Michael Schmich, 1903 Obituary

SCHMICH

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 6/5/2005 at 18:56:42

I translated the following obituary from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published on Friday, 13 March 1903. Any information in brackets or notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Michael Schmich

Michael Schmich died at about 1:00 during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, following a short illness. Although his health had not been good for a long time, he felt well enough early last week to do a few chores on his farm. Since he had always been a hard-working man, he always enjoyed work even though he lived a relaxed life at his home in the Fourth Ward. While doing this work, he probably caught a cold and exerted himself a little too much, because when he returned, he complained that he felt unwell and had to go to bed. His condition worsened quickly, and despite the best medical help and the best care, it appeared after a few days that it could be very serious.

The deceased was born in New York state. From there, he moved to Illinois, and in 1877 he came to Carroll, where he settled on a farm north of Carroll. He retired from the farm a few years ago, and since then he lived in the fourth Ward in Carroll. He leaves behind a wife and six children. The names of the children are: George, the sheriff of this county; Charles; Ed.; Frank; William; and a daughter, Mary. The two last-named children are still living in the parental home. The deceased was 62 years old. The burial took place Friday, from the Saints Peter and Paul Church.