Fred B Schmidt (1874 - 1955)

Born 20 Jan 1874 in Karolswalde, Volhynia, Russia

Ancestors

Husband of Matilda (Wedel) Schmidt — married 30 Dec 1896 in Great Bend, Barton, Kansas, United States

Descendants

Died 10 Nov 1955 at age 81 in Greensburg, Kiowa, Kansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rita Martin [send private message]

Biography

Fred was born in Russia in1874 only months before the Schmidt family and most of their neighbors left Russia in the fall of 1874. Fred's family arrived in Philadelphia in January of 1875.^[1] The family then traveled by train to Kansas, settling in Barton County in a small Mennonite settlement.

Fred grew up in Barton County and married Matilda Wedel on 30 December 1896.^[2]

Fred and Matilda remained in Barton County for awhile then in 1910 moved their young family to Kiowa County where they lived the remainder of their lives. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}

Fred and Matilda had ten children - one dying at birth. They had five daughters and four sons who all grew to adulthood except young Fred, who died at age 16.

Matilda died in 1944. In1945, Fred married Laura Unruh. They moved in to Greensburg and in 1955, Fred died of prostate cancer.

Both Fred and Matilda are buried in Dundee Memorial Cemetery in Barton County. ^[9] Fred and his siblings started the Benjamin P Schmidt Family Reunion in Greensburg back in the 1930s and it is still held regularly to this day.

Here's a link to a blog post.

Sources

1. ↑ "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1882," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Record: K8CD-4QS: accessed 2020), Benjamin Schmidt family, 9 Jan 1875; from Russia arriving on Kenilworth; page 3, citing NARA microfilm publication M425 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
2. ↑ Barton County, Kansas, "Marriage Records," Marriage License Book C, 1896, page 228, bottom, Fred B. Smith & Matilda Wadel, 30 December 1896; Records Dept., Barton County Courthouse, Great Bend, Kansas.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Record: M2CF-B6N : accessed 29 April 2022), Fred B Schmidt, Ursula, Kiowa, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 102, sheet 3B, family 50, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 443; FHL microfilm 1,374,456.
4. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1915," database with images ,FamilySearch, (FamilySearch Record: QGFQ-MDDW: 2020), F B Schmidt, Highland Twp, Kiowa County, Kansas, United States; citing page 3, dwelling 10, family 10, Kansas State Historical Society microfilm, Topeka, Kansas.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Record: MF6V-HDG : 1 February 2021), Fred B Schmidt, 1920
6. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1925", database, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Record: QGVS-NKX1 : 17 December 2021), Frederic B Schneidt.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Record: X7QZ-WHW; 2020), Fred Schmidt household, Highland Township, Kiowa County, Kiowa, Kansas, United States; citing ED 49-7, sheet 1-B, dwelling 12, family 12, NARA microfilm T626. Washington, D.C.: National Archives & Records Administration.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Record: VRKD-55C; June 2014), F. B. Schmidt, Highland Township, Kiowa, Kansas, United States; citing ED 49-7, page 1B, household 10, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 06 February 2021), memorial page for Fred B. Schmidt (20 Jan 1874–10 Nov 1955), Find A Grave: Memorial #16733077, citing Dundee Valley Cemetery, Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas, USA ; Maintained by Rita (contributor 46874774) .

• Clarence Unruh, Benjamin P. Schmidt & Catharina Siebert Family Record (Kansas: self-published, circa 1983), ID number 5.
• Fleener's Funeral Home (Greensburg, Kansas), "February 14, 1952 to August 26, 1959," record 111, Fred B. Schmidt burial entry, 14 Nov 1959; privately held by Fleener Family, Greensburg, Kansas, 2004. The location of these records is unknown following the 2007 tornado that destroyed Greensburg.
• Fred B. Schmidt Funeral Card, , Schmidt Family Papers; privately held by Rita Schmidt Martin, Kansas City, MO, 2017. Papers collected by Harvey, Ken & Rita over the years.