Herman Schmidt was born on September 24, 1885 in Zhytomir, Volhynia, Russia to Ludwig Schmidt and Helene Mueller. Ludwig was 23, and Helene was 26.
Ludwig's father was Georg Schmidt and his mother Eleanor Kols. Ludwig's birth record shows his birth date and birthplace as Nataliendorf, which would now be part of the Ukraine, but then part of Russia. I suspect that Georg's father was also Georg, and he may have emigrated from Poland. There is a Georg Schmidt that was one of the early emigrants from Poland to Bessarabia. I have found documentation for Great Great Grandfather Georg Schmidt, but I haven't found good documentation for the earliest Georg.
Ludwig and Helene had three boys, Herman, Wilhelm, and August. Helene died at age 33 when the boys were very young. Herman was seven, Wilhelm was 4, and August was 3. Ludwig then remarried and had additional children with the second wife. I do not know her name or have any documentation for the marriage. I do have a picture that shows Ludwig, the three sons from Helene, the second wife and another adult female, plus a young boy standing next to her and a small girl on her lap.
The three older sons left for Canada as teenagers to avoid being drafted into the Russia Army, but also were probably tempted by information that Canada was welcoming the Germans to immigrate and settle there on homestead land. This was prior to WWI, but their was a lot of fighting going on in Russia to try to hold onto lands that had been under Russia domination. Many young Germans were forced into the Russian army, but not provided with much, if any training or equipment. They essentially became "gun fodder" for Russia's wars.
I have not found any information as to what happened to Ludwig and his new family after the sons left. They may have emigrated to Canada or America also, but without the name of Ludwig's second wife, I cannot determine that. A couple of Ludwig Schmidt's did emigrate to North Dakota and to Canada, but the birthdates do not exactly match and so there are doubts that they are the correct Ludwig. Herman and Mary did have communication with someone in the "Old Country" after WWII, sending packages with items that were scarce there. But, after requests came for luxury items like nylons, they concluded that the need for basic items was lessened. I remember some comments about a sister that was left behind, and she may have been married and not free to emigrate.
In Bessarabia, the three sons were sent to work on neighboring farms, picking berries and other crops to help support the family. Herman was only six years old when he started working with the neighbors. However as they grew older and old enough to be drafted into the Russian Army, it became imperative to get out of Russia. Herman was said to have tried to escape by train, only to be sent back when he was caught at the border. Later, he and August were given the passports of two German boys who were killed in the Russian Army. Using those as identification, they managed to get to the coastal port, probably Hamburg, and boarded ships for Canada. Herman had told the family that when they left they only brought a potato for food. Apparently Wilhelm left separately, also headed for Canada.
Herman spent several years in Winnipeg, where he met and married Mary Tobert on October 18, 1910. They had a son and a daughter born there, Benjamin Gustav and Esther. Later they moved to Birch Lake, Saskatchewan where they had a homestead and farmed. William was born there on the farm. Mary's brother also had an adjoining homestead. The farming was not particularly successful, since the land was poor and the growing season short, and Herman went to work as a boilermaker in a gas plant in Bigger, Saskatchewan.
The First World War brought the Germans under suspicion and discrimination. Herman was very proud of being German, and thought that Germany was the greatest country in the world. In expressing his opinion, he was a bit too outspoken, and wound up in a prison for those thought to be disloyal. While there, he built a "ship in a bottle" which has survived over the years and is probably now in the hands of his great grandson Kevin (Bob Schmidt's son).
Herman and his family moved to Spokane, Washington on 27 March 1920, on the Canadian Pacific Railway train, entering the country at Eastport, Idaho. While living in Spokane, in what is now, Spokane Valley, Washington, they had a daughter Ruth (6 March 1921) and son Robert Howard (29 October 1923).
Herman became a truck farmer, growing vegetables and fruit which he harvested, packed, and sold at the Farmer's Market in Spokane where the produce went to the grocery stores and restaurants. He later also started building homes, eventually working with Ben (my dad) building a number of homes that Ben and his family lived in, while building another, each time again moving into the new home while building another. Herman was his primary carpenter, and they worked well together. Herman continued to raise vegetables (corn and cantelopes) and fruit (raspberries and strawberries). My brother Bob and I helped in harvesting the crop as teenagers. Grandpa would pull the ears of corn and drop them in the rows, where Bob and I would load them into "gunny sacks" and haul them out of the field for packing. We also helped with the cantelopes in the same way.
Mary passed away on December 3, 1957 in Spokane at the age of 66. They had been married for 47 years. She was diabetic and also had heart issues.
Herman passed away on September 28, 1966 in Spokane at the age of 81. He had asthma, and heart issues.
Herman and Mary were buried at the Pines Cemetery in Spokane Valley, Washington.
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