Jakob Schmitt, known in English as Jakob Smith, an early pioneer of northern Young Township, was born August 1810 in the Kingdom of Bavaria (as per his Naturalization papers) to parents Georg Wilhelm Schmitt and Maria Margaretha Sprau. He came to the United States in 1832 and later settled in Young Township, Jefferson County, PA in 1835. His parents Wilhelm and Margaretha, along with two of his siblings, Louisa and Wilhelm, Jr., emigrated in 1833 and established the family settlement in Young Township that year.
He married Katharina (Baas) Wolf around 1833, potentially in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were founding members of the Punxsutawney German Reformed congregation, and Jakob was the church's first elected trustee, along with his wife's 1st cousin, Georg Heinrich Lott who emigrated to America within a few years of the Baas family.
Jakob was a farmer, commercial lumberer, builder, and brewer for most of his life in Young Township, and did much to develop the northern section of Young Township, being one of that area's first settlers, and among the very first European Germans to come to Punxsutawney.
Jakob died 1 May 1877 from a falling accident he suffered some days before. His will was likely recorded on his deathbed, dated April 29, 1877.
He is believed to have been interred in the German Reformed cemetery sometime around May 2 or May 3, although at the time of the cemetery's removal, a marker was not found for him or his wife. Presumably, they shared a large grave stone that was, according to family lore, located near a tree on the old pre-1890 church lot, on ground where the church building now stands.
He was a son of Wilhelm and Margaretha (Sprau) Schmitt, sometimes referred to in English as William Smith, Sr. and Margaret ("Gretchen") Sprow.
Jakob was the Father of:
Jacob Smith,
Catherine (Smith or Schmidt) Weber,
Christian Smith,
Louisa (Smith) Hoeh,
William J. Smith,
Philip Smith,
George Smith,
Adam J.Smith,
and twins,Mary Ann and Samuel J.Smith .
Step-Father of Heinrich Wolf II, who was the
husband of Pauline Elbel .
*************
Sources:
1. Jacob Smith. Jefferson County Register's Dockets. Vo. 2. p.77.
2. Smith Family History (Work-in-progress by J.D. Smith)
3. Smith, J.D. "The German Pioneers of Punxsutawney and the Zweibrücken-Pirmasens Emigration, 1820-1900." The Jeffersonian Journal. 1.1 (2014). 4-25.
4. Miscellaneous St. Peter's Reformed Church Papers. 1922.
He married Katharina (Baas) Wolf around 1833, potentially in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were founding members of the Punxsutawney German Reformed congregation, and Jakob was the church's first elected trustee, along with his wife's 1st cousin, Georg Heinrich Lott who emigrated to America within a few years of the Baas family.
Jakob was a farmer, commercial lumberer, builder, and brewer for most of his life in Young Township, and did much to develop the northern section of Young Township, being one of that area's first settlers, and among the very first European Germans to come to Punxsutawney.
Jakob died 1 May 1877 from a falling accident he suffered some days before. His will was likely recorded on his deathbed, dated April 29, 1877.
He is believed to have been interred in the German Reformed cemetery sometime around May 2 or May 3, although at the time of the cemetery's removal, a marker was not found for him or his wife. Presumably, they shared a large grave stone that was, according to family lore, located near a tree on the old pre-1890 church lot, on ground where the church building now stands.
He was a son of Wilhelm and Margaretha (Sprau) Schmitt, sometimes referred to in English as William Smith, Sr. and Margaret ("Gretchen") Sprow.
Jakob was the Father of:
Jacob Smith,
Catherine (Smith or Schmidt) Weber,
Christian Smith,
Louisa (Smith) Hoeh,
William J. Smith,
Philip Smith,
George Smith,
Adam J.Smith,
and twins,Mary Ann and Samuel J.Smith .
Step-Father of Heinrich Wolf II, who was the
husband of Pauline Elbel .
*************
Sources:
1. Jacob Smith. Jefferson County Register's Dockets. Vo. 2. p.77.
2. Smith Family History (Work-in-progress by J.D. Smith)
3. Smith, J.D. "The German Pioneers of Punxsutawney and the Zweibrücken-Pirmasens Emigration, 1820-1900." The Jeffersonian Journal. 1.1 (2014). 4-25.
