The Descendants of
Elisabetha ENGELHORN Schmidt
1838 - 1926

1. Elisabetha ENGELHORN (Seventh child of Johann Thomas ENGELHORN III) was born 3 Aug 1838 in Altlussheim, Germany. She died 17 Jan 1926 in Waukon, Iowa and was buried in, Lansing, Iowa.

Elizabetha received her basic education and training in Altlussheim, Germany before emigrating to Iowa in 1856. The 1920 Iowa census indicates she became an American citizen in 1859. While in Germany she was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, but while residing in Lansing she and her family became members of the Presbyterian Church. "Hers was a lovely and loving motherly disposition.... friends will miss her kindly words and smile..."

Elisabetha married George SCHMIDT on 28 Dec 1858 in Lansing, Iowa. George was born 17 Apr 1823 in Gildorf, Germany. He died 25 Sep 1885 in Lansing, Iowa and was buried 28 Sep 1885 in Lansing. 

George first settled in Zanesville, Ohio in 1849, where he married his first wife, Sibela WOERNER In 1855 they moved to Allamakee County, Iowa, one of the early settlers there.

George was a millwright and owned and operated a flour mill on French Creek, in Allamakee County.

He died of Bright's disease, burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery following services at the family residence in Lansing where the family had moved from French Creek in 1882.

George had three daughters by his first wife, Sibela Woerner of Zanesville, Ohio. They were married on 20 Oct 1849 and she died in childbirth 13 Feb 1857 at French Creek.

1) Katherine, b. 14 Feb 1849, in Zanesville, Ohio; married Thomas ENGELHORN. 

2) Maria, b. 18 Nov 1852 in Zanesville, Ohio; married a man named Reinbold

3) Caroline, b. 11 Jun 1855in Zanesville,Ohio; married a man named George Smith.

They had 12 children:

2. Wilhelmina SMITH (Elisabetha) was born 1 Sep 1859 in French Creek, Iowa. She died 4 Jul 1940 in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Her daughter, Martha Whitwell Gravel, said that the day that her mother was born there was an Indian raid down the Mississippi River. She also remembers grandma Elisabeth Smith was a wonderful cook.

Wilhelmina attended Mrs. Bellow's French Creek school from December 1869 until July 1870 when the family moved to Lansing. There she completed her schooling through high school. She was employed at Field Mahler, later known as Field Schlick and Co., department stores in St Paul.

Wilhelmina was a long-time member of the Episcopal Church. During World War I she worked on many projects associated with the war effort. She was a member of O.E.S. Carmel Chapter of Eastern Star. Following in her mother's steps, Wilhelmina was also very good cook. She was a quiet person but always working to make sure everything went smoothly.

Wilhelmina married George Francis WHITWELL "George", son of George WHITWELL and Elizabeth ROGERS, on 15 May 1889. George was born 9 May 1859 in Stourbridge, Worcester, England and was christened 22 May 1859 in Stourbridge. He died 25 Jul 1946 in St. Paul, Minnesota and was buried in Mendota, Minnesota. 

George came from a large family in Stourbridge. He and a brother, Joseph came to America as part of a church-sponsored farm development in Iowa. Both soon discovered they were not cut out to be farmers. Joe moved to Wisconsin and George moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he became a department head at Field Schlick and was also their European buyer, which meant he traveled frequently to England, France, Spain, and Germany on buying trips.

Field of Field Mahler, later Field Schlick, was the original Marshall Field of the famous Chicago department store company, Marshall Field's.

George was a gentleman of good humor, wit and taste, and a very loving father. Granddaughter Janice Gravel, recalled a visit to her grandparent's for Christmas in 1937 when Grandpa George said he would "greet us with bells on,” and when the train arrived, six hours late because of snow, he was there with a strap of sleigh bells over his shoulder! He was a “charmer.”

They had the following children:

5. Gottlieb SMITH (Elisabetha) was born 8 Jul 1864 in French Creek, Allamakee, Iowa and was christened 30 Jul 1865. He died 26 Aug 1940 in Westby, Wisconsin and was buried in Lansing, Iowa.

The Allamakee County census of 1895 listed his occupation as planer foreman. A letter from John Dorrmann to his aunt V. P. (Hales) Engelhorn, dated 14 March, 1895 mentions Elizabeth Schmidt's second son as being a foreman of a planing mill.

Gottlieb and Louisa lived for a short time in Lansing where Gottlieb was the first fire chief. When they left for Wausau, Wisconsin, the town gave him their first brass fire bell. They later moved to Rib Lake, Wisconsin, where Gottlieb was superintendent of a lumber mill. They left Rib Lake and moved back to Lansing in about 1935. Gottlieb was a member of F.& A.M. Masonic Lodge.

