Obituary - Manitowoc Herald Times, February 26, 1973

Sylvester J. Schmitt, Rt. 2, Two Rivers, longtime Two Rivers architect, who designed scores of commercial buildings, schools and other public buildings and an associate on numerous others in the area, died early Sunday morning at Two Rivers Municipal Hospital. He had been in failing health in the past years. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Deja & Martin Funeral Chapels and at 11 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Two Rivers. Participating in the services will be the Rt. Rev. Mark Schmitt, a cousin, auxiliary bishop of Green Bay Diocese, and the Revs. Leo and John Schmitt, brothers of the deceased. The Rev. Paul Schumacher, pastor, will deliver the homily. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Two Rivers. A member of a family of 17 children, Mr. Schmitt was born Feb. 12, 1905, at Two Rivers, son of the late Henry and Anna Geimer Schmitt. He attended St. Luke Parochial School, Two Rivers High School and was graduated from St. Norbert High School, De Pere, in 1923. He joined his father in the lumber business and became a designer of numerous homes for the firm. Receiving his license as a registered architect in the early 1930s, he established his own office at the time, retiring three years ago. One of his most cherished accomplishments in architecture was the designing and planning of the Holy Redeemer parish complex of which church he was one of the original members. A large number of commercial buildings at Two Rivers were designed by Mr. Schmitt, who also planned and converted the old H.P. Hamilton School into the present City Hall and Police Station. He was associate architect in the construction of Manitowoc County Hospital and the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc Campus at Manitowoc, and designed a large number of schools in the Door County area, principally the Sevastopol High School at Institute. The Mother of Hope Council No. 1057, Knights of Columbus building at Two Rivers was one of the latest to be designed by Mr. Schmitt. Mr. Schmitt was a former longtime member of the Two Rivers Rotary Club and fraternally he was a member of the Knights of Columbus council. He married Genevieve Emond at St. Luke Catholic Church June 16, 1926. She survives him with four daughters, three sons, six sisters, Mrs. Agnes Taddy, Dr. Louise Schmitt and Mrs. Willard Birr, of Two Rivers, Mrs. Frank Gorski of Appleton, Mrs. John Kraemer, of Manitowoc and Mrs. Wayne Stedman, of Racine; seven brothers, Raymond, Francis, Joseph P., Paul P. and James R., of Two Rivers, the Rev. Leo Schmitt, of Manitowoc and the Rev. John Schmitt, of Sugarbush, and 27 grandchildren. Three brothers, Bernard, the Rev. Henry and Aloysius, preceded him in death. Friends may call at the funeral chapels from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday where memorial services will be at 8 p.m.