Richter, William (line 18)

Source - Year: 1880; Census Place: Rock, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: T9_364; Family History Film: 1254364; Page: 150.1000; Enumeration District: 193; Image: 0551

Source - Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1940

Richter, William (line 94)

Source - Year: 1900; Census Place: Rock, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: T623 459; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 142.

On Wednesday morning of this week at 9:30 o'clock there occurred at St. Mary's church the ceremony which united in the holy bonds of matrimony Mr. Albert Schemmer and Miss Kate Richter, Rev, Father-Phelan officiating.

After the ceremony at St, Mary's the bride and groom and near relatives and friends went to the home of the groom's parents in this city where all partook heartily of a most delicious wedding breakfast. At the home of the bride's parents northwest of town, an equally appetizing dinner was served later, and in the afternoon and evening a reception was given by Mr. and Mrs. Richter in honor of the newly wedded couple, at which there were present a large number of their many friends.

This is a most auspicious union. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Will Richter and one of the noblest and most charming young ladies in our community. She has an amiable and sweet disposition and is loved by all.

The groom is a worthy son of our honored townsman, Henry Schemmer, and is one of our most reliable, thrifty and prosperous business men.

The many friends of both the contracting parties will join in wishing Mr. and Mrs. Albert Schemmer a long and happy voyage o'er the matrimonial sea.

Source - Sioux County Bee - Sep 28, 1900

Source - Sioux County Bee - Sep 28, 1900

Schemmer, Ben (line 8)

Schemmer, Henry (line 21)

Schemmer, Albert (line 24)

Source - Year: 1910; Census Place: Rock, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: T624_423; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 155; Image: 1255

Source - Year: 1915; Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925; Census Place: Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: IA1915_458; Image: 917

Albert Schemmer - line 26

Source - Year: 1920; Census Place: Rock, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: T625_514; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 171; Image: 984.

Schemmer, Albert (line 5)

Source - Year: 1925; Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925; Census Place: Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: IA1925_1948; Image: xref

Schemmer, Albert (line 5)

Source - Year: 1925; Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925; Census Place: Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: IA1925_1948; Image: xref

Albert Schemmer - line 15

Source - Year: 1930; Census Place: Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: 683; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 27; Image: 281.0.

Katie Richter - line 3

Source - Year: 1940; Census Place: Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: m-t0627-01205; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 84-27

Katie Richter - line 24

Julia Richter - line 26

Source - Year: 1950; Census Place: Rock Valley, Sioux, Iowa; Roll: 4709; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 84-35

Among the early settlers in this community were Mr. and Mrs. William F. Richter, who came here as newlyweds in 1879. They were accompanied by Mrs. Richter's father, mother, and brother and first lived in a log cabin two miles west and one mile north of Rock Valley, where their eldest children were born. After three years, they purchased the farm one-half mile west of their first home which was their home until they moved to Rock Valley in 1918. John Draayer now lives on this farm.

They were one of the thirteen families which formed the nucleus of St. Mary's Catholic Parish in 1881. Prior to that time, they had attended church in LeMars, making the trip about once a month in a lumber wagon, going on Saturday afternoon and returning on Sunday.

The year 1879 was the last one that the grasshoppers came in hordes and took all the crops. After the crops were destroyed that year, Mr. Richter, having a team, went to work for the Milwaukee Railroad helping to grade the roadbed for the railroad which as put through that year.

In 1881 these pioneers saw the highest flood that the Rock River has ever had -- it being two miles wide and extending from Main Street in Rock Valley to two miles west. It had snowed early that year on October l7, after which the weather turned bitterly cold and the accumulation of snow never left until on April 15 when a rain fell, melting all the winter's snow and causing the great flood.

These hearty pioneers also worried through the blizzard of 1888 when their eldest daughter (Mrs. A.F. Schemmer, deceased 1972) was marooned in the schoolhouse three miles west and one north of Rock Valley with the teacher of that school, Mrs. W.C. Leonard, and her brother, Will Renshaw, who taught at the school just north. They had no lights and no means of communication with the outside world. Mrs. Schemmer slept on a school bench that night. The following morning Mr. C.W. Renshaw, father of the two teachers, stopped for his neighbor, Mr. Richter, and together they started walking to the schoolhouse for their children. Upon reaching the top of a hill, they could see smoke coming from the schoolhouse chimney and realized all was safe.

Mrs. Richter died in 1926 and Mr. Richter in 1936. Both are buried at Rock Valley.

Source - Written by Mrs. A.F. Schemmer in 1955

The community lost one of its pioneer citizens in the death of Mrs. A. F. Schemmer who died at Valley Manor on June 3, 1972. Mrs. Katie (Richter) Schemmer was born in a log cabin three miles west of Rock Valley on April 22, 1880. When she was a month old the family traveled by wagon to Le Mars, Iowa to have her baptized and become a member of the Catholic Faith.

She well remembered spending the night of the 1888 blizzard in a one room country school. Because of the storm Mrs. Schemmer, her teacher, Mrs. Will Leonard, and Herbert Renshaw, who was Mrs. Leonard's brother, were forced to stay all night in the school southwest of town.

She was married to Albert Schemmer on September 26, 1900.

Mrs. Schemmer was a member of Saint Mary's Catholic Church, a charter member of the Catholic Daughters of America, and a lifetime member of Saint Mary's Guild.

She is survived by seven daughters: Mrs. Clarence (Elvira) Keegan of Rock Valley, Mrs. Clarence (Lunetta) Goldsmith of Mahomen, Minnesota, Mrs. Martin (Evelyn) Cullinan of Doon, Mrs Viola Johnson of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Mrs. Floyd (Catherine) Olson of Savage, Minnesota, Mrs. Harold (Margaret) Otterstrom of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mrs. Thomas (Agnes) McIntosch of Pasadena, California, and one son Walter A. Schemmer of Logan, Iowa, and one sister, Mrs. Dan Crowley of Canby, Minnesota, forty-three grandchildren and fifty-five great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert, who died in July 1937, and four sons Clarence, Norbert, Oliver, and Arthur.

Pallbearers were grandsons: Mark Goldsmith, Martin Warborg, Paul Olson, Robert Keegan, Kenneth Klein, James Otterstrom, and Walter Schemmer.

Out of town relatives and friends attending Mrs. Schemmer's funeral: Mr. And Mrs. Elmer Richter, Burlington, Wisconsin, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Epping, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Mrs. James 0'Connell, Granite Falls, Minnesota, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Dunn, Saint Anthony, Iowa, Miss Jody Otterstrom, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mr. and Mrs.John Kersbergen, Alma, Michigan, Mrs. Pete Etzell, Mankato, Minnesota, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Richter, Canton. South Dakota, Mr. Frances Richter, Sherburn, Minnesota, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Richter, Huron, South Dakota, Mrs. Frank Achatz, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mrs. Mike Anderson, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mrs. Jake Donley, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mrs. Mildred Elsasserm Omaha, Nebraska, Miss Betty Streit, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Mr. arid Mrs. Ed Maaske, Logan, Iowa, Mrs. Carmen Schemmer Logan, Iowa, Miss Janice Otterstrom, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Joan McIntosch, of Buffalo, New York, David Klein, Portland. Oregon, Harlan Klein, Saint Paul, Minnesota, Leo Klein. Vermillion, South Dakota, William Warborg, Jefferson, Wisconsin, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Richard Zenk, Sioux City. Iowa. Rev. Edward Hoffman, Schaller, Iowa.

Source - The Rock Valley Bee - June 15, 1972