Gottlieb married Louisa Anna WIEMERSLAGE, daughter of Johann Gerhard WIEMERSLAGE and Adelheid Anna Catherine FREIE, on 20 Oct 1897 in Lansing, Iowa. Louisa was born 13 Jul 1874 in Germany. She died 28 Apr 1940 in Lansing, Iowa and was buried in Lansing.

They had two Children:

8. Anna Jane SMITH (Elisabetha) was born 26 Nov 1870 in French Creek, Iowa. She died 17 Jan 1950 in Waukon, Iowa and was buried in Waukon.

Anna Jane Smith was educated in the Lansing pubic schools and high school. She taught in country schools of Allamakee County and in the Lansing and Waukon public schools. She was a member of Eastern Star, the Thursday Literary Club and the Methodist Church.

Anna married Charles Jenkins HALE on 2 Aug 1906 in Lansing, Iowa. Charles was born 29 Jul 1867 in Waukon, Iowa. He died 5 Mar 1934 in Waukon and was buried in Waukon

Charles was educated in the Waukon, Iowa public schools and started working at Jenkins and Hale, a retail establishment, when he was 17, and worked there for half a century. The store later became Hale and Sons and Charles' sons, John, Nathan and Dudley all worked there, as did daughter Charlotte. Nathan and Dudley were sons by Charles’ first wife, Olive Colgrove.

They had three children:

11. William Charles SMITH “Bill” (Elisabetha) was born 17 Apr 1878 in Waukon, Iowa. He died 28 May 1946 in Rolette, North Dakota.

As a young man William Charles took a position with the Milwaukee Railroad, served as operator and agent from 1898 until 1914 at stations in northern Iowa. (He apparently went to work for the RR at age 17.) He transferred to the Great Northern in August of 1914 to be the agent at Churchs Ferry, North Dakota until early 1918 when he moved to Rolette, North Dakota. There he was the agent for the consolidated Soo and Great Northern Railroads. He served the railroads for 48 years until his retirement at age 65 in 1943.

He was a trustee of the Presbyterian Church and Past Master of Doric Lodge No.100 and was a member of the Order of Railway Telegraphers. Death was due to coronary thrombosis.

Bill married Gertrude Ethel THOMPSON, his first cousin once removed and daughter of Thomas THOMPSON and Wilhelmina ENGELHORN “Minnie”, on 11 May 1916 in Churchs Ferry, North Dakota. Gertrude was born 30 Nov 1888 in Lansing, Iowa. She died 22 Aug 1969 in Dunseth,, North Dakota and was buried in Rolette.

Gertrude attended Lansing schools until about age 11 when she started having problems with pneumonia. Her parents thought it best if they move to a dryer climate so moved the family to North Dakota. When Gertrude had completed 8th grade she was told that that was enough education. Her mother (Minnie) had become sickly and Gertrude stayed home to help with the household chores.

Guests at the wedding were Mr. & Mrs. Mathias Engelhorn, Mr. & Mrs. Adolph P. Engelhorn, Mrs. F. E. Thompson, Mr. W. F. Engelhorn, Mrs. F. Hillerman, R.L. Thompson, Mr. & Mrs. W. A. Hausmann , Emma Engelhorn, Katherin Engelhorn and Thomas Engelhorn.

Bill Smith’s was the first white family to settle on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. The Turtle Mountains extended into Canada near Bellcourt, North Dakota. They went camping nearly every weekend and Bill built a chuck wagon box on the side of his Model T to carry the camping gear. “It was all Indian country around there.” Bill was always a railroad man. Gertrude was a member of Eastern Star.

They had one child:

13. Lettie Luella SMITH, “Lettie” (Elisabetha) was born 16 Jan 1882 in Dorchester, Allamakee, Iowa. She died 4 Nov 1960 in Waukon, Iowa and was buried 6 Nov 1960 in Lansing, Iowa. 

Lettie attended grade school in Lansing, Iowa, and graduated from Lansing High School. She was active in neighborhood clubs and in Red Cross work and was an active member of the German Presbyterian Church. Her devotion was to her home and family. In 1900 she went to St. Paul where she worked in one of the large millinery establishments. For a while she had her own millinery shop in Villard, Minnesota.

After her marriage to Charles they moved to Chicago and were there until 1914 when they moved back to Allamakee County. Her death occured in 1960 in the Good Samaritan Home, Waukon, Iowa.

In her wedding announcement in the Lansing paper it was reported that “The bride has been carefully reared and is one of those practical, sensible women who know how to make a home happy and we believe will ever strive to that desirable end.”

 Lettie married Charles MAGNUSSON, son of Charles MAGNUSSON and Anna LARSON, on 4 Oct 1905 in Lansing, Iowa. Charles was born 19 Mar 1879 in Lansing. He died 14 Oct 1937 in Waukon, Iowa and was buried 16 Oct 1937 in Lansing, Iowa.

