Mayor William Henry Schmalz^[1]

1862 - 1933  (70 years)

• Name	William Henry Schmalz
  Prefix	Mayor
  Born	31 Dec 1862	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  Christened	1 Feb 1863	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1871	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Lutheran
  Occupation	1881	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Clerk
  Residence	1881	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Lutheran
  Elected Office	1892	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	mayor - councillor - Kitchener
  	Years Served: 1892, 1911-12 (Mayor)
  Occupation	1901	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Secretary
  Artifact	1906
  	water colour painting
  	by WM.H.Schmalz ,Berlin Ontario artist. -Dated 1906 . Frame10 3/4" x 12 3/4" -- Picture 4 1/2" x 6 1/4".
  		Water colour by W. H. Schmalz
  Art	1910
  	1910 Envelope
  		Schmalz,W.H.-HandrawnArtonEnvelop1910-ebay2020.jpg
  Occupation	1911	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Insurance Manager
  Residence	1911	93 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  		Residence of W. H. Schmalz 1912 From: Berlin Celebration of Cityhood - Issued by Authority of the City. Berlin Ontario, Issued in Commemoration of its Celebration of Cityhood July 17th 1912
  Residence	1911	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Lutheran
  Employer	1912	Ecomonical Fire Insurance Company, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Manager of Economical Fire Insurance Company
  Name	Henry William Schmaltz
  Name	W. H. Schmalz
  Residence	1933	189 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-31189P
  Died	9 May 1933	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Cause: degenerative myrocarditis & coronary scleroris
  Buried	Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  Person ID	I31189	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Balthasar "Balzer" Schmalz,   b. CALC 8 Jul 1834, , Germany ,   d. 1 Jan 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 56 years)
  Mother	Maria Steinacker,   b. CALC 27 Nov 1837, , Germany ,   d. 25 Mar 1892, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 54 years)
  Married	8 Feb 1859	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9, 10, 11, 12]
  Family ID	F6146	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Eleanora Oelschlager,   b. 13 Sep 1867, Bridgeport (Kitchener), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 19 Mar 1951, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 83 years)
  Married	12 Sep 1888	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Children	1. William Henry Eugene Schmalz,   b. 29 Jul 1890, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 25 Jan 1981, , Welland Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 90 years)   2. Clara Louise Schmalz,   b. CALC 22 Dec 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Jan 1892, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 0 years)
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F8173	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos		William Henry Schmalz from Waterloo Region Hall of Fame
  		William Henry Schmaltz From: Official souvenir of the celebration of cityhood, July 17th 1912

  
  

