Yuma County, Colorado
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Yuma County Pioneer Photographs:

Charles and Emma (Gerstenschlager) SCHMIDT

In 1880 Perry County, Illinois are John and Elizabeth Gerstenschlager.  Emma is 10, Ida 8,  John 5, and Lizzie 3.

That matches the 1870 Perry County listing of John Gerstenschlager, 24, with Elizabeth 23, both born Prussia, and four-month-old Emma.

(state records show a Charles Smith marrying Emma Gerstenschleger December 10, 1891 in Perry County)

In  1900 Perry County born February 1876 is Emma C. Schmidt, married to Charles. born August 1866 in Germany, immigrating in 1881.  They have Johnna September 1892 Illinois  (this must be Hannah) , Frieda M. September 1894, Andrew G. January 1896, and Theodore J. October 1897.

On the same page as John Gerstenschlager  in 1910 Yuma County  is Emma  Schmidt, 40 born in Illinois, married nineteen years to Charlie Schmidt  This is John's sister, per one family tree. They have Freda C. A. 16, Theodore G. W. 12, Ludwig C A. 9, Otto A. C. 7, Henrietta C. L . 6, and Adela S.W. 4.  All the kids were born in Illinois.


Karyn sent a copy of the 1919 Charlie Schmidt sale bill, when they moved to Kiowa County, where the people from the Parker, Lynch and Schmidt families got together.

The 1920 Kiowa County census has a listing for a Charlie SMITH, 54 Germany, with Anna 49 Germany.  They have Otto 16 Illinois, Henrietta P. 15 Illinois, Adelia M. 13 Illinois, and Elsie H. 8 Colorado.

On the next line is Andrew ScmidtH, 24, Illinois.

1922 Kiowa County Colorado "Charles Schmidt has been having some wheat threshed by Ben Wright and as he has finished there his machine has been moved to R. J. Philpy's place and he is doing some threshing from Mr. Philpy."

1924 Haswell Herald (Kiowa County) "Mrs. McCormick and Mrs. Fray of Holyoke are here visiting their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schmidt."

In 1930 Yuma County Charley and Emma E.  are living alone.



Charles and Emma - Thank you Karyn !
Karyn wrote "We had a 3 room house that was just a few hundred feet NE of Ludie's house on the farm. My parents lived there until I was 4 and they had a new house built on acreage NW of Ludie's a few miles. I had been told that it was moved into Holyoke but I don't know when or where for sure. If anybody can enlighten me I would really appreciate the info."


....Photos of the " blizzard of '49. Upper left is granddad's house and upper right is the 3 room house taken facing North."

ADELIA

Almost certainly she's the Della Schmidt age 18, who married William Gray, age 22, in Haswell on August 4, 1923.

In 1930  Yuma County, on the same census page as her parents, and married sisters Hannah and Elsie, are

William O. Gray 29 Oregon, Della M. 24, Albert J. 3, Betty R. twenty months, and Doris M. two months. All kids born in Colorado

In 1940 Carbon County, Wyoming William and Della have Jason 13, Betty 11, Doria 10, Floyd 8, and Leona 6.  All kids born in Colorado,.  William is a livestock dealer.

Possible :  Della Marie Schirmer - spouse Benjamin, in the Oregon Death Index born 1905, dying December 30, 1999. in Josephine Oregon.  SSDI has birth of September 30, 1905 and a social security number indicating Wyoming.

 

FREDA

Buel Floyd Eckman, 21 and Freda Schmidt, 17 married by C.W. Saderburg Nov 8, 1911 in Holyoke

See the Eckman page for more information on Buel and Freda.

HANNAH

In 1910 Hannah is certainly the Hannah Smith working in the John Y. Eckman home.  It was a few miles away.

In 1920 Yuma County Hannah is married to the widowed Sheridan O'Neal, (his first wife Sarah died October 1911 in Indiana) living just a few miles south of Wages, and Sheridan has a lot of ranch land..    They have Theodore, 17 and Glenn 12., both born in Indiana.

In 1930 Sheridan 54 and Hanna 37 are still in Weld Precinct.  Nadine N. is 3, and Glenn 22 are with them.  Ted has married Grace (I knew them personally - my mother is even listed in their household in 1940)  

In 1940 Hannah O'Neal is in Weld precinct, born 1893 in Illinois, widowed, a housekeeper for the widowed Frank N. Salvador, 71 and his youngest Percy 25 and Mary Fern 22.  Naomi N. is 13.

HENRIETTA

In 1930  Yuma County - same page as the Schmidts - Thomas L. McCormick 33 is married to Henrietta C. 26 Illinois.  They have Norma J. 6 and Lewis D. 3.