4. Miscellaneous St. Peter's Reformed Church Papers. 1922.
Jakob Schmitt, known in English as Jakob Smith, an early pioneer of northern Young Township, was born August 1810 in the Kingdom of Bavaria (as per his Naturalization papers) to parents Georg Wilhelm Schmitt and Maria Margaretha Sprau. He came to the United States in 1832 and later settled in Young Township, Jefferson County, PA in 1835. His parents Wilhelm and Margaretha, along with two of his siblings, Louisa and Wilhelm, Jr., emigrated in 1833 and established the family settlement in Young Township that year.
He married Katharina (Baas) Wolf around 1833, potentially in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were founding members of the Punxsutawney German Reformed congregation, and Jakob was the church's first elected trustee, along with his wife's 1st cousin, Georg Heinrich Lott who emigrated to America within a few years of the Baas family.
Jakob was a farmer, commercial lumberer, builder, and brewer for most of his life in Young Township, and did much to develop the northern section of Young Township, being one of that area's first settlers, and among the very first European Germans to come to Punxsutawney.
Jakob died 1 May 1877 from a falling accident he suffered some days before. His will was likely recorded on his deathbed, dated April 29, 1877.
He is believed to have been interred in the German Reformed cemetery sometime around May 2 or May 3, although at the time of the cemetery's removal, a marker was not found for him or his wife. Presumably, they shared a large grave stone that was, according to family lore, located near a tree on the old pre-1890 church lot, on ground where the church building now stands.
He was a son of Wilhelm and Margaretha (Sprau) Schmitt, sometimes referred to in English as William Smith, Sr. and Margaret ("Gretchen") Sprow.
Jakob was the Father of:
Jacob Smith,
Catherine (Smith or Schmidt) Weber,
Christian Smith,
Louisa (Smith) Hoeh,
William J. Smith,
Philip Smith,
George Smith,
Adam J.Smith,
and twins,Mary Ann and Samuel J.Smith .
Step-Father of Heinrich Wolf II, who was the
husband of Pauline Elbel .
*************
Sources:
1. Jacob Smith. Jefferson County Register's Dockets. Vo. 2. p.77.
2. Smith Family History (Work-in-progress by J.D. Smith)
3. Smith, J.D. "The German Pioneers of Punxsutawney and the Zweibrücken-Pirmasens Emigration, 1820-1900." The Jeffersonian Journal. 1.1 (2014). 4-25.
4. Miscellaneous St. Peter's Reformed Church Papers. 1922.
He married Katharina (Baas) Wolf around 1833, potentially in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were founding members of the Punxsutawney German Reformed congregation, and Jakob was the church's first elected trustee, along with his wife's 1st cousin, Georg Heinrich Lott who emigrated to America within a few years of the Baas family.
Jakob was a farmer, commercial lumberer, builder, and brewer for most of his life in Young Township, and did much to develop the northern section of Young Township, being one of that area's first settlers, and among the very first European Germans to come to Punxsutawney.
Jakob died 1 May 1877 from a falling accident he suffered some days before. His will was likely recorded on his deathbed, dated April 29, 1877.
He is believed to have been interred in the German Reformed cemetery sometime around May 2 or May 3, although at the time of the cemetery's removal, a marker was not found for him or his wife. Presumably, they shared a large grave stone that was, according to family lore, located near a tree on the old pre-1890 church lot, on ground where the church building now stands.
He was a son of Wilhelm and Margaretha (Sprau) Schmitt, sometimes referred to in English as William Smith, Sr. and Margaret ("Gretchen") Sprow.
Jakob was the Father of:
Jacob Smith,
Catherine (Smith or Schmidt) Weber,
Christian Smith,
Louisa (Smith) Hoeh,
William J. Smith,
Philip Smith,
George Smith,
Adam J.Smith,
and twins,Mary Ann and Samuel J.Smith .
Step-Father of Heinrich Wolf II, who was the
husband of Pauline Elbel .
*************
Sources:
1. Jacob Smith. Jefferson County Register's Dockets. Vo. 2. p.77.
2. Smith Family History (Work-in-progress by J.D. Smith)
3. Smith, J.D. "The German Pioneers of Punxsutawney and the Zweibrücken-Pirmasens Emigration, 1820-1900." The Jeffersonian Journal. 1.1 (2014). 4-25.
4. Miscellaneous St. Peter's Reformed Church Papers. 1922.
Bio by: J.D. Smith
Gravesite Details
No stone per the church records.
Family Members
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