Posted: 2/2/05
By MaryHelen Swanson
It is true that Esther Schmidt was born at the edge of a cranberry bog, but her mother introduced her to the world of learning and from then on life became a series of wonderful adventures.
Because of the influence of her mother, by age three, Schmidt knew she wanted to teach. ěIíve loved every minute Iíve been teaching,î said Schmidt, who turns 90 tomorrow.
Her mother, who had graduated from Superior Normal School, encouraged and developed the love of learning in Schmidt as a little girl. By five, Schmidt was entering pressed leaf and weed creations in the local fair.
ěLife has always been so interesting to me,î she said while visiting the Post Review office last week.
Esther Howard moved to North Branch with her family in 1927, she was in 8th grade. In 1932 she graduated from NBHS and was privileged to attend Cambridge Teacherís College - a one-year program for rural teachers.
Jobs were hard to find during the Great Depression, but Schmidt was chosen to teach at a rural school named Seymour, on the banks of the St. Croix River. She had six students who were Indian. That school closed at the end of the year, but Schmidt went on to teach at three other rural Chisago County schools.
Schmidt continued her own education and received a four-year degree. After teaching in the rural schools, she became the 4-H agent for 17 years. Her home was filled with young people, she said, through the 4-H work and she helped many youths go to foreign countries in the program, also. As agent, she attended as many as 23 club meetings a month, at night, because thatís what the agent was supposed to do, she said.
Schmidt said she loved everything she did in the 4-H program and was proud of the integrity and perfectionism displayed by the members at that time.
Harvey Schmidt married Esther Howard in June of 1943. Harvey left to fight in the war, serving under Gen. Patton, and did not return until 1946. In 1947, the couple welcomed Fredric into their family and in 1947, Steven was born.
The family of four lived on a ěbeautiful farmî east of North Branch. Esther still lives there.
Learning and teaching were a habit for Schmidt. In 1959, she received her masterís degree in education and administration.
Jobs seem to find Schmidt, she never really applied for any one, she said, but the first rural teaching position.
After retiring from 4-H, she taught school in Isanti and Cambridge schools. Taking a one-year sabbatical during this time, Esther and Harvey went abroad where they started studies at the University of Oslo, and then in several other countries, including Iran. Schmidtís eyes glistened as she talked about the experience. ěIran is so full of stories,î she said, briefly recalling how they purchased carpets in the back country. In all, Schmidt has been in 37 different countries, and is quite familiar with the area recently devastated by the tsunami.
When she retired from the Cambridge-Isanti schools she became an instructor at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
While at the science museum ětheyî came and got her, she said, to teach at the Cambridge Campus of the Anoka-Ramsey Community College. There she taught Minnesota History.
Schmidt was glad that she had teaching to occupy her life when Harvey died in 1978.
She retired from the Cambridge college at age 81. But she didnít retire from teaching, continuing to share Minnesota history with children at the pioneer schools in Cambridge and Pine City.
Today, she still shares her knowledge with others through a rock club with kids, at book clubs and through We ěRî Able programs.
ěLife has been great,î said Schmidt, I have been truly blessed.î
She gives thanks to God, her church, family and friends for such a wonderful life.
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