P. Joseph SCHMITZ

                   Heritage Quest:    Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Webster and Nuckolls Counties, Nebraska : comprising a condensed history of the state, a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties. Chicago: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1890, 816 pgs
P. J. Schmitz is accounted a prosperous agriculturist and stockman of Adams County, Neb., and like the majority of the natives of Wisconsin he is progressive in his views .....He was born in 1861, and is the third child born to Henry and Catherine (Barbian) Schmitz, the mother a native of Germany.  Henry Schmitz, also a native of Germany, was born in 1839, and in 1852 came to the United States, and settled near Janesville, in Rock County, Wis., where he married and followed cabinet making for a living.   In 1861, however, he took up farming in Grant County, Wis., and in 1874 moved to Adams County, Neb., and in addition to taking up a homestead claim also purchased land, and now has a valuable farm amounting to 560 acres, which is finely improved.  He and wife are members of the catholic Church.  P. J. Schmitz spent his school days in Grant county, Wis., but upon his father's removal to Nebraska he came also, and in 1881 began farming for himself, continuing three years, after which he followed the carpenter's trade five or six years; then again resumed farming, which he expects to make his calling through life.   He settled on his present farm in 1888, and has it well improved and stocked, and is considered one of the enterprising young farmers of the county.  He was married in 1889, to Miss Aircie Lawhead, a daughter of Alfred and Catherine (Flint) Lawhead.  Mr. Schmitz' brothers and sisters are as follows:  John H. (who resides in Roseland, Adams county, Neb.), Mary (Mrs. Derricks, living in Adams county), Minnie (wife of G.M. Gafford, of Roseland), and Albert, Annie and Eva, at home.