World War I
Benedict "Ben" L. Schmitz was born on the 4th of July in 1892.
He was one of 12 children born to Leonard and Louisa Schmitz, and was born on their farm northeast of Osmond. He attended school in Osmond and, though I didn't find a record of him graduating here, he later attended Creighton University and the University of Innsbruck, Austria.
At the latter place, for a time, it was Ben’s intention to become a Catholic priest. Instead, he returned to America, probably in 1912 as I found him on an arriving passenger list on the ship Jijndam coming from Rotterdam in 1912.
He then entered the Army during World War I. He was discharged in 1918, having attained the rank of lieutenant.
A family member was kind enough to share a letter that was written to Ben by Kaplan (Father) Josepf Pipberger in 1922. Pipberger was thought to have been one of Ben's instructors in the seminary in Europe. In the letter, he tells of the horrible conditions in Germany they had had since 1917 and after the war, and thanks him for the $5 Ben had sent, for which he received 290 Marks on the dollar, and on which he would be able to live for a month. He also mentions that he would send some doilies to Ben's sisters to “bring them a little joy.”
In 1922, Ben married Lillian (Kra tochvil) Stanosheck, a widow with a young son. She had been married to Percy Stanosheck, who had also served in WWI and who had died of influenza/ pneumonia while in the service of his country.
The couple and their son made their home with Ben’s mother, Louisa, helping her manage her farming operations. A couple of years after her death, in 1926, Ben purchased the Gus Marek
hardware and mortuary business and renamed it B. L. Schmitz Hardware and Mortuary.
Ben and Lillian had seven children of their own: Benedict Jr. (Dick), Leonard, Ralph, Mary Borin, Richard (Brother Francis), Edith Bittner and Lucille Apple. In 1941, the family was hit by tragedy when Dicky was killed in a car accident three miles northeast of town at the age of 15.
Ben’s interest in civic, church and business affairs won him the respect and admiration of the community. He was interested in adult and youth sports, taking over management of the Osmond American Legion baseball team.
He took an active interest in affairs of the Catholic church, was a member of the Creighton council of Knights of Columbus and Catholic Order of Foresters and, in 1943, he was honored with membership in the Legion of Honor, third degree.
Ben was also a past county commander of the American Legion, a past president of the Osmond Community Club, was active as a member of the Osmond Fire Department and prominent in the Osmond Gun Club.
Benedict was the county chairman of the second and third war loan drives during World War II and only relinquished that work after doctors advised him to slow activities.
After being ill for several months, Ben died May 23, 1945. His obituary states, “With his death, there is cast a deep sadness, widespread in the com- munity and county, and testified to by unnumbered expressions of regret and sympathy and attendance at the last rites Monday by some 300 persons of all creeds and stations of life.”
He and his wife are buried in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.
