Charles and Kathryn (Krug) Schmidt in 1979

Charles & Katie Schmidt 60th Wed Ann pic 1979

(Left to right)
Back row: Edna Anna (Schmidt) Storesund (1920-2005); Harvey Leroy Schmidt (1928-1998); Everett Charles Schmidt (1925-2005).
Front row: Kathryn “Katie” Elizabeth (Krug) Schmidt (1900-1991); Charles George Schmidt (1893-1982); Rosabelle Margaret (Schmidt) Johnson (1927-Present); Lillian Marie (Schmidt) Longseth (1922-2011).
Photo taken at Charles and Katie’s 60th wedding anniversary in Emmetsburg, Iowa in 1979.

Charlie Schmidt was born in Traer, Iowa on January 22, 1893, the son of Karl and Maggie (Lindemann) Schmidt. He was the middle child of 7 siblings. When he was a baby, his family moved up to West Bend, Iowa.

Katie Krug was born near Vinton, Iowa on December 21, 1900, the daughter of John M. and Katie (Koch) Krug. Her mother died giving birth to her, and so she was sent to live with her uncle Bernhard Krug’s family for a while (Bernhard Krug’s son, John Jacob Krug, would go on to marry Charlie Schmidt’s sister, Annie Schmidt).

Charlie Schmidt was a Private in the US Army during World War 1. After Charlie returned from war, he married Katie Krug on June 11, 1919, in Emmetsburg, Iowa.

Charlie and Katie Schmidt lived in West Bend, Iowa the rest of their lives. Charlie was a member of the Presbyterian Church and Katie a member of the Methodist Church. Charlie was a farmer, he drove the horse-drawn school bus for the West Bend school, and he worked on a section crew for the railroad. Katie worked for a while at M.&J.R. Hakes Produce in West Bend, Iowa, and she was also a prolific quilt maker. (When she died, she had left enough quilts so that every one of her 14 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild could have one.)

Charlie and Katie Schmidt had 5 kids: Edna (Storesund) (1920-2005), Lillian (Longseth) (1922-2011), Everett (1925-2005), Rosabelle (Johnson) (1927-Present), and Harvey (1928-1998). Charlie was kind, humorous, and generous, and Katie provided the discipline and frugality for the family.

In their later years, Charlie and Katie retired from farming, and they had their farmhouse transported into town, where they lived across the street from the high school.

After celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary, Charlie died in Palo Alto County Hospital at Emmetsburg, on August 29, 1982. Katie died in the West Bend Care Center on February 23, 1991.

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