Charles was a man of honor and respectability, “in whose keeping any young lady might with safety trust her future.” At the time of their wedding, Charles had been “the clever assistant in Boeckh’s clothing store” and in the express office. They lived in Chicago for a time but moved back to Lansing in 1914 where Charles was employed in the men’s clothing department of Lee Brothers for a number of years, after which he worked for R. J. Alexander and the B and B store. He later continued in the same line of work for the Don Kinkel Clothing Company. Charles was a member of the Masonic and Yeoman Lodges.

They had the following children:

14. Elizabeth WHITWELL, “Bess”(Wilhelmina SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 7 Jan 1895 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She died 25 Jan 1991 in St. Paul, Minnesota and was buried in St. Paul. 

Elizabeth graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy High School in 1913 with the highest honors in mathematics. She attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1917 with a BSc and teacher’s certificate in Home Economics. She then taught home economics at Deep Haven, Minnesota from 1917 to 1919. She lived for a time in Winnipeg, Manitoba where she had the responsibility for the entire 4-H Club program for the province of Manitoba with offices in the parliament building in Winnipeg. Later she returned to St. Paul to teach for the War Veteran’s Administration.

Elizabeth was active in many civic and service clubs and organizations; Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, St. Paul College Club, AAUW, Eastern Star, St. Paul Women’s City Club, Women’s Opera Guild, P.E.O., the Children’s Hospital Women’s Auxiliary, St Clemment’s Episcopal Church, and was on the board of Women’s Auxiliary of the Charles T. Miller Hospital for 12 years. She was also a member of the Early American Glass Club of St. Paul.

Elizabeth married Norris Kenneth CARNES on 11 Nov 1920. Norris was born 9 May 1895 in Royalton, Minnesota.

Norris was born on a farm near Royalton. At age 13 he earned $25 a month leading 50 cows to and from community pasture twice daily.

Norris received a BSc degree from the University of Minnesota in 1917. Following university he served in the Army in France during WW I and was awarded the Silver Star. He left the Army with the rank of Major. After the war he returned to the University of Minnesota where he obtained his Masters degree in 1923. He then became assistant professor in Animal Husbandry at the University of Minnesota. Later in 1923 he became Assistant Manager of the Central Livestock Association followed by promotion to General Manager in 1930.

Included among his many affiliations were: Board of Directors, First National Bank of St. Paul; Board of Directors Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Co.; Director and Member of the Executive Committee of the National Live Stock and Meat Board; Vice President of the Minnesota Live Stock Breeders’ Association; VP Minnesota State Fair; VP Minnesota Taxpayers Association; St. Clemment’s Episcopal Church; on the Governor’s Board on Crime and Delinquency; St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce; and for a time served on the Board of Trustees of Macalester College. He received the Outstanding Achievment Award from the U of M in 1952 and his portrait hangs in the Hall of Fame, U of M College of Agriculture.

His hobbies were judging horses, fishing and hunting. He was recognized by the American and Canadian Horse Show Associations as a recorded judge in all breeds and classes of horses. Norris celebrated his 101st birthday on May 9, 1996.

They had three children:

15. Martha WHITWELL (Wilhelmina SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 21 Jan 1898 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She died 30 Sep 1967 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. 

Martha grew up in St Paul where she attended the public schools and the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1921 with a BSc degree in English with a minor in mathematics. She was granted the Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1939.

Martha taught mathematics and English in high schools and junior high schools in St. Paul and Glencoe, Minnesota and in Leonia, Upper Montclair and Ridgewood, New Jersey.

In 1956 Governor Robert B. Meyner appointed her to a committee on the selection of mathematics textbooks for junior high schools for the State of New Jersey.

She was twice publicly thanked and credited by astronaut colonel Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin for having sparked his interest in mathematics which lead to his interest in science and the space program.

In 1937 Martha began a career as a mathematics textbook editor for the World Book Company, later merged into Harcourt, Brace, World, Inc. The mathematics text for first graders, “One by One” for which she was editor, gained the distinction of being the only mathematics text ever to receive the graphic arts industry’s award as one of fifty best books of the year.

Martha was a life member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, College Club of Ridgewood, New Jersey and Women’s Guild of the first Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood.

Martha and Eugene were married in “The Little Brown Church Around the Corner” in New York City.

Martha married Eugene Octave GRAVEL on 14 Feb 1928 in New York, New York. Eugene was born 8 Mar 1898 in Burlington, Vermont. He died Feb 1979 in Sun City Center, Florida.

Eugene’s parents were French-Canadian, from Montreal and St. Hyacinth, Quebec. As a young man he came to New York City and studied to be a professional singer. He was in the Metropolitan Opera School and Chorus and gave many concerts with the Fay Foster Trio. For these performances he listed his name as Gene Gravelle. Eugene was also involved with men’s glee clubs and sang in his church choir. He was a member of the Ridgewood, New Jersey, Orpheus Club for many years.

