CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - OBITUARY OF FRANK SCHMIDT ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== CEDAR COUNTY NEWS - FEB. 18, 1925 FARMER IS KILLED AS CAR TIPS OVER FRANK SCHMIDT INSTANTLY KILLED ON THE HIWAY NORTH OF HARTINGTON BODY NOT FOUND FOR SEVERAL HOURS Second tragic death in the family occurs when car goes into ditch and rolls over last Thursday night. Frank Schmidt, a young farmer living in the Menominee community, was instantly killed last Thursday evening when the car in which he was riding went into the ditch about two miles north of Hartington, on the state highway and rolled over pinning him beneath it. His body was not found for several hours after the accident happened. Just when Mr. Schmidt was killed it is not definitely known but his body was found about 11 o'clock and it is known that he started for home two or three hours before that time. The cause of the accident is also unknown. Alphonse Wieseler, of near St. Helena, and his cousin George Wieseler of Orient, Sd., were driving home from Hartington where they had attended the high school declamatory contest, when they noticed the car overturned in the ditch. They stopped and investigated, finding Mr. Schmidt's body beneath the car. Without disturbing things in any way they hastened back to Hartington and notified the police chief Parmely, who with Charles Goetz, Ed Carlson and "Hap" Backhaus drove to the scene of the accident. Others also drove out from town after hearing of the accident. Meanwhile, Dr. R.W. Heckert and Frank Robarge had discovered the accident as they were coming toward Hartington from the north. The combined efforts of all the men were required to get the car off the victim's body. The body was entangled badly in the car and as Mr. Schmidt was an unusually large man, the task of getting him out was an arduous one. The car was a roadster. It was necessary to send for an ambulance to bring the body to Hartington. Earlier in the evening, Mr. Schmidt had called at the E.J. Roddewig home to purchase some cattle. He had left there early in the evening, so it is believed that the accident happened between 8 and 9 o'clock. Mr. Schmidt was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 245 pounds. He was 30 years of age and had always lived in the Menominee community. On January 25, 1921, Mr. Schmidt was married to Miss Tillie Herber, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Barney Herber. Their only child a little girl, accidently hung herself in a chain on a gate last year. He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Schmidt, three brothers, Martin of Beaver Creek, Will and Theodore of Menominee, and five sisters, Mrs. Michael Lichty of Orient, Oklahoma, Mrs. Henry von Hagen and Mrs. Frank Potts of Fordyce, Mrs. Peter Witte of Menominee, and Mrs. Bernard Kane of Des Moines. Funeral services were held last Monday morning from the Menominee Church and were conducted by the Rev. J.P. Hilt. The funeral was one of the largest ever held in Menominee. Burial was in the church cemetery.