Jos. Schmidt Dies from Injuries (Joseph Schmidt)

Passed Away at Home of his Son, Frank, Last Monday at Forty Minutes After Noon.

Note: this is the obituary for Joseph Schmidt, Father of Frank Schmidt and Grandfather of Joseph Schmidt of Mt. Angel, Oregon. The article ran in the Humphrey Democrat newspaper on Friday, November 2nd 1923. The presumed date of death working backward from the funeral would be Monday, October 29th, 1923. The date of death was confirmed from Juliana Schmidt’s 1934 obituary. The original injury occurred on Monday, October 22nd, 1923 (see note on “injury” article). The photocopy came from Maryann Schmidt Raymond. She did not remember who gave her the document.

Jos. Schmidt who last week was seriously injured when some grain doors fell on him at the T.B. Hord lumber years, died last Monday at the home of his son Frank, where he had been removed following the accident. As related in last week’s issue of the paper Mr. Schmidt had been assisting manager Maier in getting a grain car ready to load with grain. He had been shoving off the grain doors from a pile on the south side of the elevator and had completed the work evidently having descended from the pile and in so doing unbalance a number of the doors which were not interlocked with the main pile and they fell and caught him before he could get out of the way, crushing him to the ground, where he was found a few minutes later in an unconscious condition by Mr. Maier. He was removed to the home of his son Frank and local physicians and a specialist were called to his aid and they found his body so crushed that no hopes were entertained for his recovery although at times he seemed to be gaining in strength.

Funeral services were held this morning at 9:30 at the St. Francis church and interment was made in the parish cemetery,

Jos. Schmidt was born in Austria on the twenty-seventh day of May, 1858. Here he was reared and educated and resided until he attained the age of twenty-one years. Hearing of the wondrous opportunities offered in this country he joined a number of immigrants and came to America in 1879. He did not tarry on eastern shores but came directly to Columbus, Nebraska and by team traveled to Humphrey, there being no railroad through here at that time. During the summer and follow winter he worked on various farms in this section, and the following year, 1880 work on the construction of the Norfolk Columbus branch of the Union Pacific was started and he became a member of the construction gang.

When the work of building the branch had been completed he was given the position of section boss with headquarters at this place, in which capacity he worked for the company for eighteen years although at various times he was located elsewhere than in Humphrey. He finally tired of this work and returned to Humphrey and entered the employment of Henry Hunker & Bros., dealer in Lumber and Building material. He remained with this firm until they sold to the Weller Bros. and later when the Hord interest purchased the lumber yard he was employed by them. He spent at least twenty-five years in the lumber yards of this city. In the fall of 1879, at Columbus, he was united in marriage to Miss Julia Franchel, who had come to this country from Austria at the same time he did. To this union were born ten children, four sons having preceded their father in death. Those left to mourn his demise besides the widow, are Jos. of Mt. Angel, Oregon, Louis of Carroll, Iowa,; Frank and Carl of this City; Mrs. Frank Fugger of Platte Center, and Mrs. Frank Froemel, of Mt. Angel, Oregon.

Mr. Schmidt was a man of unassailable character held in high esteem by everyone in the community. Having resided here for very near a half century his life’s story is that of all the pioneers – the loneliness, the discouragements, the privations, the years of hard toil–all these were forgotten as the years passed and he added to this competency that would give him and his helpmate the pleasures and comforts they richly deserved for the hardships they had endured. Til death closed the life of a good man and stilled a kind and generous heart. He saw many come to the county during the forty-four years of his residence here and walked awhile with them along life’s pathway until they left again, but there are still a few left with whom he walked all the way, and they share in the sorrow with the bereaved. They know the true value of the character of the departed and realized his share in the work of progress that has brought this particular section of Nebraska to the forefront which entitled his name to be ever enrolled in the book of Nebraska’s aristocracy. The present generation and those to follow owe much to the sturdy pioneers of yesterday and may they although in the realms of the Great Beyond live long in the memory of a grateful people. May he rest in peace.

Compiled and annotated by Adam Wunn (Great, Great Grandson of Joseph and Juliana Schmidt, 2015).