 to Mennonite farmers of Swiss descent. The family name had passed from Schmucker to Smoker before settling as Smucker.
He married Ella Yoder of Bristol, Indiana, in 1890. In 1897 he added a cider mill in Orrville and began making apple butter from a family recipe, selling it from a horse-drawn wagon.
He incorporated the business in 1921. He was active at Oak Grove Mennonite Church near Smithville, a charter member of Orrville Mennonite Church and a Sunday school teacher.
He died in 1948 at 89 and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Orrville. His son Willard grew the company, and a great-great-grandson became chief executive in 2016.
Timeline
- 1858-12-05: Born in Wayne County, OH (Wayne County, OH) source
- 1890-03-23: Marries Ella Yoder (Bristol, IN) source
- 1897: Adds cider mill and starts selling apple butter (Orrville, OH) source
- 1921: Company incorporated (Orrville, OH) source
- 1933-03-06: Wife Ella dies (Orrville, OH) source
- 1948-03-20: Dies at 89; funeral at Oak Grove church; buried in Crown Hill Cemetery (Orrville, OH) source
What J. is known for
- Founded J.M. Smucker Company, Orrville, 1897 (cider mill, apple butter)
- Company incorporated 1921; glass jars helped reach $1 million sales by 1939
- Founded The J.M. Smucker Company, Orrville, 1897
Inventions and firsts
- J. M. Smucker Company (1897)
Family
- wife: Ella M. Yoder
- father: Gideon Smucker
- mother: Magdalena Zook Smucker
- son: Willard Smucker
Places in Ohio to see
- Crown Hill Cemetery (grave)
1729 W High St, Orrville, Wayne County ZIP 44667 · Orrville · Wayne County · official page
Ohio places
Where J. M. Smucker was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Orrville area, Wayne County ZIP 44667 · Wayne County
- Worked: Orrville, Wayne County ZIP 44667 · Orrville · Wayne County
- Buried: Orrville (Crown Hill Cemetery), Wayne County ZIP 44667 · Orrville · Wayne County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.
- Jerome Monroe Smucker (Wikipedia, pointer) born 1858-12-05, died 1948-03-20, Crown Hill Cemetery, 1897
- J. M. Smucker Company (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History) born 1858-12-05 Orrville, cider mill 1897
- The J.M. Smucker Company (Wikipedia, pointer) 1897 founding, 1921 incorporation