• Notes

  WILLIAM HENRY SCHMALZ And The Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company. William Henry Schmalz, ex-mayor and noted citizen, was born in Berlin, Canada West, now Kitchener, Ontario, on the 31st day of December, the last day of the year, 1862. He died on the 9th day of May, 1933. The following is taken from an appreciation of his career written by the late J. P. Jaffray, Journalist and Community Historian, before Mr. Schmalz's death. Very impressive has been the rise to an eminent position in his chosen field of endeavor of Mr. William H. Schmalz, Managing Director of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company, whose long record of service from office boy to the headship of the strong and wealthy institution is unparalleled in Mutual Fire Insurance circles in this Province; in the entire Dominion, as a matter of fact. Looking over some of the old Policies, as has been my privilege, I have been struck by the strikingly attractive char-acter of his penmanship. The key to the attributes of his management is seen in the written lines of the policies that have marked his development of the inside workings of the Economical. The schools that knew him were the Berlin Central (public) and the Berlin High. In both he acquitted himself entirely to the satisfaction of his teachers. His first job came to him in 1878 as clerk and policy writer, etc., in the employ of one of the leading public and business men of the county the late Hugo Kranz, who in that year was elected federal Member of Parliament for North Waterloo. The Economical "office" then became, in a sense, a "box office," inasmuch as it was placed on a desk in the corner of Mr. Kranz's General Store. In 1883 young Schmalz was found solely identified with the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company. The next step in his career was his election to the Secretaryship in 1891. This was his association with the Company until 1908, the year that saw him appointed Managing Director, which position he still holds. Mr. Schmalz's connection with the Economical has been unique. Fifty-four years ago he displayed his 'prentice hand in the writing of a Policy. His superiors were H. F. J. Jackson, the first president, William Oelschlager, Hugo Kranz, John Fennell and others. When he was appointed Secretary in 1891 the total of Insurance in force was $6,190,516. In ten years more $10,000,000 was added to the business accumulated. At that time John Fennell was President and so continued until his death in 1922, when he had been for years the only surviving charter member of the Company. Mr. George C. H. Lang became a Director of the Company in 1884 and President in 1923; Mr. L. J. Breithaupt joined the Company as Director in 1888 and is still in office; the late Mr. H. L. Janzen was elected a member of the Board in 1895 and served for the rest of his life until 1923. The late P. S. Lautenschlager spanned the years between 1889 and 1927; George Pattinson, ex-M.P.P., had a record of service from 1892 to 1928, Sheriff (Dr.) H. G. Lackner from 1917 to 1926 and Mr. Hartman Krug from 1920 to 1932. Other Directors from time to time were A. A. Weiler (New Germany), James Livingston (Baden), E. W. B. Snider (St. Jacobs), J. Oberholtzer, Aug. Fuchs, C. Stuebing, John Motz, Henry Knell, P. E. W. Moyer, W. H. Bowlby, K.C., Geo. Rumpel (all of Berlin) John Ruppel (Elmira), Christian Pabst (Hespeler), J. L. Kroetsch (St. Clements), T. W. Thomson (Fergus), Otto Klotz (Preston), Hon. Samuel Merner (New Hamburg), John Watson (Ayr), A. B. Powell (London), Frank Turner (Toronto), Philip Jacobi (Toronto), and Jos. E. Seagram (Waterloo). When Mr. Schmalz, in 1878, became clerk and policy writer of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company its net assets amounted to $75,000. At the present time (1933) they stand at $1,800,000. For forty-two years Mr. Schmalz has been Secretary of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kitchener, for 22 years he was Treasurer of the Ontario District of the Missouri Synod and member of St. Paul's Choir for about two decades. He was on the Berlin and Waterloo Hospital board for eighteen years, nine years as secretary and three as president. He was Alderman in 1892 and Mayor of Kitchener 1911-1912. Some years later, continuing his keen interest in civic affairs, he was member and first chairman of the Kitchener City Planning Commission. His private interests are Landscape Painting, Band, Orchestral and Vocal Music, and travel. In course of time he has become one of Canada's leading philatelists, and now has a collection of postage stamps exceeding 45,000. His wife is the youngest daughter of the late William Oelschlager, charter member of the Economical Board of Directors, as spoken of.1a Twenty-First Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society, 1933 _________________________________ WILLIAM HENRY SCHMALZ Mayor of Berlin, Ontario, Managing Director of the Economical Mutual Fire Ins. Co. of Berlin, was born in Berlin Ont., December 31st, 1862, the son of B. Schmalz and Mary Schmalz, and was educated in public and high schools. Began his business career as clerk with the late Hugo Kranz, M.P. in 1878 at which time the office of the Economical was located in a small room of the store, the late Mr. Kranz being Manager at that time. This is where Mr. Schmalz first became identified with the Company but in 1883 he was engaged permanently as Clerk. He was appointed Secretary in 1890, Manager in 1902, and a Director in 1907. He was a member of the Town Council in 1892 and refused the offer of the Mayoralty several times but accepted in 1910 and was elected by a majority of 552. Mr. Schmalz is a Trustee of the Berlin & Waterloo Hospital and was nine years the Secretary and three years the President of the Trust. He is the Treasurer of the Berlin Board of Trade, a Vice-President of the Ontario Muni-cipal Association, Second Vice-Presidentof the Berlin Horticultural Society and a Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Kranz Coal Co. He has been identified with Musical Organizations for many years, particularly with the 29th Regiment Band of which he has been and is now the President since 1900. Mayor Schmalz also holds the Provisional appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel of the City Regiment organized in 1910. He was married in 1888 to Eleonora, daughter of the late William Oelschlager, Town Treasurer and a former Manager of the Economical. He has one son, who has just graduated from Royal Military College, Kingston (Class prize in 1911, and Governor-General's Medal in 1912). Mr. Schmalz is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church and in politics a Conservative. He is a member of The Berlin Club and Grand River Country Club, and his residence is at 93 Queen St. South. Official souvenir of the celebration of cityhood, July 17th 1912, Berlin, Ontario, The German Printing and Publishing Co __________________________ WILLIAM HENRY SCHMALZ. William Henry Schmalz, manager and secretary of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Berlin, his native city, was born December 31, 1862, of the marriage of Balthasar and Marie (Steinacker) Schmalz, both of whom were natives of Hesse, Germany. They settled in Berlin, Ontario, in 1851, and for many years the father was an operator in the Dominion Button Works. William H. Schmalz continued his education as a public and high school student in Berlin until he reached the age of fifteen years, when he entered the employ of C. Kranz & Son, general merchants. He then followed mercantile pursuits until 1883, when he entered the employ of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company as a junior clerk. While thus employed he made it his duty to master every detail of the business, and in 1888 was appointed secretary for the company, while upon the death of the late manager, Hugo Kranz, in 1902, he succeeded to the vacated position. His early study of the business made his service of value and thus he has won constant promotion until he now occupies a prominent place in insurance circles. Mr. Schmalz has, moreover, figured prominently in municipal life, serving for one year as a member of the city council, while his association with various public concerns in Berlin has resulted beneficially to the different institutions. Since 1896 he has been a member of the board of hospital trustees and acted as secretary until 1905, when he was elected president of the board in recognition of his past valuable service. He is likewise a member of the Berlin Board of Trade and for several years was a member of the council of the board. Mr. Schmalz has always taken great interest in music in its various branches and is president of the Berlin Musical Society, which boasts of one of the finest brass bands in the Dominion, known as the Twenty-ninth Regiment Military Band, in which he has for many years played the cornet and French horn. He is also director of the mixed and male choirs of the Lutheran Church. A lover of art, he devotes much of his leisure time to sketching and painting natural scenery and has displayed unquestioned talent in that direction. In fact his ability has gained him more than local note, some of his canvasses being considered genuine works of art. He is also a philatelist, having a valuable collection of stamps, aggregating more than twelve thousand varieties. He is, moreover, an expert penman and executes engrossing of addresses and other work of a similar character. In 1888 Mr. Schmalz was married to Miss Eleonore, a daughter of the late William Oelschlager, for ten years manager of the Economical Mutual Fire Insurance Company. They have one son, William. Politically Mr. Schmalz is a Conservative, and his church relation is with the Evangelical Lutheran denomination. While he is acknowledged a prominent and successful business man he has found time and opportunity to cultivate those graces of character and higher sentiment to which commercialism has seemed in large measure opposed. He is one of the most active factors in advancing intellectual, aesthetic and musical culture in Berlin and is thus a valued acquisition to those circles of society wherein art and culture are recognized at their true worth. A History of Ontario: its resources and development

