Stephen Schmitt

All known living descendants of our part of the Schmitt family in this country descended from Stephen Schmitt (there are no known living descendents of his sister).

Stephen Schmitt, was born about 1842 in Hessen Darnstadt, located in what is now Germany. The area is to the North of Bavaria and Soutn of Prussia. He arrived on May 19, 1857 on board the ship Hemisphere, traveling alone to New York from Le Havre, France, at about the age of 16. His name on the Passenger manifest is Stephan. According to the 1870 census he was a tailor.

Stephen married a woman named Emelia, about whom little else is known. They had 5 known children: Anne (abt 1868), Emelia (abt 1870), William (abt 1872), Therese (abt 1873), and August (abt 1878). In the 1870 census, they are living in New York, with Emily listed with her occupation listed as "Keeping House".

In 1876, Stephen became a naturalized American citizen. He was living at the time at 601 E. 13th street, which the current numbering system places at the corner of Avenue A.

Stephen died about 1878, and is believed to have been run over by a milk wagon. By 1880, the family is seen in the census with Emilia listed as a "Tailoress". After Stephen's death, his son, William, purchased the first known family plot for the Schmitts in Calvary Cemetery in Long Island City, NY, buried Stephen there, and erected a monument with the Schmitt name on it. It is not known when his wife, Amelia, died, but she is buried in the same plot as Stephen.