Journey to His Past

Transcription:

QURIN SCHMITT OLD RESIDENT OF VILLAGE, PASSES

Was Born in France in 1853 and Came to Downers Grove 50 Years Ago

Funeral services were held Monday morning at St. Joseph's Catholic church in North Main street, for Quirin Schmitt, who passed away Saturday morning, March 12 at the home of his daughter, Miss Lucy, in East Maple avenue after a long illness.  Solemn requiem mass was said by Dr. Eneas B. Goodwin, pastor of the church and burial was made at SS Peter and Paul Cemetery, Naperville at the side of his first wife who died twenty eight years ago.  Mr. Schmitt has been ill since last November and for many weeks was a patient at the Hinsdale sanitarium. Four weeks ago he was removed to the home of his daughter.  

Quirin Schmitt was born April 30, 1853 at Freisenheim, Alsace, France, the youngest of seven children of Raymond and Theresa Schmitt.  He attended the French schools and came to the United States with an older brother, George, when he was twenty years of age.  Landing in New York, he lived there for a year and then came to Downers Grove where he has lived for fifty three years.

Shortly after coming to the village he worked at the wagon makers trade for a man by the name of Walters whose shop was at the southeast corner of Maple avenue and Main street.  Later he and Peter Wertz went into business.  This was in the building at Maple and Main now occupied by the blacksmith shop.  They moved their business to Grove street, west of Main and were in business together a number of years.

Mr. Schmitt is known to most of the people of the community probably better as a liveryman than as a wagon maker.  He bought the livery stable in Grove street from George Mochel, who now lives in Hinsdale, and conducted it for a number of years before selling out to Chas. Baker.  After Mr. Baker purchased a location in West Railroad street and erected a building of his own, Mr. Schmitt again entered the livery and boarding stable business and conducted it until the growing popularity of the automobile made it no longer profitable.

He was married in 1874 to Miss Barbara Schumpp and four daughters, all of whom survive, were born to this union.  They are Mrs. Eugenia Pfaff, of Benton avenue; Miss Lucy Smith, Miss Ida Smith, and Mrs. Helen Corcoran of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Mrs. Schmitt passed away twenty eight years ago and in 1902 Mr. Schmitt was married to Bernice Carpenski, who with one daughter, Miss Antionette, survives him.

He also leaves a brother, George, of Forest Park and a brother, Amand, whose home is in Besanson, France.

This obituary is one of the great ones in my genealogy collection.  Prior to this obituary, I hadn't know much about Quirin Schmitt, Kirk's great, great grandfather.  Kirk and I, on one of our trips to visit our daughter, Kirsten, in Chicago, decided to take a side trip to Downers Grove, Illinois.  We went to the Downer's Grove library and did a little research.  It is here that I found Quirin's obituary.  I found other information that corroborates much of what was in his obituary.  Quirin Schmitt was an early resident of Downer's Grove and information on him can be found in early histories of the area.

I was able to research Quirin further from the information in his obituary.  I found marriage, census, death and cemetery records using the information above.  I was able to research his wives and children, too.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Do you have an obituary that is filled with genealogical treasures?  I don't have many as complete as this one, but the ones I do have, I cherish.