John M. Schmid was born in Stadlein, Bavaria in 1850, and in Bavaria, he learned the bricklayer's trade. He emigrated to America in 1868 or 1869 and went directly to the home of his uncle at New Ulm. One year later, he returned to New York to work as a brick layer, but in 1871 - according to one obituary - again took up his residence at New Ulm. He was married in New Ulm in 1876 or 1877 to Anna Losleben. Anna was born in Austria in 1857 and came to the U.S. at the age of 13 years with her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Nicholas Losleben who settled near New Ulm. Some time after their marriage, John and Anna Schmid moved to Home township and took up farming. John also carried on his trade of brick-layer in Sleepy Eye. The Schmids made their home in Home township until the time of John's death in 1924. John M. Schmid passed away at his home six miles northeast of Sleepy Eye, and Anna Losleben Schmid and nine children survived him. One child died in infancy. The surviving children were: Jos. A. Schmid of Lamberton; John T. Schmid of Genola or Buckman, Minn; William J. Schmid of Home Township; Mrs. Ludwig Schirlinger or Schirlmeyer of St. Paul, Andrew J. Schmid of Balaton, Mrs. Henry Baumann of New Ulm or Sigel, George P. Schmid on the home place, Michael M. Schmid of Fairfax, Peter P. Schmid of Milford township. John also had sixteen grandchildren at the time of his death.

In 1913, William Joseph Schmid, the son of John M. Schmid and Anna Losleben, married Mary Margaret Prokosch, the daughter of John G. Prokosch and Margaret Kloeckl. William Joseph Schmid was born in Brown County, Minnesota in 1884 and died in New Ulm in 1971. Mary Margaret Prokosch was born in Minnesota in 1891 and died in Sleepy Eye in 1960.

Mary Margaret's father, John G. Prokosch, was born in Trohatin, Bohemia, Austria, and as a small child, John came to the U. S. with his parents, Joseph Prokosch and Anna Koeck. In 1890, in Sleepy Eye, John married Margaret Kloeckl, the daughter of Joseph Kloeckl and Mary Knier. Margaret Kloeckl was born in Bohemia, Austria in 1872 and died in New Ulm in 1942. John died in 1903.

John G.'s parents - Joseph Prokosch and Anna Koeck Prokosch - were pioneer members of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye. Joseph Prokosch was born in 1836, and Anna, the daughter of John and Marie Koeck, was born in 1838. Joseph and Anna emigrated to America from Trohatin, Austria, the family home, with two small sons, George, born in 1862, and John, born in 1866. The family bought and settled a farm in Sigel Township, Brown County. They prospered and bought more land, some in Stark Township. Seven more children were born in the U.S. - Henry, 1868; Mary, 1870; Barbara, 1871; Joseph, 1872; Theresia, 1875; Anna, 1877; and Katherine, 1880. Six of the Prokosch children contracted tuberculosis and only three survived: George, Mary and Theresia. Mary married John Berg, Theresia married Anton Schroepfer and George married to Anna Reminger. The latter couple purchased one of the Stark Township farms from his parents, and the farm later became the home of Cornelius and Mildred Lucille Steffl. Mrs. Steffl is the great granddaughter of Joseph and Anna Prokosch, the granddaughter of George and Anna Prokosch and the daughter of Clara McWilliams. The home place, originally purchased by Joseph, was at one time occupied by the Gerald E. Schroepfer family. Gerald is the great grandson of Joseph and Ann Prokosch, the grandson of Anton and Theresia Schroepfer and the son of Norbert and Agnes Schroepfer. Joseph and Anna Prokosch retired to a home purchased on East Main Street in Sleppy Eye where Joseph passed away in 1912. Mrs. Prokosch died in 1920. Twenty-two grandchildren mourned their deaths.

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