Outagamie County, WI - Biography of Matthias Schmidt of Appleton 1853- ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives SUBJECT: Biography of Matthias Schmidt of Appleton 1853- SUBMITTER: W. David Samuelsen EMAIL: dsam@wasatch.com DATE SUBMITTED: Apr 15, 1999 SURNAMES: SCHMIDT, KOEHNE, JANSEN, LOHMANN, SCHUETTER, SAUTER SOURCE: History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, page 641, 1911 BIOGRAPHY: Matthis Schmidt a prosperous business man of Appleton, Wisconsin, who is proprietor of one of the finest men's furnishing goods and clothing establishments in the city, is a native of the Fatherland, where he was born September 25, 1853, at Hatzenport on the Rhine, a son of Matthias and Gertrude Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt was only four years old when he was brought to the United States by his parents, the family locating near Appleton, where the father purchased land. He died nine months later, however, before he had a chance to improve his property, and his widow later was married to Henry Koehne. Her death occured in 1874. Mr. Schmidt's three sisters were: Mrs. George Jansen, who died in 1910; Mrs. August Lohmann, who resides in Appleton, and Mrs. Henry Schuetter, also a resident of this city. Matthias Schmidt (or "Matt" as he is more familiarly known) came to Appleton in 1868, and secured employemtn with H. A. Phinney in whose men's furnishing goods store he worked for eighteen years, and later was connected with Joseph Spitz in the same line of business for twelve years. In 1898 he decided to engage in business on his own account, and opened an establishment in Appleton with a complete line of wearing apparel for gentlemen. His long experience in this line enabled him to put in a stock of goods which would attract the most careful and exacting buyer. The success which has attended Mr. Schmidt's undertaking has been the result of his constant efforts to please, together with his progressive ideas and business ability. On April 13, 1875, Mr. Schmidt was married to Mary Sauter, daughter of Antone and Katherine Sauter, early settlers of near Appleton, and six children have been born to this union: Katherine, who died May 27, 1908; George A., who is engaged with his father in business, is married and has two children, a son and a daughter; Isabelle, who lives at home; Frank J., a resident of Spokane, Washington; and Gertrude and Rosella, who reside at home. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt are members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. he is independent in his political views, voting rather for the man than the party. Mr. Schmidt is the owner of a fine residence in Appleton.