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 7 Jan 1892. Jan. 2, 1892 Clara Louise Schmalz, infant daughter of William H. Schmalz, died in Berlin at age of 11 days. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, Berlin (Town/Ville) A-5 Page 3. [S6] Church Records - ON, Waterloo - Bindeman, F. W. - Card Index Kitchener Public Library. Henry William Schmalz s/o Balzar & Maria Steinacker b. 31 Dec 1862, bapt. 1 Feb 1863 sponsors: Caspar Otterbein & wife Margareth [S158] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1881, Div 1 Page 24. [S229] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1871, Div. 2, Pg. 63. [S340] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1911, Div. 22 Pg. 2. [S713] Vit - ON - Death Registration, death certificate 33321 (1933), William H. Schmalz. William H. Schmalz, b. 31 Dec 1860 Kitchener, d. 9 May 1933 Kitchener, s/o Balthasar Schmalz (b. Germany) & Marie Stemacher (b. Germany) cause: degenerative myrocarditis & coronary scleroris, residence 189 Queen St. S., Kitchener, [S1775] Berlin: Celebration of Cityhood. [S14] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Chronicle (1856-1860), 15 Feb 1859. 8 Feb 1859 By the Rev'd F. W. Bindeman, at Berlin on the 8th instant, Baltasar Schmaltz, to Maria Steinacker, of Berlin. [S6] Church Records - ON, Waterloo - Bindeman, F. W. - Card Index Kitchener Public Library. Balthar Schmalz, 25, res. Berlin b. Germany s/o Henry Schmalz & Cathr. Otterbein married 8 Feb 1859 to Maria Steinacker, 21, res. Berlin b. Germany, d/o Henry Steinacker & Margeth. Lippel. wit: Henry Wurm of Berlin [S20] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Telegraph (title varies: Berlin Telegraph, Berlin Daily Telegraph) (1853-1922), 11 Feb 1859. By the Rev'd F. W. Bindeman at Berlin: Schmatz - Steinacker: On the 8th inst., Balthasar Schmatz, to Mary Steinacker, of Berlin. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register. Balthar Schmalz, 25, res. Berlin, b. Germany, son of Henry and Catherine (Otterbein), married 8 Feb 1859 Maria Stenacker, 21, res. Berlin, b. Germany, daughter of Henry and Margareth (Sippel)

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 31 Dec 1862 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Christened - 1 Feb 1863 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1871 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Clerk - 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 12 Sep 1888 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - mayor - councillor - Kitchener - 1892 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Secretary - 1901 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Insurance Manager - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1911 - 93 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Lutheran - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Employer - Manager of Economical Fire Insurance Company - 1912 - Ecomonical Fire Insurance Company, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1933 - 189 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: degenerative myrocarditis & coronary scleroris - 9 May 1933 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth