Schmidt, Marie Becker (1865-1957)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 May 16 p. 6

Birth date: 1865 Jan 9

text of obituary:

. . .

— Mrs. Marie Schmidt, who was among the pioneer settlers here, died Monday at the home of a son, Rev. H. B. Schmidt of Route 2, Newton. Born in South Russia in 1865, she reached the age of 92. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p. m. Saturday at the Tabor Mennonite Church. Surviving in addition to Rev. Schmidt are another son, R. B. Schmidt of Walton; four daughters, Mrs. Gerh. Friesen and Mrs. Edgar Frank of Newton, Augusta Schmidt, missionary on furlough from India, and Mrs. Ernest Peters of Walton; a brother, John Becker, and a sister, Mrs. David Schmidt, both of Newton; 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Jul 25 p. 8

text of obituary:

MRS. JACOB J. SCHMIDT

Mrs. Jacob J. Schmidt, our mother, was born on Jan. 9, 1865, in Gnadenfeld, a village of about 500 in south Russia. Her parents were Heinrich and Maria Lange Becker. They led their children to Jesus Christ in early childhood.

Mother attended school in Russia for seven years, and she looked back to those years as the happiest in her life. Her teacher was David Dirks, a brother to Missionary Henry Dirks. He shared missionary letters from his brothers on the mission field with the pupils and this awakened in mother the desire to be a missionary.

In 1877 her parents left Russia with their five children and the grandmother because the government threatened to draft the Mennonite boys into military service.

The early pioneer years were difficult. The grandparents and their children experienced poverty and hard work. They learned to pray and depend on God for his blessing. Grandfather soon became blind.

Mother was baptized in 1882 by Rev. Jacob Buller in the Alexanderwohl Church. She often spoke of the blessings received in her catechism class. Our parents, married in 1888, transferred their membership to the Tabor chruch [sic] at the time it was organized. Father died May 31, 1927. Mother loved her home very much, and was grateful to be able to stay in her own home until she was called to her eternal Home.

She was a good story teller, and the twilight hour was the children's hour to which we all looked forward. At this time we heard Bible stories, mission stories, and other stories which were a great blessing to us. She was a good, loving and unselfish mother and enjoyed to work and serve. Though her wish to be a missionary was not fulfilled, as there was no mission work carried on by the Mennonites in America in the early years, mother awakened in her children the desire to serve God, and spiritual things were always put first in her life.

She suffered from arthritis and became more and more crippled so that she could not walk the last several months. As she became weaker and more helpless, she comforted herself by the Bible verses, songs and poems which she had memorized in her youth.

On May 13 at 3:00 her wish to go Home was fulfilled. She often said during the last days and weeks, "How blessed to die in the good shepherd's care," and "finally He will come quietly, take me by the hand and lead me to the fatherland." She had a strong faith and no fear of death. Thanks be to God for the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Her life is a blessed memory to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The family consists of the following: Rev. and Mrs. Gerhard Friesen, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Schmidt, Augusta Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest A. Peters, Rev. and Mrs. E. E. Frank, Rev. and Mrs. H. B. Schmidt, and Mrs. J. E. Schmidt. There are 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Preceding her in death were our father, Jacob J. Schmidt, two brothers and one sister who died in infancy, one brother Jacob who died in 1949, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. — The J. J. Schmidt Family.