Christian Frederick Schmidt

Christian Frederick Schmidt and Johanna Wilhelmina (Heimke) Schmidt

Christian Frederick Schmidt and Johanna Wilhelmina (Heimke) Schmidt, pioneers of Renville County, who were both born in Pommern, Germany, left Germany in 1862. They settled near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Christian told of their leaving Germany for their new home in America, with his young wife expecting their first child, and how his father, with tears in his eyes shook his hand and wished him God's blessings. The journey was hard and long and they feared their baby would be born on board ship. Herman was born shortly after their arrival at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Christian had to leave home for days on end seeking work to provide for this family. Johanna was left alone with the baby and was often very frightened. She had to take the cow a long distance from the house to graze, leaving the baby alone. In the evening she had to go get the cow and milk it.

From Wisconsin, they came to Minnesota and located in Flora Township, Renville County. They came to the county by team and wagon, bringing their three children with them. Mr. Schmidt secured a homestead of 80 acres in section 24, where he built a log cabin and improved the place, later building an A frame house, which was occupied by a grandson, Henry Schmidt, until his death in August of 1979. At his death, Christian had increased his acreage to 480 acres of land.

When their son, Arnold, planned to get married, they built a set of frame buildings across the road south and a little east of the home place in section 25 and lived there until their death.

Christian was born in Germany on November 17, 1836 and died in Flora Township on March 11, 1908, at the age of 71 years, 3 months and 22 days. His wife was born in Germany in 1839, and died of cancer of the liver and complications of a broken hip on May 25, 1911, at her home at the age of 71 years, 6 months and 10 days. They were both buried on their homestead in Flora Township, Renville County, Minnesota.

Their children were: Herman, Richard, Ida, Reinhold, Martha, Anne, Bertha, Arnold, Frederick and Augusta. Frederick died when he was an infant. Augsuta said that the doctor thought it possibly could have been a ruptured appendix as he seemed a perfectly healthy baby, until taken suddenly ill and he died shortly after. He was buried on the old St. Matthew Church Cemetery across the ravine west of the Vincent Werner farm in section 34 of Flora Township.

Christian Frederick often did carpenter work and worked in the sawmills as far away as St. Peter, Minnesota. He walked many a time to and from St Peter, when he could be spared from home. Johanna told of often seeing the Indians traveling through the tall rushes near their place and fearing that they might steal their cow.