My Schmitz family from Orenhofen,
Trier, in the Rhineland region of Germany
My Schmitz ancestry comes from my grandfather, Nicholas Charles Schmitz. Nick was born on 21 January 1907 in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota. I never knew grandfather Nick Schmitz. He died 4 years before I was born, but I would listen to stories my grandmother, mother and aunts and uncle would tell about him and I honestly felt like I knew him.
Nick was the son of Charles Benedict “CB” Schmitz and Katherine “Katie” Colling. He grew up working on a farm and later worked at the School for the Blind in Faribault, Minnesota. He eventually married Ms. Malinda Boevers, daughter of Johan Christian Boevers and Emma Bertha Lick. Nick and Linda were married on 6 February 1934. Shortly before my mother was born, Nick and Linda had moved to Minneapolis to be closer to Nick’s job with a an oil refinery. Nick died on 17 May 1959, cause of death was lung cancer.
Charles Benedict “CB” Schmitz was the son of Matthias Schmitz and Sophia Schaufler. CB was born 23 February in 1875. He worked his entire life as a farmer in Helena and New Market area of Minnesota. CB married Katie Colling on 23 October 1900 in Marystown, Minnesota. Together they had a total of 10 children, my grandfather Nick was the 4th child born to them. CB was the only child of Matthias Schmitz to have his own family. There was one brother, Nicholas, that adopted a young man by the name of Arthur Davis. Other then that one child, none of his other 9 siblings had children of their own. Two brothers went on to become Brothers in the Franciscan order and two sisters became Nuns in the order of the Sacred Heart. Sadly one nun and one brother died shortly after receiving their ordinations. CB’s youngest brother, Valentine, married Katie Colling’s sister Margaret Colling. You would think that with both of them coming from large families that they would have had many children too, but no children were ever born to them.
Matthias Schmitz, son of Joannis Schmitz and Catharina Peters, was born in Orenhofen, Germany. Orenhofen is in the Rhineland region of Germany, about 50 miles from the border with Luxembourg. Matthias was born in 1842. He had a younger brother by the name of Mathias who was born in 1845. I’m sure the similarities of the given names caused much confusion for the young men. Matthias and Mathias immigrated with their parents and 3 other siblings in 1855. They left out Antwerp, Belgium and arrived at New York harbor on 12 May 1855. They stayed a short time in New Jersey and were in Minnesota by 1857. Two more daughters were born to Joannis and Catharina in Minnesota. I have yet to research them to discover who they married and what became of them. When Joannis immigrated, his sister Margaretha Schmitz Kolley and her family immigrated at the same time. They too eventually settled in Minnesota.
Sophia Schuafler, wife of Matthias Schmitz, was born in Ottersweier, Baden, Germany. Ottersweier is in the Black Forest region of Germany. Sophia was born in the year 1841, the daughter of Franz Xaver Schaufler and Rosina Burger(t). Sophia Schaufler and Matthias Schmitz were married on 8 January 1866 at St. Wenceslaus Church in New Prague, Minnesota. Sophia immigrated with her family in 1851. Sailing aboard the ship Beatrice they left out of the French port of Le Havre. They arrived on 28 January 1852 at the port in New Orleans. Sophia and her family spent a few years in Belleville, Saint Clair County, Illinois. Two of her sisters remained in Belleville. The rest of the family went north to settle in Helena, Minnesota.
Both the Schmitz and Schaulfer lines have been researched by many other people. I have to finish working on the Schaufler line, but the Schmitz line goes back to Hubert Schmitz born in 1716. I have researched the Schaufler line back to Michael Schaufler born 1645 in Baden, Germany.
Here are some pictures of my Schmitz and Schaulfer ancestors. I didn’t go in to much detail on the Colling family, they have a page of their own.
IN LOVING MEMORY:
Ramona Kathryn Schmitz Lundholm
3 January 1935 ~ 16 July 2006
Family portrait circa 1959
Back: Juanita, Nicholas, and Kathleen
Front: Ramona, Nicholas and Malinda Boevers Schmitz
Celebrating 25 years of marriage
6 February 1934 ~ 1959
Malinda Boevers and Nicholas Schmitz
Generations:
Ramona, Nick Schmitz, Donny and Charles Benedict Schmitz
circa 1956
Ramona Schmitz
and Donald Lundholm
Circa 1955
Donald Lundholm
and Ramona Schmitz
Wedding day, 11 July 1953
Malinda Boevers Schmitz, Donald John Lundholm,
Ramona Kathryn Schmitz and Nicholas Schmitz
11 July 1953
Marriage of Cecilia Schmitz to Themistocles Orphanides on 23 July 1946, attendants are Albert Schmitz and Clara Schmitz Hollenbeck
Charles Benedict Schmitz and Catherine Colling
40th Wedding Anniversary
circa 1940
Sister Pamphila Schmitz aka Louisa Schmitz and Brother Pamphilus Schmitz aka Martin Schmitz.
circa 1940
Nicholas, Juanita, Ramona
and Malinda (Boevers) Schmitz
circa 1939
Schmitz Children
Louise, Lawrence, Clara and Nicholas
circa 1910
Ramona Kathryn Schmitz
circa 1937
Charles Benedict Schmitz
Catherine Colling
23 October 1900
The wedding assemblage
back: Michael Colling and Sophia Schmitz,
Valentine Schmitz and Margaret Colling,
front: Charles Schmitz and Catherine Colling
23 October 1900
Script on the front of picture reads:
Mother at 56 years old.
