Joseph H. Hummel, 51, of 1311 Calvin ave., SE., died late Friday afternoon at his home. Mr. Hummel, who was a lifelong resident of Grand Rapids, and a well known certified public accountant, had been ill for a long time.
A native of Grand Rapids, he lived as a boy, at 134 Lafayette ave., NE., where his father kept a herd of cows.
A speech difficulty made him decide to attend the McLachlan Business Institute instead of going to high school. His first full time job was as a combination stenographer and janitor for J. U. Smith, a private detective.
Later, he attended a speech school at Indianapolis, Ind., and, in 1913, qualified through civil service examination as deputy collector of internal revenue, being stationed at Madison, Wis. He remained there until 1918, when he was called for army service and was stationed at a flying field near Detroit.
On being mustered out of service, he returned to Detroit as a cost analyst for the army ordnance department. In 1920, he came back to Grand Rapids and spent a year as a singing instructor.
Although a victim of stammering, Hummel had a fine voice and cultivated it throughout his life. He sang in church choirs at Madison and Detroit and, in 1921, passed a season as a singer on a chautauqua circuit.
Returning to Grand Rapids, he became a bookkeeper for the Yellow Cab company here and in the same year married Jessie Strong of Mt. Pleasant, who survives him. Joining the staff of the Michigan Trust company, he was made assistant receiver of the Fox Typewriter company for which he had worked as a schoolboy.
Subsequently, he became an employe of the Parsons Audit company and then a partner in the fir, resigning in 1924 to go in business for himself as a public accountant. He became a certified public accountant in 1929 and in 1941 he was joined by C. S. McEwan to launch the firm Hummel and McEwan.
Hummel was a member of York Masonic lodge, DeWitt Clinton consistory and Saladin shrine. Saladin Shrine Chanters since 1920 and they are to take part in his funeral service.
He was a member and treasurer of the Schubert club, was Messiah soloist for Calvin College Choral society for 10 years and spent 13 years as director of the choir of Second Congregational church.
Photography was one of his hobbies and he was a member of the Grand Rapids Camera club.
Other affiliations included the Lions club, the Chamber of Commerce and the American Institute of Accountants. He was one of the organizers and served as secretary for the Western Michigan Chapter of the Association of Certified Public Accountants.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a foster daughter, Patricia Irene; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hummel; two brothers, John E. Hummel of Washington, D. C., and Raymond T. Hummel of Grand Rapids, and two sisters, Mrs. Andrew Vanderveen and Mrs. Albert Larink, both of Grand Rapids.
Funeral services are to be held Monday at 2 p.m. from the Secon Congregational church. Rev. Frank T. Jensen, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Restlawn cemetery. The body will remain at the Greenhoe funeral home until Monday noon.