Monday, May 13, 2013

The Schmidt/Smith Family Saga

Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Peter Joseph Smith, his wife Martha Apolonia Shorb and his children.  I have yet to identify the children as they appear in this photo.  This was found on Ancestry.com from another family tree.


Peter Joseph Smith (1870-1949) was a first cousin to Vitus Joseph Smith (1876-1934).  Why am I sharing this with you?  It started with updating my computer database with the obituary for Aunt Mert's husband, Jim (aka Gerald).  Realizing that I had a data entry problem, I got some help at the John Timon Reily Society, and finally got the families (Staubs and Smiths) connected correctly! 

Jim's first wife, Florine Elizabeth Livelsberger, was a descendant to Adam Staab/Staub. Jim's wife, Aunt Mert, is also a descendant to Adam Staab/Staub.  I unknowingly had duplicate records in my database for both Jim and Aunt Mert.  To make life crazier, I learned that Jim's father had married twice.  Long story short, I finally got it straight. While doing so, I found the picture above.  It is amazing what one can find! 

Here is how all of this relates back to Charles Schmidt and Anna Spitler.  If you get a headache reading this, you may understand why it took me this long to make the connections.  I walked away from the Smith/Staub saga several time.
 
  • Charles and Anna Schmidt/Smith had a son, Peter/Petrus Schmidt.  He married Magdalena Adams. 
  • Peter/Petrus and Magdalena had 11 children, two of whom are of importance to this post:
    • Son Peter George Smith married Helen J. (Kuhn).
      • Peter Joseph Smith, son to Peter George Smith and Helen J. (Kuhn), married Martha Apononia (Shorb).
        • Peter Joseph had a son, Maurice Joseph Smith, Sr.  He was Jim's father. 
    • Son Francis James Smith, and brother to Peter George, married Agnes (Fleshman).
        • Son Vitus Smith was a 1st cousin to Peter Joseph and married Margaret Ann Murren.
          • Vitus's son, Joseph Edward, was Aunt Mert's father.
I am so happy that these Peter's had middle names!  It made life a bit easier for me.

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