Voices from Early Catherine: "Schoolmaster" Jacob Schmidt

When I started this project, I planned to do a microhistory by focusing on specific stories from people within the town of Catherine.  As I dug deeper, it turned out there were very few primary sources to work with to really understand the town.  Despite abandoning that part of the project, there are a few people who deem some focus.  I decided to dedicate a few blog posts to these "voices from early Catherine." 

The first person I want to write about is my great-great-great grandfather, Jacob Schmidt.  Schmidt left a diary of sorts.  It is not a day-by-day diary, but rather a "Familie Stammbuch," or family history integrated with farming records.  This is the most common type of source I found and these family histories are notoriously short, usually no longer than 10-15 pages.  Father Blaine Burkey, a Capuchin Priest published a short history of Schmidt's family, along with an English translation of the diary, in 1986. 

Jacob was born in January 16, 1824 in Rohleder Russia, along the Volga River to Andreas and Maria Eva Schmidt.[1]  By training, Jacob was schoolteacher for much of his life, while farming for supplemental income.  The school master (schulmeister) was a very respectable position.  In addition to teaching, they could lead Catholic religious services, if a priest was not available, and baptize newborns, if necessary.  Despite being an educator, how much education he received is very murky.  He taught in Otrogokwa starting on October 18, 1843 and married his wife, Anna Marie on February 4, 1845.  Anna Marie was from Katharinenstadt.  On January 28, 1853, Jacob took a job as teacher in Katharinenstadt and also farmed a small plot of land.  Jacob had 11 children and five of those children died before he and his wife immigranted to the United States.  One of his daughters was tragically shot by another relative.[2]

Like most of the other Volga-Germans, Schmidt decided to come to the United States.  I've mentioned in another post why they made this treacherous journey.  Jacob and his family did not travel with the first wave of immigrants in October 1875.  Although, Jacob, being the schoolmaster, did send off the first group by singing Psalm 45 ("God is a refuge and strength") with them.  In April 1876, Jacob left with this family and arived in Catherine on June 26, 1876.

Jacob quickly built a small house for his family and purchased cattle to farm.  Between July 20, 1881 and October 17, 1881, Jacob renounced his citizenship to tsar in Russia and became a U.S. citizen.  Jacob served a variety of roles while living in Catherine.  Since there were very few well-educated men in the area, he served as the school master, teaching out of his own home.  He taught the children math, reading, and Catechesis.  He also led the prayer services on Sundays.  This involved reading a Biblical passage, singing a few hyms, singing a Litany of Saints, and praying the Rosary.  When the Capuchin's became available for regular services in the late 1880s, Schmidt became choir director for the newly built Catholic Church in Catherine and led the confirmation courses.  In 1882, he served as the first postmaster for Catherine as well, and the post office was kept in the Schmidt family up until present day.  Jacob died on January 3, 1906 and is buried next to his wife, Anna Marie who died on March 3, 1885, in Catherine Cemetary. 

Notes:

[1] I'm using his first name on purpose to humanize him.  Also, his name can be spelled "Jakob."
[2] Much of the information about Jacob Schmidt comes from: Blaine Burkey, Schoolmaster Schmidt and his “Family Album,” (Hays, Kansas: Thomas More Prep/Marion, 1986), pageNr.
[3] That picture is part of Jacob Schmidt's dairy in the original German.