Grace Martha Schmidt

1915 - 2011  (96 years)

• Name	Grace Martha Schmidt
  Born	1915	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Interesting	honoured, story
  Residence	1921	224 Queen St. S., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-133276
  Died	26 Jun 2011	Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Buried	Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Person ID	I133276	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	William Ludwig Schmidt,   b. 26 Jun 1891, North Easthope Twp., Perth Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1961  (Age 69 years)
  Mother	Clara Myers,   b. 15 Jan 1893, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 27 Jul 1987  (Age 94 years)
  Married	10 Jun 1914	Wilmot Centre, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  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

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

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1915 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 26 Jun 2011 - Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Woodland Cem., Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth