Joseph Newell Schmitz married Vera Louise CURTIS
Joseph Newell Schmitz was b. 24 Aug., 1926 at Clarksdale, Mississippi (Sunflower Co.) and died 8 June, 1974 in Seattle, Washington. Joseph's father was Fred Schmitz. His full name was Fred Newell Schmitz.
Fred actually went by the name Fred Newell Smith, during the time the family lived in Mississippi. It seems that during the war they were legitimately concerned that there would be problems for them if it were known that they were of German descent.
Fred seems to have changed his name back to Schmitz between the years of 1938 and 1942 when he moved to Castle Rock, Washington. All of his children were given the name 'Smith' at their birth (according to Fred's daughter Cora).
Fred's oldest son Joseph changed his name back to Schmitz in 1942.
Here is Fred's obituary from the Leavenworth Newspaper in Leavenworth, Chelan Co., Washington.
Surviving are his wife: two sons, Joseph, Seattle, and James, Kelso: two daughters, Mrs. Virgial Johnson, Texas, and Mrs. John Brett, N. Dak.: 11 grandchildren and ONE SISTER. (MY NOTE: This one sister is Cora (Martin) Chambers of Castle Rock, Washington).
Services were held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Community Methodist Church
with the Rev. Oscar Olsen officiating. Interment was in the Mountain View
Cemetery. Arrangements by Braun Funeral Home, Leavenworth.
Gertrude Harrington Pittman Schmitz, 79, of 224 Cascade Street, Leavenworth, died Tuesday evening, December 5, in the Cascade General Hospital. Mrs. Schmitz was born on April 10, 1899 at Mattson, Mississippi (MY NOTE: In Sunflower Co., Miss.) where she grew up. On May 3, 1924 she was married to Fred Schmitz at Clarksdale, Mississippi, and in 1940 they moved to Castle Rock, WA. In 1954 they came to Leavenworth (MY NOTE: Fred says different years).
She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Cora Camargo of Cashmere, and Mrs. Dorothy Johnson of Petite, Texas: one son, James Schmitz of Kelso, Was: two brothers, Fred Harrington and Joe Harrington both of Mattson, Mississippi: two sisters, Mrs. Ellen Doyle of Port Gibson, Mississippi and Mrs. Pearl Gunnell of Clarksdale, Miss.: 12 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one son, Joseph, and her husband, one sister, and two brothers.
Funeral services were conducted at 2 o'clock Friday, December 8, in the
Ward's Funeral Chapel, with Pastor Edward Wyatt officiating. Organist Janet
Schmitz accompanied Kim Schmitz who sang "In The Garden" and "Precious Lord,
Take My Hand". Pallbearers were Frank Curtis, Everett Curtis, Jay Schmitz,
Charles Langlois, James Schmitz, Jr., and James Schmitz, Sr. Concluding
services an interment followed in the Mt. View Cemetery.
It is said (according to Fred and Gertrude's daughter Cora) that Gertrude Pittman (Harrington) Schmitz (Smith) had a close friend with the name of Pittman. This friend died young and Gertrude took the name Pittman. Gertrude used that name ever after. She was married only one time and that, to Fred Schmitz.
"Fred Schmitz's mother, Sidney (Hughs/Hughes) Martin-Schmitz, had been married a first time to a J.P. (possibly James Phelan as he had a grandson James Phelan/Pheland Martin) Martin who died in 1899. Sidney must have gotten married to Fred within one month of J P Martin's death. I never knew where he died but assume he died around Drew, Mississippi or somewhere there in Sunflower Co.. It seems that Cora Martin was the only surviving child of the Martin family (there were others who died young) and would have been about 14 years old when her mother, Sidney, married Fred Schmitz in 1900. On Jan, 1901 Cora married a Fax Chambers in Sunflower Co., Mississippi."
In the Social Security death index can be found these Schmitz men who died at Clarksdale, Mississippi and it is probable that they are cousins to Fred Newell Schmitz. They are Herbert Schmitz b. 31 March 1901 and died April, 1970 at Clarksdale, Ms. R. Schmitz b. 18 Sept 1908 and died Nov., 1977 at Clarksdale, Ms. and Jessie Schmitz b. 6 Aug 1912 and died Nov, 1979 at Clarksdale."
Thanks to 'Ruthi' we have more information about the Schmitz family....Thanks Ruthi.