In 1940, still in Weld precinct, they have Norma 15, Louis 14, John T. 8 and Larry L. 2.

Holyoke Enterprise, Holyoke, CO, 8 Oct 1992

Henrietta McCormick of Holyoke was born March 8, 1904 to Charlie and Emma (Gerstenschlager) Schmidt of Pinkneyville, Illinois. She died Tuesday, October 6, 1992 at Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke at the age of 88.

Henrietta moved from Illinois to southern Colorado with her family at a very early age. The family then moved to Yuma County where she grew up.

On December 22, 1923 she was united in marriage to Lester McCormick at Wray. They lived and farmed in the Wages community until 1952 when they moved to Holyoke. There were four children born to this union.

After moving to Holyoke, Henrietta worked in the school food service for 18 years.

When she retired, she spent a great amount of time doing quilts, which was her favorite pastime. She belonged to the Crafty Quilters club.

Henrietta was a member of First United Methodist Church of Holyoke and had been a resident of Prairie Vista Care Center in Holyoke since April 4, 1989.

She was preceded in death by her husband Lester and son Larry.

Survivors include daughter Norma Jean Houston of Holyoke; sons Dean McCormick and wife Lola of Northglenn and J.T. McCormick and wife Darlene of Peoria, Arizona; two brothers; two sisters; eight grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

A memorial service was held at First United Methodist Church of Holyoke on Friday, October 9, 1992. Interment was in Holyoke Memorial Park.
Vicki, Do you know if Henrietta's mother was a daughter to Julius Gerstenschlager? He was the son of Johanne and Eva Juenger Gerstenschlager. Julius stayed in the Pickney area while his father moved to MI with the rest of his family. My grandfather, Joseph, only saw his brother Julius once. If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate any information. Thank you

kaymay1 on the Ancestry message board.

THEODORE

Theodore John Schmidt registered for WWI in Pottawattamie County Iowa, saying he was born October 29, 1897, and his father was Charles Schmidt of Holyoke.  His occupation is a member of the National Guard - Council Bluffs.

Possibly the Theo J. Schmidt in 1920 Seattle, working as a laborer in a a shipyard.

FindAGrave has him buried in Laramie Wyoming, dying March 5, 1975..

LUDWIG

Arthenia Margaret Parker was born June 18, 1902 in Wapello, Iowa to Lewis and Ada E. LYNCH Parker.  In 1910 Wapello County Iowa, Lewis and A.L. have Artie, 8, among their eight kids.  In 1930 Lewis and Ada are living in Pueblo Colorado with son Joe.

Ludwig C. Schmidt married Arthenia M. Parker February 22, 1922 in Colorado.



Thanks to Karyn !

In 1930 Yuma Ludwig 29 and Arthenia M. 27 have Ralph H. 7, Robert P. 4, and Margie L. ten-months.

In 1940 Yuma County Ludwig C. 39 is married to Artie M. 37, born Iowa.  They have Ralph H. 17, Robert P. 14, and Margie L. 10 - all born in Colorado

Holyoke Enterprise, Holyoke, CO, 3 Feb 1994

Ludwig "Ludie" Schmidt of Holyoke was born on October 21, 1900 at Pickneyville, IL, the son of Charles and Emma Gerstenschlager Schmidt. He passed away on Thursday, January 27, 1994 at Melissa Memorial Hospital at the age of 93.

When he was 9 years old, he moved to Colorado with his family to a homestead in the Wages Community. He attended school at Wages.

It was while he was living at Eads that he met Arthenia Parker. They were married at the Wages Church on February 22, 1922. They built their home and continued to live near Wages until 1961 when they retired and moved their house to Holyoke.

Arthenia passed away on March 15, 1973. Ludie continued to make his home in Holyoke.

A favorite pastime of his, in his later years, was playing golf.

Ludie was a member of the Wages Methodist Church for 40 years and the Holyoke Methodist Church for 30 years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Margie, sisters Freda Eckman, Hannah O'Neil and Henrietta McCormick and brothers Ted Schmidt and Otto Schmidt.

Survivors include sons Ralph Schmidt and wife Gwen of Oak Lawn, IL, Robert Schmidt and wife Dorothy of Englewood and Dennis Schmidt and wife Velma of Princeville, IL; brother Andrew Schmidt of Denver; sisters Della Schirmer of McKinleyville, CA and Elsie Stoermer of Holyoke; 11 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren; and 14 great great grandchildren.

Services were held Monday, January 31, 1994 at the United Methodist Church in Holyoke with Rev. Jack Pedotto officiating. Burial followed in Holyoke Memorial Park.
-------------------------------
Robert and Dorothy Schmidt married April 7, 1946.

