Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

Grace Martha Schmidt

Female 1915 - 2011  (96 years)


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  • Name Grace Martha Schmidt 
    Born 1915  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Female 
    Interesting honoured, story 
    Residence 1921  224 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-133276 
    Died 26 Jun 2011  Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Buried Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Person ID I133276  Generations
    Last Modified 25 Apr 2024 

    Father William Ludwig Schmidt,   b. 26 Jun 1891, North Easthope Twp., Perth Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1961  (Age 69 years) 
    Mother Clara Myers,   b. 15 Jan 1893, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Jul 1987  (Age 94 years) 
    Married 10 Jun 1914  Wilmot Centre, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F37418  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Historian Grace Schmidt Dies

      Retired librarian Grace Schmidt was known for being a walking encyclopedia, a woman so filled with details about the history of Waterloo Region that they named a room after her at the Kitchener Public Library.

      But more than just knowledgeable, Schmidt was a tenacious protector of the region's history, refusing to let progress override what our pioneer ancestors had worked so hard to build. Not a file, a photo or an artifact could be threatened with disposal without Schmidt running to its rescue.

      Schmidt died Sunday at the Fairview Mennonite Home in Cambridge at age 96 and it isn't an exaggeration to say the woman left a legacy few could match....

      Waterloo Region Record 29 Jun 2011

      _______________

      SCHMIDT, Martha Grace
      Passed away peacefully at Fairview Mennonite Home, Cambridge on Sunday afternoon, June 26, 2011. M. Grace Schmidt of Kitchener, in her 97th year. Beloved daughter of the late William E. Schmidt and Clara (Myers) Schmidt, she was predeceased by two sisters Selma K. (Sally) Schmidt and Florence M. (Florrie) Nelson. Grace is also survived by two nieces, Kathy and her husband David Angus and by Sarah Wildman and her companion Bill, and one nephew, Wm. Scott Nelson, all of Cambridge. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Erwin Nelson and his wife Barbara, also of Cambridge. A daughter of the very community she served, Miss Schmidt's pioneering efforts to acquire, conserve and make accessible local history and archival material formed a solid base for the growing study of local history by amateurs and scholars alike. Miss Schmidt's contributions extend well beyond her important role as archivist for both the Kitchener Public Library and the Waterloo Historical Society, reflecting her nurturing love of local history. She has served the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation, and was actively involved in one of the Foundation's most ambitious projects: the restoration of the historic Joseph Schneider Haus. As well, she has played a central role in the development of the Waterloo Historical Society, the Waterloo County Hall of Fame and the Red Cross. She served as Board member of the United Church Women of Zion, the United Church and the United Church Hamilton Conference archive's committee. Miss Schmidt's contributions to the broader community have been paramount in preserving and celebrating the history and culture of this area. Grace Schmidt has received deserved recognition for her dedicated efforts in the past. Her honours include: induction into the Waterloo County Hall of Fame (1996); the Outstanding Achievement Award for volunteerism, given by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation (1995); the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation Award of Excellence (1991); the Alexander Fraser Award by the Ontario Association of Archivists; Kitchener-Waterloo Woman of the Year (1980). In 1999, Grace Schmidt received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Waterloo. Resting at the Lounsbury Funeral Home, 1766 Franklin Boulevard, Cambridge where the family will receive friends on Thursday afternoon from 1 p.m. until time of service at 2 p.m. Private interment in the family plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, Kitchener. Memorial donations to Fairview Mennonite Home would be appreciated by the family as expressions of sympathy. Condolences/ Donations /Directions www.lounsburyfuneralhome.com (519) 658-9366


      The Waterloo Region Record 30 Jun 2011

  • Sources 
    1. [S602] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - The Waterloo Region Record (March 2008- ), Obituary of Grace Martha Schmidt - 30 Jun 2011.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 1915 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 26 Jun 2011 - Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth