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Marie Schmidt

Marie (Miller) Schmidt is recognized for her lifelong commitment to education - and especially for the impact that she had on the lives that she touched during her 46 years of service to the Darrtown and Collinsville schools.


In addition to the work that she performed as teacher and principal within the Milford Township and Talawanda school systems, Mrs. Schmidt volunteered as a Sunday School teacher for the St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Darrtown.

Background 

A native of Butler County (Ohio), Miss Marie Miller graduated from Reily (township) High School and entered Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in the fall of 1923. She obtained a teaching certificate and, at the age of 20, began teaching in the fall of 1925. While teaching in Darrtown, Miss Miller boarded with the Fred Schmidt family and, in 1931, she married their son Raymond. Marie and Raymond resided in Darrtown until 1943, when they moved to Hamilton. They continued to attend and support the Darrtown Lutheran Church.

 

In 1930, the Milford Township schools went to a 6-6 system and Mrs. Schmidt transferred from the Darrtown school to the Collinsville building. She joined the Collinsville faculty that included Mrs. Roberta Laughlin and Mrs. Ethel Finlay. Photos of Miss Miller's earliest classes appear on the Schools 2 - Elementary page of this web site.


Marie Schmidt Receives Lifetime Membership Award

 

The November 24, 1966 Hamilton (Ohio) Journal News included the a news story that reported an honor bestowed upon Mrs. Schmidt. The following is excerpted from that news story.

 

"Mrs. Marie Schmidt Honored By P.T.A. Life Membership

 

Marie Miller Schmidt (Mrs. A.R.), principal of the Collinsville School as well as the first grade teacher, was the surprise guest of honor when the regular P.T.A. meeting was held at the school last Thursday evening. The P.T.A. co-presidents, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Bruck, presented Mrs. Schmidt with a life-time P.T.A. membership after reviewing her teaching career in a "This Is Your Life" format.

 

Two of the initial first grade class members (at the Darrtown School), Mrs. Jean (Bradbury) Witherby and Mrs. Bernice (Weiss) Lindley were presented and other early Darrtown students mentioned included George Hansel, Charles Witherby, and Johnny Smith, now a Collinsville bus driver.

 

In Mrs. Schmidt's initial first grade class (at the Collinsville School) was Corrine (Bufler) Amiot, now secretary to the district superintendent. Mrs. Amiot was present and introduced.

 

In the audience were many others who had attended school under Mrs. Schmidt's supervision, including several second generation families: the Clarks, Hansels, Youngs, Thomes, Baileys, Coombs, Lintners, and Amiots.

 

Mrs. Schmidt is now reaching the stage in her teaching career where next fall she will be greeting the third generation of the Lindley family. Mrs. Bernice (Weiss) Lindley was in Mrs. Schmidt's first grade class at Darrtown; Mrs. Lindley’s son, Fred Lindley, Somerville principal, was a pupil of Mrs. Schmidt's at Collinsville, and Fred's daughter, Lori Ann, will enter first grade at Collinsville next year.

 

Words of congratulation to Mrs.Schmidt, a dedicated career teacher, were also extended by Superintendent Robert W. Bogan and Talawanda District Board President Glenn Dennison."


School Named for Marie Schmidt

 

An undated newsclipping reported the following:

 

"To Change School Name Marie Schmidt Elementary

 

The year's final meeting of the Collinsville P.T.C. organization turned into a Big Surprise for retiring Principal, Mrs. Marie Schmidt, when Dr. John Trump, District Board President, announced that Board action will be taken this month to change the name of the Milford Township school at Collinsville to the "Marie Schmidt Elementary School."

 

Honoring Mrs. Schmidt for her 46 years service to the township's schools, the name will join those of Maud Marshall Elementary, Howard Kramer Elementary, and William Stewart Junior High School in honoring veteran educators. It was also announced that the school library will be named in honor of Mrs. Roberta Laughlin, also retiring this year.

 

Mr. Paul McDade, P.T.C. President, presented engraved plaques noting both dedications. On behalf of the parent-teacher group, Mrs. Joanne Coombs, a former pupil of Mrs. Schmidt, also presented a large color photo of Mrs. Schmidt to hang above the plaque at the entrance hallway.

Mrs. Marie Schmidt

and husband, Arthur Schmidt

Mrs. Schmidt and her husband, A. Raymond Schmidt, are shown [above] with the portrait of Mrs. Schmidt, which was a point of particular interest during the reception attended by more than 300 friends and former pupils on Sunday."

Colleagues, Former Pupils Honor Mrs. Schmidt

 

The following caption and photograph (below) appeared in an unnamed and undated newspaper clipping.

 

"Mrs. Marie Schmidt, seated right center, planning to retire this June after 46 years in the teaching profession, received the tributes of her family colleagues and former pupils when the Talawanda Educators association held its spring banquet at the Heritage Room Friday evening.

 

Shown left to right seated are: her nephew, Dr. Frederick Schmidt and Mrs. Schmidt; Mrs. Marie Schmidt, longtime Collinsville Principal and first grade teacher, and her husband, A. R. Schmidt;

 

Shown left to right standing: Carl Garnett, Kramer Elementary School Principal; Dr. Paul Miller, former Milford Township colleague - now superintendent of Cincinnati Schools; Dr. Eldon Wiley, Miami Director of Educational Field Services, Dale Bufler, Hopewell Elementary School Principal, and Fred Lindley, New Miami Elementary Principal, all former pupils of Mrs. Schmidt; Maurice Ittel, former colleague, now Superintendent of the Edgewood District, and another former colleague, D. Russel Lee, now Butler County Superintendent of Schools."


Webmaster notes: The Heritage Room, the scene of this event, was located in the Miami University Student Union. Paul Miller and Marie (Miller) Schmidt were teaching cohorts; both being teachers at the Darrtown School. Dr. Paul Miller, is remembered on the Recollections of Dale Bufler page.

Mrs. Schmidt and her "Three Generations" legacy

Over the course of her 46-year teaching career in the Darrtown-Collinsville community, Mrs. Marie Schmidt taught three generations of several different Milford Township families.


The 1968 news article at the right provides one example of Mrs. Schmidt's "three generation" legacy.


As noted in the caption, Mrs. Bernice (Weiss) Lindley, her son Fred, and his daughter, Lori Ann, were all students of Mrs. Marie Schmidt.

Webmaster notes: This news item was contributed by Marvin Russell, in August 2021. Marvin received it from his cousin, Mrs. Donna (Laughlin) Blackwell. Donna's mother, Mrs. Roberta Laughlin taught third grade at Collinsville school for many years.


If you know of other "three generation" families taught by Mrs. Schmidt, please use the link in the footer below to inform the webmaster.

Click the following links to see more about Miss Grace Marie Miller and Mr. Arthur R. Schmidt

Biography - Mrs. Marie (Miller) Schmidt (1905-1994)