OBITUARY OF MARGARET (nee PORSCH) SCHMIDT Mrs. Margaret Schmidt, baptized and named Margareta Martha Porsch, the daughter of Adolf G. and Marie Auguste (nee Lehwald) Porsch was born on February 18, 1916, on her parents farm in Lincoln Township, Audubon County, Iowa. Her father, a native of Audubon County, was the son of August and Wilhelmine (nee Kienast) Porsch and her mother, a native of Bienau, East Prussia, Germany, was the daughter of Fredrich and Augusta (nee Tresp) Lehwald. Margaret was the fourth of eight children born to Adolf and Marie Porsch. Margaret was baptized at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lincoln Township on March 5, 1916, by Rev. Ernest J.W. Starck and Rev. J.F.E. Schliepsiek. Her sponsors were Mrs. Sophie Wiemann, Ida Polzin, and Emil Fuss. Margaret was confirmed on April 13, 1930, at Trinity Lutheran Church by Rev. Hugo Nieting. Her Confirmation verse was Hebrews 13:5 "Be content with such things as we have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Margaret attended school at the Trinity Lutheran school through the seventh grade. She then attended Lincoln Township No. 7 and graduated in 1931. For several years after completing school through the 8th grade, Margaret worked on neighboring farms as a hired girl.

While working for Edwin and Esther Anderson in Lincoln Township, she met their nephew, Herman J.N. Schmidt, the son of Soren and Anna Schmidt, to whom she was married on Wednesday, January 5th, 1938, at a ceremony performed at her parents' farm home by Rev. Silas Larsen of Ebenezer Lutheran Church. Their attendants were Victor H. Schmidt, Herman's brother, and Erna H. Porsch (Schultz), Margaret's sister.

Herman and Margaret first lived on a rented farm to the southwest of Audubon and then moved to Emil Jensen's farm near Fiscus which they rented until 1949 when they purchased their farm four miles west of Audubon. Herman and Margaret were the parents of two daughters, JoAnn Marie, born on February 19, 1942, and Phyllis Elaine born March 27, 1947. They also were "foster parents" to Margaret's nephew, Robert Froyd, for 13 years. Margaret was a member of Ebenezer Lutheran Church west of Audubon until after Herman's death at which time she transferred her membership to Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Audubon.

Herman and Margaret lived on their farm until 1985 when they purchased a retirement home in Audubon. Herman passed away on May 31, 1988. Margaret continued to live in her home until 1991 when she moved to the Audubon Friendship Home.

Preceding her in death in addition to her husband were her special nephew, Robert Froyd; her parents; her brothers, Richard Porsch, Herman Porsch, Otto Porsch, and Arnold Porsch, her sister and her brother-in-law, Anna and Lawrence Petersen; her brothers-in-law, Emanuel Petersen and Victor Schmidt.

Survivors include her daughters and their husbands, JoAnn and Roger Barten of Audubon and Phyllis and Tom Hoffman of Walnut, Iowa; her grandchildren: Douglas Barten and his fiancée Penny Roth and her children, Ashley, Jerry, and David all of Audubon; Dennis Barten of St. Louis Missouri; Gary and Dawn Barten of Nekoosa, Wisconsin; Kristi and Gary Siwajek of Sherrard, Illinois; Jerry and Kim Hoffman and Margaret's great-grandchildren, Kristen and Jordan, all of Elk Horn, Iowa; Steven Hoffman and his fiancée Misty Richter and her son Nicholas and Margaret's great grandson, Austin Hoffman, all of Alton, Iowa; Brian Hoffman and his fiancée LeeAnn Gresham of Cumberland, Iowa; Jennifer Hoffman and her fiancée Jeff Boelter and Margaret's great grandson, Joshua Boelter, all of Pender, Nebraska; her sisters: Marie Froyd of Audubon, and Erna and her husband Ray Schultz of Rathdrum, Idaho; her sisters-in-laws, Elsie Porsch of Audubon; Katie Porsch of Indian Wells, California; Darlene Porsch of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Lucille Petersen of Glidden, Iowa; and Irene Schmidt of Audubon; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Interment will be in the Ebenezer Lutheran Cemetery west of Audubon.

Casket Bearers: Douglas Barten, Dennis Barten, Gary Barten, Kristi Siwajek, Jerry Hoffman, Steven Hoffman, Brian Hoffman, and Jennifer Hoffman.

Lunch will follow the committal service in the Fellowship Room in the Church Basement.