They had Karyn, who had a baptism in September 1947 in Belmond, Iowa, Dorothy's hometown.


OTTO

Otto Schmidt married Mabel Lynch November 15, 1922 in Colorado.

On the same page in 1940  is Otto A., 37, married to Mabel 35 Missouri.  They have Otto Z 16, Clifford 13, L Charles 8, Wilbur L 4.

Holyoke Enterprise, Holyoke, CO, 23 Nov 2000

Otto Tillman Schmidt was born in Haswell on December 9, 1923 to Otto A. and Mabel (Lynch) Schmidt. He passed away November 12, 2000 in Burlington. Since he was named after his father, he was known as "Junior" to his family.

Junior attended school in Holyoke and graduated from Phillips County High School in 1943. He entered the Army Air Corps August 11, 1943 and received his basic training at Buckley Field. After completing basic training, he went to Kingman, Arizona to attend gunnery school. He took further training in Salt Lake City, Utah and Dyersburg, Tennessee before going overseas in May of 1944. Otto completed 26 missions over enemy territory and received the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Presidential Citation and two battle stars to the E.T.A. ribbon. Upon return to the United States, he was sent to armament school and was made an instructor upon graduation. He was honorably discharged in November of 1945.

Junior was united in marriage to Gwendolyn Larsen from October 25, 1944 until 1961 when they divorced. Born to this union were two sons, Jerry Otto and Gordon Lewis.

Junior farmed for a few years and then built grain elevators in Western Kansas until 1959. He was involved in home construction and remodeling in the Brighton area for the next five years.

Junior moved to Burlington in 1964 and continued in the construction business. On April 8, 1966, Otto married Thelma Funk and welcomed her three sons Ron, Gerry and Chuck into his family.

Junior became a contract hauler for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News in 1980. After 14 years of driving up and down the interstate with his faithful sidekick Zip, he quit so he could work with Jerry and Gordon until his retirement.

Family was very important to Junior and he always looked forward to family dinners and activities. He especially enjoyed the annual Schmidt Rendezvous when he, Gordon, Jerry and their sons and sons-in-law would meet the rest of the Schmidt "guys" in Meeker for fishing and reminiscing. He kept up with all the grandkids activities - he was as proud of swimming trophies and state football championship hats as the kids were and bragged about the talented artists his grandsons had become. He was a very devoted husband to Thelma, never complaining as he cared for her during her long battle with crippling arthritis.

Junior was a very special person who always looked past a person's faults and always saw the good in everyone. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Junior was preceded in death by his parents, wife Thelma, step-son Ron Parrish and grandson Zachary Schmidt.

Junior leaves to mourn his passing sons Jerry and wife Judy Schmidt of Brighton and Gordon and wife Kay Schmidt of Burlington; step-sons Charles Parrish of Burlington and Gerry Parrish of Bird City, Kansas; five grandchildren and 13 step-grandchildren; six great-grandchildren, 18 step-great-grandchildren; brothers Cliff and wife Dottie of Cashmere, Washington, Chuck and wife Minnie of Haxtun, Bill and wife Carol of Holyoke; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services were held Saturday, November 18 at Hendricks-Love Funeral Chapel in Burlington with Rev. Merlene Barner officiating. Burial was in the Grandview Cemetery, Wray.

 

ANDREW

On the next page in 1940  is Andrew 44, married to Lucille 35 Kansas.  They have Lee 14, Gladys 13, and Lois 9.

ELSIE

In 1930 Weld precinct an Elsie H. 18 is married to Herman O  Stoermer, 34 born in Germany. .  With them is brother Otto E. Storemer 29  (on the same census page are parents and two married sisters.)

Elsie Marie Stoermer went home to heaven on August 10, 2009. She was born Elsie Marie Hildegard Schmidt on April 5, 1911 in Illinois. Elsie was the youngest of nine children. She married Herman Stoermer and lived in the Holyoke area. Elsie will be remembered for her cinnamon rolls and delicious pies. Although shy, she always had a smile for everyone. Above all else, Elsie enjoyed spending time with her family. She will be greatly missed.  Elsie is survived by her sons, Emil and David, daughter-in-law, Marlene, granddaughters Taanjia (Terry) Enke, Shana (Brian) Park, Shalyn (Del) Dunlap, Shannon (Rich) Park and great granddaughters, Shelbylynne Enke and Cambria Park. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herman and her daughter, Louise.  A funeral service will be held at 9:30am, Friday, August 14, 2009 at Allnutt Drake Chapel in Fort Collins followed by a reception in the Allnutt Reception Center. Interment will be held at 2:00pm, Friday at the Holyoke Cemetery.

This page is maintained by M.D. Monk.