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What started me on this journey of researching our Immigrant Minnesota Ancestors, creating a SCHMID HISTORY web site in 2017, and organizing an Epic Gathering of Descendants in 2018
in short, My Cousin, Connor SCHMID, of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Funny how things happen.
Prior to 2007 I had only seen very old (kinda spooky) black & white portraits of Joseph and Elisabeth SCHMID, my German (Schmid) and Dutch (Vos) Immigrant Great Greats. My Mother had been big into Genealogy for decades, and had tried to engage me, but I was young, busy, working, and had no time, no interest. ABSOLUTELY NO TIME for genealogy.
After 2008, I retired, and was married to a man who is passionate about Family History and Genealogy. He inspired me to go back and read my mother's work. She had passed in 2006.
Fast forward to 2009 and 2015
Prior to 2009 I had only known my 25 First Cousins on my dad's side, and our Rapid City roots. I knew no 2nd Cousins, much less 3rd or 4ths! I knew little to nothing about our Minnesota Roots, the Immigrants, the 1850s Farm, none of it; only that my dad had been born in Little Falls. and that Avon was a town in MN that often came up at Family Reunions amongst "the elders." I had certainly never heard of Minnetrista, and my only knowledge of Minnetonka, was of a pair of moccasins that I had once purchased in Wisconsin.
In July 2009 I reached out to one of my Rapid City Cousins, Chris SCHMID, a fellow aviation enthusiast, asking if he was attending EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this year, as our son was entering his restored 1945 Stinson Sentinel L-5G in competition. Chris was going to Oshkosh, AND THEN, from there, would proceed to Minneapolis to visit with Connor SCHMID, a First Cousin of Chris's and my Dads.
The following month, I received follow up from Chris. Connor had taken him out the the site of our Great Great Grandparents' fieldstone Farmstead Ruins on Lake Minnetonka, and that Joseph's brother Benedict's Civil War Diary was displayed in the Visitors Center of the Park. WOW! Very Very cool!
This was amazing! We had no knowledge of our immigrant ancestors or a farm on Lake Minnetonka.
I immediately suggested to my sister and my husband that we need to get up to Minneapolis to visit this site! and meet our Cousin Connor.
Time passed, and I stayed in touch with Connor by phone and email. A call with Connor (an attorney) was never shorter than an hour ... he was a endless wealth of information and SCHMID STORIES!
One evening, in early 2015, Connor called, very excitedly announcing that our Joseph SCHMID's farmhouse ruins had been submitted to the National Register of Historic Places. WOW!
Later that year, it was approved, and entered to the Nalt Register in Dec 2015.
(Note: I recorded some Oral Histories by phone with Connor.. they can be found in our Google Drive collection.)
This triggered my sister and me to kick into action. in 2016 we attended the decennial family picnic (over 1,000 cousins) on our mother's side, celebrating our Ancestors from Alsace-Lorraine. Her large family has been holding Gatherings in South Central Texas every 10 Years since 1910, with approx 1,000 cousins attending in recent decades. Epic!
On the drive back home, we decided that if they can do it, then the SCHMIDS can do it!
Vision and planning commennced.
I made my first recon trip to MN in July 2017. My first stop was the Schmid Farm Ruins. awesome! Over the months, I met with with Liz Vandam & George Buehl of Westonka Historical Society, Bill Walker of Three Rivers regarding the ruins, Stearns History Museum, Excelsior H.S., and with 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Schmid & VOS cousins whom I had never met. I put many miles on rental cars, driving through beautiful farmlands and visiting my ancestors' cemeteries of Hennepin, Stearns, and Carver Counties. Massive exploration, discovery, and GREAT FUN!
Our First Decennial Gathering of SCHMID Descendants tradition began in June 2018.
Five years later, in 2023, cousins in the VOS, VOSS, SCHMID, MUYRES, and THOME lines will gather again. https://schmid1848.com/2023-1
Site Admin:
Toni Maria SCHMID | Mrs Gordon Stevenson
Mobile: 512-796-1123 or toni.schmid@gmail.com
Burnet County, Texas
I would love to hear from you!
I am a Great Great Granddaugher of Immigrant Joseph SCHMID from Winzeln, Württemberg, Germany Nicknamed "Toni" after Anton VOS and Joseph Anton SCHMID
Direct Descendant of
My German SCHMID and Dutch VOS lines:
Thomas SCHMID (b. 1874 Germany) - Joseph SCHMID (immigrant) - Frank - Joe - Edwin - me on
Peter Joannes VOS (b. 1808 Holland) - Anton VOS (immigrant) - Gertrude - Joe - Edwin - me
My German and Prussian Lines:
Thome
Lehnartz
The original Schmid Web Site was a labor of love beginning Spring 2017 … and was made possible with the help of our professional genealogist, and our many, many cousins sharing family stories, memories, images, and Westonka Historical Society’s ongoing support, advice, and documentation.
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