I am proud to become the 1500th member of the Burgenland Bunch. My father Samuel Pumm was born in Kukmirn, Austria. His father was Michael Pumm and his mother was Julia Ernst. He left Kukmirn and sailed to America from Antwerp, Belgium on June 20, 1913, on the SS Finland. Sam settled in Buffalo, NY, mainly because his brother Frank Pumm was already there and working. Sam started as an apprentice in a local brewery. In his career he worked in various breweries in the Buffalo area. He retired in 1960 from the Phoenix Brewery. Sam died in Buffalo, NY in 1967. I am the second son of Samuel, with an older brother Edward, and a younger brother Paul.
My mother’s maiden name is Catherine Dukarm. My mother was born in St. Miklos, Banat Area of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Today it is part of Romania. Her family migrated in the 1700s from Eppelborn, Germany.

My dad was a member of the Buffalo-Austrian Benevolent Society. They owned their own meeting place in Buffalo, at 571 Broadway. They had a steward that ran the restaurant and bowling alleys. The membership consisted of almost 200 members, all with Austrian backgrounds. At one time, my uncle Frank Pumm was steward. Each year they had an Austrian day, with parade and picnic. Lots of beer and food was served. My mother was chairman of the kitchen, which served Hungarian goulash. In the parade my father carried the American flag, and I and my brothers carried the society banner.
In the walk around Kukmirn pictures (supplied by Hannes Graf) you sent me, you showed a statue of soldiers that served with the German forces during World War II. One name on the statue was Edward Pumm. My brother Edward Pumm served in the US Air Force in Italy and flew 50 missions over Germany and Austria. He didn’t know at that time he had a cousin with the same name fighting for the German army!!!
I also served in the US Army as a MP Sergeant in 1946 in Germany. I tried to get to Kukmirn, but it was occupied at that time by the Russians. I am now retired from New York Telephone Company.