Elizabeth Schmidt

They say that an individual can only overcome just so many obstacles in their lives before quite literally, their heart gives up hope. For Elizabeth Schmidt, the love and dedication she held for her child, homeland and all the good she remembered, along with her strong will, gave her a deep longing for a future filled with determination. A lifetime of hardship and struggle, Elizabeth will be remembered lovingly in the hearts of those she leaves behind.

The year 1914 brought much change as American culture was quickly evolving, and the threat of U.S. involvement loomed as World War I was engaged overseas. But in the quaint German village of Mengen, Germany, located in the mountain region of the Swabian Alb, the headlines of the day spoke of Germany at war, invasions, bombings and strife. Even so, it could not take away the joy that Hans Bauer and Marie (Birkmeier) Bauer were experiencing when on November 16, 1914, they welcomed the birth of a little girl they named Elizabeth. Elizabeth joined her older eight siblings, later welcoming a younger sibling to the Bauer household.

With his own company, Elizabeth‘s father provided for his large family as a self employed electrician while her mother stayed home caring for the children and keeping them out of harms way. Times were difficult with the ravages of war, and were made even more difficult when Elizabeth’s father died, leaving Elizabeth's mother alone to raise the children. Always busy with work and the terror they faced daily, the children were quite often on their own and lacked a closeness within their family. Besides school, Elizabeth worked hard to help the family survive financially. She went to school all day, spending her evenings helping her mother sew for money, working late into the night with little sleep before school each morning.

When in her early teens, Elizabeth’s mother also died, leaving her children orphaned. It was too much for them, and even as they struggled to stay together, Elizabeth soon accepted an offer to live with her Great Aunt, Anna Baumgardner. Throughout Elizabeth’s growing up years, she never experienced the joy that comes with vacation time because all she ever knew was hard work and the struggle just to survive.

Elizabeth attended school through to the American equivalent of the 8th grade, later going on to attend trade school for several years where she became an accomplished seamstress. At one point, she had the opportunity to become a Girl Scout leader, and thoroughly enjoyed it. But ten years later, her service in this area would prove to almost cost Elizabeth her life.

In the late 1930s, Elizabeth met a young man named Fritz Gruber, a navigator for the German Air Force. Dating and in love, they married in 1939, and before long, Elizabeth welcomed their daughter Trudy into their lives. With hopes for a loving and long life together crushed, Elizabeth soon found herself a young widow when Fritz’s plane carrying six crew members was shot down over Irish waters in 1940. Only two had washed on shore while the rest were listed missing in action. Even though Fritz, along with the German military, had insurance on his life, Elizabeth and her daughter were forced to wait seven long years before Fritz was deemed legally deceased. With the war over, new leadership took over within Germany, and ultimately, no insurance monies were ever paid. This proved to be a quite a financial blow and emotional devastation for Elizabeth.

Her time spent as a Girl Scout leader gave cause for concern when the Americans infiltrated Germany during World War II. They received word that Elizabeth was a Nazi spy, imprisoning her inside the confines of a concentration camp while she was carrying her son Fritz. Elizabeth suffered greatly, and near death, the Americans admitted their error in judgement, releasing her into the arms of her then nine year old daughter.

In 1949, Elizabeth came in contact with her brother Lawrence who lived in the United States. He owned a bakery in Muskegon, Michigan, sponsoring Elizabeth and her children to come to the U.S. and work for him. She sold off nearly everything she owned to make the trip to America, and while no boats were available during this time, the travel expense to the U.S. totalled over $1,300. Life for Elizabeth and Trudy was new and different in America, but she missed her homeland terribly. Throughout the years, she remained true to her heritage which meant so very much to her.

Before long, her hope was again renewed when she met and married Henry Dums in 1950 who had owned a dry cleaning business in Cedar Springs, Michigan. They worked alongside one another until Henry passed away in 1955. Elizabeth continued to run the shop until she closed it, moving on to work for Sheldon Cleaners where she served as their head tailor for 23 years. When Elizabeth met Eugene Schmidt in 1964, the two were married, but the following year brought forth another devastating time for Elizabeth when her beloved son Fritz tragically died in Baldwin, Michigan in a snowmobile accident.

Over the years, Elizabeth and Eugene traveled extensively throughout the U.S. They did much together and thoroughly shared a love for cooking. They were very involved as leaders of the German-American Club in Grand Rapids where they enjoyed preparing meals for its 100 members at their monthly dinner dances. Sadly, Elizabeth was again widowed when Eugene died in 1986. That same year, at the age of 72, Elizabeth finally retired and began traveling with friends around the world where they visited Germany, the Holy Land, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. They even went on several cruises. She was also involved with her church, St. James parish where she had been a longtime member.

Close to Elizabeth’s heart, she remained strong in her devout love for her country and all the good things she so fondly remembered. German music, along with the polka, waltz and opera continued to be her favorites. An avid reader, Elizabeth enjoyed reading books, magazines and newspapers too. As a seamstress, Elizabeth turned her handiwork and skill into knitting, crocheting and cross-stitch, making beautiful pieces over the years. Her favorite foods were those of her childhood, consisting mostly of German dishes and meals, but a family favorite at the many holidays and get-togethers at her home remained her homemade German potato salad. Elizabeth maintained that she would rather cook her own authentic meals rather than go to a restaurant. Years of early struggle did not dampen Elizabeth’s care for herself as she made sure she was always well dressed and took joy in doing so.

A strong woman who throughout her life faced much challenge and tragedy, her strength came from determination that brought her from the depths. A self sufficient and extremely independent woman, almost to a stubborn fault, it was only the product of her upbringing and years of struggle that made her that way. In her heart, Elizabeth was a woman who faced much in her lifetime and one who held close to her heart a love for her heritage. At age 94, Elizabeth died at St. Ann’s Home in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, July 8, 2009. She will be fondly remembered and held close in the hearts of her family and friends.

She is survived by her daughter, Trudy and Mick Towns of Greenville, MI; grandchildren, Brian and Betty Singer-Towns, Dina and Jim Ebenstein, Lance and Sharlene Towns; stepchildren, Fred and Katie Schmidt, Art and Emily Schmidt; several step-grandchildren and step great–grandchildren. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, July 11, 2009, 10:30 AM at St Ann’s Home, 2161 Leonard St NW. Relatives and friends may meet her family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home–Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW on Friday from 5-8 PM with a vigil service at 7:30 PM. Contributions to St Ann’s Home or Hospice of Michigan would be appreciated. To leave your own memory of her, submit a favorite memory or to sign her online guest book, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com.