Family Stories & Reflections
Memories and reflections passed down through the Schmieder-Beck family are shared here as stories of faith, hard work, and perseverance—stories that help keep their lives and legacy alive.
Chapter 12: December 7, 1928: Reflections on a Pivotal Day
This chapter examines George and Rosa’s reflections on December 7, 1928, as they recount their...
Chapter 11: A Winter Morning: Memories Before the Auction
Wedding photograph of Louise Willman and Xaver Schmieder (George’s brother), 1926 — also pictured Maria...
Chapter 10: The Kreutter Farm Years on Hall’s Hill (1926–1928)
Schmieder Family Photograph — first row (left to right): George Jr., Hilda, Fred, and Arnold;...
Chapter 9: From Gulf Road to Hall’s Hill
Schmieder children, c. 1926 — left to right: Arnold, Hilda, and Fred; seated: George. The...
Grace Amid Hard Times: Easter Faith and Family, 1933
Easter Morning, 1933 — The Schmieder Children searching for their baskets in the barn haymow...
Chapter 8: Scalding Water and Saving Grace
Fred’s Story at St. Jerome’s St. Jerome Hospital, Batavia (circa 1920s)Operated by the Sisters of...
Chapter 7: Schmieder Family’s First Christmas in America, 1924
Loneliness in a New Land: Longing for Christmas Past The bitter cold seeped through the...
Chapter 6: Tears and Hope — A Passage to America, 1924
SS Bremen: The Ship That Carried Rosa and Her Children to a New Life in...
