John M. Schmidt, farmer and stockman of Clear Creek township, Nemaha county, Kansas, was born at Seneca, Kans., February 4, 1875, and is a son of Mathias and Anglia (Davis) Schmidt, who were parents of five children. Mathias Schmidt, his father, was born in the city of Wittenberg, German, in 1826, and left his native land when eighteen years old. He located in Philadelphia, and worked at his trade of shoe maker until after the close of the Civil war when he came West to Kansas and opened a shoe shop in Seneca. He made shoes for the trade here, and did shoe repair work for twenty-two years, and then invested his savings in a farm in Marion township, which he cultivated until his demise in 1907. He was twice married. His second wife, who was the mother of the subject of this sketch, was born'in Germany in 1845, and died May 26, 1899.
John M. Schmidt assisted his father on the home farm until he attained his majority, and then bought 160 acres of unimproved prairie land in section 20, Clear Creek township. He broke up the first sod on this land and, in the course of time, made many improvements. He has prospered since buying his first quarter section, and now owns 240 acres of excellent farm land. He is a breeder of Poland China hogs, and also raises sheep, a department of animal husbandry, which he finds quite profitable.
Mr. Schmidt's marriage with Miss Mary McQuaid took place in 1897, and the following children have blessed this happy marriage: Nora, attending school in Seneca, Kans.; Cecilia, Hugh, Oscar, Ralph, Rosa, Levert and Lawrence. The mother of these children was born June 3, 1878, in Nemaha township, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth McQuaid.
Mr. Schmidt is a Democrat in his political affiliations, and he and the members of his family are loyal adherents of the Catholic church.