Peter Smith (Schmitt)

1837 - 1875  (38 years)

• Name	Peter Smith (Schmitt)  [1]
  Birth	1 Jun 1837	Butler Co., OH   [1, 2, 3]
  	Some sources give 20 June 1837
  Gender	Male
  MILF	Y
  Religion	Amish Mennonite
  Residence	Abt 1863	Waldo, Livingston Co., IL
  	80 acre farm near Meadows
  USR1	Complications Of Typhoid Fever  [4]
  Death	17 Nov 1875	Livingston Co., IL   [5]
  Burial	Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL
  	Waldo Cemetery
  Person ID	I2215	Schrock-Birkey Connection
  Last Modified	7 Feb 2021

  
  

  Father	Christian Smith (Schmitt),   b. 31 May 1810, Bisping, Moselle, Lorraine, FR d. 2 Aug 1855, Congerville, Montgomery Twp., Woodford Co., IL (Age 45 years)
  Mother	Magdalena Schrock (Schrack),   b. 10 Apr 1811, Sarrebourg, Moselle, FR d. 4 Aug 1855, Congerville, Montgomery Twp., Woodford Co., IL (Age 44 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1833	Wayne, Ashtabula Co., OH   [4, 6]
  	Joe Staker - Calculated from birth of children
  Family ID	F208	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Barbara Neuhauser,   b. 21 Feb 1840, Butler Co., OH d. 24 Mar 1881, Livingston Co., IL (Age 41 years)
  Marriage	3 Feb 1861	Tazewell Co., IL   [7]
  	by Michael Mosiman
  Children	1. Mary Smith,   b. 31 Dec 1861, Morton Twp., Tazewell Co., IL d. 27 May 1955, St. Johns, MI (Age 93 years)   2. Anna Smith (Schmitt),   b. 4 Aug 1863, Congerville, Woodford Co., IL d. 25 Nov 1949, Newton, Harvey Co., KS (Age 86 years)   3. Magdalena Smith,   b. 18 Aug 1865   d. 21 Apr 1947 (Age 81 years)   4. Christian H. Smith,   b. 8 Jun 1867, Meadows, McLean Co., IL d. 2 Jan 1958, Eureka, Woodford Co., IL (Age 90 years)   5. Peter J. Smith (Schmidt),   b. 26 May 1870, Gridley, McLean Co., IL d. 23 Apr 1936, Williams Co., OH (Age 65 years)   6. John J. Smith,   b. 5 Apr 1874, Gridley, McLean Co., IL d. 16 May 1924, Ashley, Gratiot Co., MI (Age 50 years)   7. Elizabeth Smith (Schmidt)
  Family ID	F1580	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	14 Sep 2013

  
  

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  Birth - 1 Jun 1837 - Butler Co., OH Marriage - 3 Feb 1861 - Tazewell Co., IL Residence - Abt 1863 - Waldo, Livingston Co., IL Death - 17 Nov 1875 - Livingston Co., IL Burial - - Flanagan, Livingston Co., IL  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Peter was 6 weeks old when the family moved to Illinois from Butler Co., OH (this doesn’t match Woodford Co. History information) in a two-story house on 80 acres of land (the house was still standing in 1968 owned by the Schrock families who ran Schrock Apple Orchards). The family settled near Congerville, IL. After his parents and several siblings died of cholera, Peter was left with one older sister, Mary, and four younger siblings. They were all put out to live with other people. Peter lived with a Garber family (probably his father’s sister). Mary, his daughter later told of her father, age 17 at time of the epidemic, working the field and wanting desperately to have companionship, but being rejected because of others fearing cholera. He went to a house and asked for a drink of water. The woman opened the door a crack in order to hand out a cup of water and then closed the door. It was very hard on him, with no conversation or sympathy. “A few years after their marriage, Peter Smith purchased and moved to an 80 acre farm in Waldo Township, near Meadows. The land which was level had to be tiled as fast as possible, because after the corn crop would be destroyed by standing water. This they did as rapidly as they could finance it. A small apple orchard was planted, with Winesap, Sheepnose and other varieties.” In later years, Peter lived in Roanoke, IL. “The closing days of Grandfather’s life were memorable. His mind was remarkable clear, especially his last day on earth. He seemed to realize or expect that today he was going to leave them. He thanked Dr. Monroe saying, ‘I know you’ve done everything you could to restore me to health, but my time has come to go.’ (The doctor went to a window, to hide his tears.) during that day he admonished the family to shun evil and follow godly convictions. (He spoke to them in German.) He would often fall asleep perhaps in a semi-conscious state. Each time upon awakening, he would have further words of advice or instruction, and often asked, ‘Is it not yet five o’clock?’ The last time he awoke he was in a gloriously triumphant state. ‘I see into Heaven! Oh, what a glorious sight! If only I could show it to you! I wish I could take all of you with me.’ Then followed more admonitions especially to his three little boys. He placed his hand on ‘Johnnie’s’ head and said, ‘If only I could take you along, before you grow up to cope with the evil and the temptations you have to meet.’ At 5:00 p.m. he drew his last breath.” , Peter was a friend of Valentine Maninger and they joined the Union Army together in 1861. Peter’s brother, Joseph, was named administrator of Peter and Barbara’s children after they died at a fairly early age. [4, 5]

  
  

• Sources

  [S1060] Find-A-Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89614984/peter-smith. [S505] A History of the Family of C. H. and Mary (Imhoff) Smith--(Anabaptists in America, Aunt Lulu’s Scrapbook), (Specialty Press, Kalamazoo, MI 49001), June 1 according to this source and Find-A-Grave. [S398] Joseph Staker, Amish Mennonites in Tazewell Co., June 20, 1837. [S464] Valentine Maninger Family. [S334] Family of Christian Schmidt and Magdalena Schrock. [S334] Family of Christian Schmidt and Magdalena Schrock, Gives marriage place as Butler Co., OH. [S182] Oyer Family Record, Date only.