Schmidt, Fred H. 1863-1951

SCHMIDT, DETTMER, WAHLS, CLAUSING, DETTMAN

Posted By: Don Clausing (deceased)
Date: 1/1/2008 at 08:51:28

Services Held Monday for F. H. Schmidt
1951

Funeral Services Held For Fred H. Schmidt, Prominent Figure in Early Elkader History

Funeral services were held Monday, May 7, for Fred H. Schmidt, 88, one of Elkader's oldest and most historic figures.

Mr. Schmidt died Saturday morning, May 5, at Mercy hospital in Dubuque, where he had been taken earlier in the week. Services Monday were at 1:30 p.m. at the Witt funeral home and at 2 p.m. at the Peace Evangelical and Reformed church, the Rev. Paul Kitterer officiating.

Burial was in the East Side cemetery.

Mr. Schmidt was a member of the firm, Schmidt Bros., and Co. who built the first electric plant here in Elkader and previous to that he operated a grist mill here in partnership with his uncle and father, J. B. and Wolfgang Schmidt.

Mr. Schmidt purchased a third interest in the mill business when he was 22, and in 1891 his father and uncle retired from the business turning their interests over to their respective sons, C. G:, and Robert, making Fred the senior partner in the company.

In 1900 the heavy ice took out the dam and in view of the decreasing flour business and the rise in the use of electricity, it was decided that an electric power plant be installed. By popular vote of the members of the community, a franchise was granted to furnish the city with electric lights and power. The company built the first electric plant in Elkader.

In 1914 a new dam was built and new machinery added and the business expanded to serve eight other communities in the county. The business continued under the name of Schmidt Bros. and Co. until 1917, when it was incorporated as the Elkader Light and Power Co. In 1923 the business was sold to the people's Electric Service company and Mr. Schmidt served as president of this company until it was later sold to a large corporation.

Mr. Schmidt was born February 17, 1863 in Read township, the eldest of 10 children, to Wolfgang and Paulina Thoma Schmidt. His baptism was in the Clayton Center Lutheran church.

He was three and one-half years old when the family moved to Elkader to live in the large brick house now occupied by a sister, Carolyn Schmidt.

The deceased completed eight years of education in the local public schools, and began working in the local flour mills when he was 15.
On June 6, 1895, he married Anna Dettmer of Garnavillo and they became the parents of three daughters, Marie, now Mrs. J. C. Wahls, St. Olaf; Hilda, now Mrs. Paul Clausing, Ottumwa, and Lois, now Mrs. Ed Dettman, McGregor.

Mr. Schmidt was a member of the Peace Evangelical and Reformed church and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

He was preceded in death by his first wife and one son, Ervin; and is survived by his wife and daughters, his sister, Carolyn Schmidt of Elkader, his brother, William, of Lakeport, Calif., and six grandchildren.

Those from out of town who attended the funeral were: Othmar Dickman, Amanda Dickman, Malinda Dickman, Mrs. Emilie M. Lenth, Mrs. Frank Possehl and Elsie, Mrs. Lenora Kurdelmeyer, Mrs. Louis K. Mueller, Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Dettman, Mrs. H. R. Bierbaum and son, Mr. and Mrs. Will Kruse, Mrs. Alvina Dettman, Mrs. Bertha Gray, all of Monona.
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Wirkler, Mrs. Herbert Wirkler, Mrs. Herb Kaiser, Mrs. Henry Kaiser, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Kramer, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Brandt, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Brandt, Mrs. Will Allyn, Mr. and Mrs. Art Stickford, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Dettmer, Mrs. Harry Gull, Fannie and Larry, Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Kregel, Mrs. Emma Wirkler, Walter Wirkler, Miss Helen Dettmer, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Leitgen, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Meyer, Mr. and Mrs. Arno Kregel, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wahls, Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Schumacher, all of Garnavillo.
Pauline Staadt, Catherine Staadt, Mrs. Anna Staadt, and Claudia Meier, all of Postville.
Mrs. Alfred Cook, Mrs. Vincent Marting and Mrs. Arno Lenth, all of St. Olaf. Mrs. Charles Staade, of Farmersburg. Mr. and Mrs. Will Weiand of Dubuque. Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Burraek, of McGregor.