HomeJohann Frederick Schmidt was born September/27/1817 in Biene, Germany. His grandparents were Johann Eberhard Schmidt and Elisbeth Shalman both born in Germany. His parents were Johann Ernest Schmidt and Johanna Sniders, both born in Germany. They were married December/31/1814 in Lingen, Germany, Johanna Sniders was the daughter of Frederich Sniders and Margaretha Taschen. He had one brother Wilhelm Johann Schmidt, born June/28/1815 in Germany. Johann F. Schmidt was baptized September 28, 1817 at the Reformed Congregation Church in Lingen, Germany. His Godfather was Johann Frederick Snieders. He married Anna Elsabein Landwehr May/05/1840 in Lingen. She was the daughter of Hermann Landwehr and Anna Dresselhaus of Schale, Germany. Johann Frederick Schmidt was a tailor in Germany; went to people's homes to sew for them he had a little land. They had four children; Johanna Dena Schmidt, born January/29/1841 in Biene, Germany; she was baptized March 1, 1841 her Godfather was her grandfather, Haymaker, Johann Ernst Schmidt. Anna Adelaide Schmidt, was born March/21/1844 in Biene, Germany; she was baptized March 22, 1844, her Godmother was a sister of he mother Anna. Ernest Henrich Schmidt, was born December/07/1847 in Lingen, Germany; he was baptized Dec. 12, 1847 with his father being the Godfather and Wilhelmina Catharina Schmidt, born July/28/1851 in Lingen, Germany; she was baptized December 12, 1851 Godmother Wihelmine Lohr, maiden name Heeman. The people in Lingen lived in villages and farmed small surrounding parcels of land. They spun and wove their own linen & wool for clothing; baked big loaves of rye bread in an outdoor oven. Built a fire in it raked out the coals, put in the bread to bake for a long time. The children looked forward to a festival held each year, and a certain kind of small cookies, a specialty of this fair. The girls had new bonnet with long ribbons for the occasion.
John F. Schmidt was both a Tailor and a Haymaker and he wanted to be just a farmer and own and reap the bounty of his land rather than for someone else. He then decided to take his family to America where his wife Anna's family was living. Johann F Schmidt, his wife, their four children, his mother Johanna and several members of the Landwehr family, boarded the ship Heinrich Von Gagern on May/17/1852. The ship sailed from Bremen, Germany to New Orleans, LA. It was a three month voyage their final destination was Chicago, IL. His oldest daughter Dena who was 11 years old at this time. She remembered how the captain scattered pennies on deck, and laughed to see the children scramble for them. In New Orleans she tried to eat her first banana by biting right through the skin. They could speak no English at this time, but soon learned. On the trip up the Mississippi River to Chicago Johann fell in love with Iowa. He purchased some land in Harden County, IA just north of Alden, IA, and then continued their journey to Bensenville, IL, a suburb of Chicago, IL. There they joined the Landwehrs but soon bought their own 160 acres of land north of Bensenville, on York Road across from what is now O'Hare Airport. Later they purchased another 80 acres about a mile farther north on York Road. Land was available for $2.00 per acre.
Anna Elsabein died June 26, 1853. She was buried in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery located in what is now the southwest corner of O'Hare Airport. Johann prospered in doing tailoring and farming. He was amazed at how different life in America was. In Germany he earned ten cents a day sewing and in America he earning seventy-five cent for doing the same thing. With the help of his mother and oldest daughter Dena he was able to raise the younger children. He farmed in Bensenville from 1851 to 1889, until all his children were grown and married. He divided his land in Bensenville among his children with his son getting the larger share of land, as was the custom then. He then moved to the land he had purchased in Alden, IA, where he farmed for the next 21 years. He died Jan. 12, 1907 in Alden, IA and his body was transported back to Bensenville, via Illinois Central RR to be buried next to his wife Anna. In Johann Fredrick Schmidt's obituary from the Alden Times they said "He was one of the kindest, gentlest, most lovable men the community of Alden, IA had ever known and being endowed by nature with the best of good health was always buoyant, hopeful, cheerful and sunny tempered. All who knew him have always been his friends.
His oldest daughter Dena received a Teacher's certificate from Wheaton College, IL and taught school in Chicago. There she met a widower with three children Theodore Johann Frdk Fluegge. They married December/18/1875 at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago, Cook, IL. They had three children; Elsa Martha, Jan. 29, 1878, Theodore, June 23, 1880 and Robert Herman, Dec. 10, 1884 Elsa, Theodore & Robert were all born in Chicago, IL. She died June/27/1930 in San Dimas., Ca. The next daughter Adelheid married Wilhelm Stute December/25/1869 in Addison, IL. They had one child Lena. Lena married Art Sweet, his mother's maiden name was James was a first cousin of the outlaw Jesse James. Mr. Stute was a pharmacist and owned the second drug store in Chicago. Mr. Stute died February/09/1871. She married again on December/27/1873 in Bensenville, IL to Heinrich Bobzien a widower with three children. They lived first in Chicago, IL, and then to Hastings, NB. There they ran a hotel. Mr. Bobzien would help relocate homesteaders in Kansas and Nebraska to Hastings, NB. In 1874 Henry Bobzien got gold fever and left the family behind and rode from Sidney, NB to Deadwood, SD on the old Deadwood stage route. He was chased by Indians and was in a shootout with them. He only escaped because he had a fast horse. The family moved back to Chicago in 1885 and then to Iowa Fall, IA, to work on land owned by her father. They had 5 children, she died June/16/1927 in Iowa Falls, IA. His son Ernest Heinrich, known as Henry, married Wilhelmie Maria Reker September/18/1879 in Addison, IL, they had 10 children, he died May/15/1942 in Bensenville, IL. The youngest child Wilhelmine Catharina, know as Minna, married Ernest August H Warnecke 1872 in Bensenville, IL, they had 11 children, Minna died May 15, 1942 in Bensenville, IL.
Information from: Recollections of his daughter Dena, Church records from Lingen, Germany, "Germans to America", Recollections of grandson Ted Schmidt, recollections of grandson Grant Bobzien, research by Jim Bobzien and The Alden Times, Alden, IA.