Sophia Schaufler Schmitz.
circa 1897
6 February 1934
Nicholas Charles Schmitz
Malinda Louise Boevers
Charles Benedict Schmitz
Catherine Colling
23 October 1900
Joseph Schmitz and
Gertrude Schienstock
23 January 1894
John Schmitz (sitting)
and Joseph Schmitz (standing)
circa 1890
Matthias Schmitz and
Sophia Schaufler
circa 1890
Schaufler sisters:
Possibly Rosina, Phillipina or Regina.
Circa unknown, Phillipina was in Iowa by 1880, Rosina died in 1881 and Regina died in 1899.
Photo courtesy: unknown
First Generation
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1 Nicholas Charles Schmitz was born in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 21 January 1907. At the age of 52, he died while living in Columbia Heights, Anoka County, Minnesota, on 17 May 1959. He was buried in Saint Anthony Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 20 May 1959.
On 6 February 1934 Nicholas Charles married Malinda Louise Boevers in Scott County, Minnesota.
They had the following children:
i. Ramona Kathryn (1935-2006)
ii. Juanita Bertha (1937-1993)
iii. Nicholas James (1943-2001)
iv. Kathleen Lenore (1945-2012)
Second Generation
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2 Charles Benedict Schmitz was born in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 23 February 1875. At the age of 82, he died while living in New Market, Scott County, Minnesota, on 18 October 1957. He was buried in Saint Nicholas Cemetery, New Market, Scott County, Minnesota, on 21 October 1957.
On 23 October 1900 Charles Benedict married Catherine Colling in Marystown, Scott County, Minnesota.
They had the following children:
i. Aloysia Miriam (1901-1996)
ii. Lawrence John (1902-1982)
iii. Clara Margaret (1905-1996)
1 iv. Nicholas Charles (1907-1959)
v. Cecilia Anna (1909-1991)
vi. Albert V. (1911-1974)
vii. Barbara A. (1914-1968)
viii. Monica (1916-1916)
ix. Alois (1918-)
x. Rosemary (1921-1985)
3 Catherine Colling was born in Marystown, Scott County, Minnesota, on 20 March 1882. At the age of 69, she died while living in New Market, Scott County, Minnesota, on 10 January 1952. She was buried in Saint Nichalus Cemetery, New Market, Scott County, Minnesota, on 14 January 1952.
Third Generation
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4 Matthias Schmitz was born in Trier, Germany in 1842. At the age of 71, he died while living in Saint Benedict, Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 26 July 1913. He was buried in Saint Benedict's Cemetery, Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 28 July 1913.
On 8 January 1866 Matthias married Sophia Schaufler in New Prague, Scott County, Minnesota.
They had the following children:
i. John P. (1866-1942)
ii. Martin (1868-1951)
iii. Joseph John (1869-1946)
iv. Michael (1871-1898)
v. Nicolaus (1872-1944)
vi. Mathias (1874-1874)
2 vii. Charles Benedict (1875-1957)
viii. Sophia (1876-1942)
ix. Sister Regina , Sister Deogratias (1879-1901)
x. Sister Louisa Carolina , Sister Pamphila (1881-1958)
xi. Valentine (1883-1963)
5 Sophia Schaufler was born in Baden, Germany in 1841. At the age of 91, she died while living in Saint Benedict, Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 18 October 1932. She was buried in Saint Benedict's Cemetery, Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 21 October 1932.
Fourth Generation
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8 Joannis Schmitz was born in 1813. At the age of 73, he died while living in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 2 March 1887. He was buried in Saint Benidict, Helena, Scott County, Minnesota.
Joannis married Catharina Peters in Trier, Germany.
They had the following children:
i. Elisabetha (1841-1841)
4 ii. Matthias (1842-1913)
iii. Johan (1844-)
iv. Mathias (1845-)
v. Johan (1847-1919)
vi. Margaretha (1849-1916)
vii. Carl (1853-1939)
viii. Mary (1857-)
ix. Regina (1861-)
9 Catharina Peters in 1815. At the age of 66, she died while living in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, on 24 January 1882. She was buried in Saint Benidict, Helena, Scott County, Minnesota.
10 Franz Xavier Schaufler was born in Baden, Germany in 1807. He died while living in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, after 1880.
Franz Xavier married Rosina Burger in Baden, Germany.
They had the following children:
i. Catherine (1835-<1910)
ii. Magdalena (1836-1836)
iii. Rosina (1838-1881)
iv. Karolina (1839-~1866)
5 v. Sophia (1841-1932)
vi. Phillipina (1842->1920)
vii. Michael (1844-1923)
viii. Regina (1846-1899)
ix. Paulina (1848-1848)
x. Anton (1849-1939)
11 Rosina Burger. She was born in Baden, Germany, about 1810. She died while living in Helena, Scott County, Minnesota, between 1865 and 1870