They had one child:

17. Esther Clara Elizabeth SMITH (Gottlieb SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 13 Aug 1898 in Wausau, Wisconsin. She died 24 Nov 1959 in New London, Minnesota and was buried in New London. Her death was due to complications from diabetes.

Esther married Victor Paul Emanuel POLMAN, son of Hans POLMAN, on 16 Jun 1923 in Rib Lake, Wisconsin. Victor was born 17 Aug 1895 in New London, Minnesota. He died 29 Apr 1963 in Fort Snelling, Minnesota and was buried in New London. Victor died as a result of head injuries received in a car accident.

They had three children:

18. Dr. Clarence Carl David SMITH DDs. (Gottlieb SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 15 Aug 1900 in Wausau, Wisconsin. He died 6 Dec 1966 in Westby, Wisconsin and was buried 9 Dec 1966 in Lansing, Iowa. 

Clarence graduated from Marquette Dental School in 1923 and practiced in Rib Lake from 1923 to 1932, when the Smiths moved to Westby, where he continued his practice. He was a member of the American Dental Association and the Wisconsin State Dental Society. He was a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner, Past Master of the Rib Lake Masonic Lodge and a member of LaBelle Lodge of Viroqua. He served as mayor of Westby and was honored in 1965 by the Syverson-Funk Post of the American Legion for his service to the Westby Legion Post and to the community as a whole. He was a veteran of WW I and had served as Commander of the Westby Legion Post. He also served as president of the Westby Utility Commission.

A story told by his daughter is that when Clarence was a small boy and ice cream cones were first invented he asked his father for a nickel so he could buy one. When told “no” he took his father’s fire bell and sold it to a junk dealer for five cents. When he came home that evening and saw his father pacing the floor he knew he was in trouble. Father Gottlieb was most upset and had to go look up the junk dealer and pay $15 to get it back.

Clarence married Mabel J. THOMPSON, daughter of Severin THOMPSON and Louise MELLING, on 20 Feb 1925 in Superior, Wisconsin. Mabel was born 29 Sep 1902 in Ashland, Wisconsin. She died 23 Oct 1994 in Westby, Wisconsin and was buried 27 Oct 1994 in Lansing, Iowa.

Mabel attended grade school in Ashland, Wisconsin and graduated from Superior Central High School in 1920. She attended Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin) and received her teaching degree in 1922. She taught kindergarten in Ladysmith, Rib Lake and Westby, Wisconsin. She was a member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Westby, a life member of the O.E.S. (69 years) and the American Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of Westby Coon Prairie choir for many years and taught Sunday school. Mabel was a past member of Vernon Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Westby Library Board, Westby School Board and the Senior Citizens.

They had one child:

20. John Charles HALE (Anna Jane SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 4 Apr 1909 in Waukon, Iowa. He died 8 May 1983 in Portland, Oregon.

John married Helen Schriver POHAN, daughter of Ira SHRIVER and Mary JOHANSON, on 26 Apr 1932 in Waukon, Iowa. Helen was born 11 Jul 1909 in Humeston, Iowa. She died May 1994.

They had two children:

21. Charlotte Emily HALE (Anna Jane SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 17 Nov 1912 in Waukon, Iowa. She died 2 Apr 1980 in Waukon, and was buried in Waukon.

Charlotte attended Waukon public schools and high school, graduating in 1930. She attended Waukon Junior College and graduated in 1932. Following junior college she attended Iowa State University and obtained her BSc degree in textiles and clothing in 1935. From 1935 to 1947 she was employed by Hales Department Store in Waukon, Iowa (photo credit). She was a member of the Methodist Church in Waukon where she taught Sunday school and was active in church circles. She was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and a Cub Scout den mother. Later, in Postville, Iowa, she became a member of the Postville Community Presbyterian Church.

Charlotte married Gerald William STEVA, son of William STEVA and Eva Mae SMOCK, on 26 Jan 1947 in Waukon, Iowa. Gerald was born 12 May 1915 in Earlville, Iowa. He died 19 Oct 2001 in Postville, Iowa.

Gerald was a prominent dairy farmer near Luana, Iowa; brown Swiss dairy cows, until he retired and turned the farm over to his son, William Charles.

They had two children:

22. Lucile SMITH (William Charles SMITH, Elisabetha) was born 23 Mar 1917 in Churchs Ferry, North Dakota. She died 23 Mar 1998 in Perris, California.

Lucille and David eloped to Canada to get married after she became pregnant. David was the postmaster at Rolette, North Dakota for 33 years and Lucile worked as a clerk in the post office during the war years.

Lucile married David L. BOTTON on 6 May 1934 in Kilarney, Manitoba, Canada. David was born 25 May 1909 in Flaxton, North Dakota. He died 17 Mar 1988 in Phoenix, Arizona.

They had four children: