J. Schmidt

J. ROBERT SCHMIDT

Iowa City

J. (John) Robert Schmidt, a.k.a. James Butler, died Dec. 17, 2014, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City unexpectedly, but precipitated by lifelong illnesses.

J. Robert was born Aug. 29, 1949, at Graham Hospital in Canton, Fulton County, Ill., the son of John T. and Winifred (Orton) Schmidt, owners of Few Acres Farm No. 2 (later the WinJon Angus Farm) of Elmwood Township, Peoria County, Ill. He was a descendant of Capt. James Wasson, who, at age 14, fought as a private in the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolution and later served as a captain of militia from Princetown, Schenectady County, N.Y. He also was descended from the Rev. Nathaniel Brewster and his wife, Sarah Ludlow, who was herself of the lineage of King Edward I of England. The Rev. Brewster was a member of the first graduating class of Harvard University in 1642, and was the first minister (serving from 1665 to 1690) of the Setauket Presbyterian Church at Brookhaven, Long Island, N.Y.

"Robbie" attended Illinois Central College in Peoria, Ill., and Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill. In his youth, he was active in politics, being a leader in and winning the National Young Republican Award in 1972. During his final semester, he left Western Illinois University for Washington, D.C., where he worked in the office of Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen, minority leader of the United States Senate; for the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and as a speechwriter and press aide to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew. His specialty was public relations. Of late, believing the Republican Party had totally abandoned its ideals and the best interests of the American people, he had backed independent and Libertarian candidates, and was an active supporter of President Barack Obama.

In addition to politics and history, Robbie was particularly interested in films and in directing plays. He remembered the music, lyrics and words to all songs, poems, plays and films he had ever heard, read, seen or directed, and could sing or recount them at will. His specialty was rhyming and alliteration; he could keep a rhyme going indefinitely in the many songs and poems he composed. He came up with the phase "nattering nabobs of negativism" attributed to William Safire while working as a speechwriter under him. In later years, this accomplishment came to disturb him. He spent his entire life reading and could recall (often to the exact page) the details of what he had read. Critical thinking was his strong point; he was a born leader.

Robbie was a lay preacher with the Free Methodist Church for three years in Brasstown, N.C.

For 50 years, starting in 1964, Robbie was a genealogical researcher, and from 1975 on, also was engaged in historical research. He had a mail order business for many years, converting it online in 2000. He has several genealogical books and pamphlets listed in the Library of Congress and found in the major historical libraries, such as the Newberry Library in Chicago.

He was a member of the National Genealogical Society, New England Historic Genealogical Society, New York Genealogical And Biographical Society, Three Villages Historical Society (Setauket, N.Y.), Orange County Genealogical Society (Goshen, N.Y.), Schenectady County Historical Society (Schenectady, N.Y.), Peoria County Genealogical Society (Peoria, Ill.), Fulton County Historical And Genealogical Society (Canton, Ill.), Palatines to America German Genealogical Society (Illinois Chapter), Scottish Genealogy Society (Edinburgh, Scotland), Northumberland and Durham Family History Society (Newcastle Upon Tyne, England), and the Kent County Family History Society (Canterbury, England). He also was a member of the Titanic Historical Society, True West (Alamo) Historical Society and the Big Horn County (Battle of the Little Bighorn) Historical Society.

On April 4, 1977, Robbie married Heidi Laine Butler in Peoria, Ill. She survives, as does his brother, William E. Schmidt of Delavan, Ill.; his sister, Lynden D. Schmidt of Peoria, Ill.; and a host of cousins of every degree (first to 15th), of whom there are many thousands.

A visitation will be held at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A graveside service will follow at 1:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City, with the Rev. Lynn Williams officiating.

Donations may be made to the Iowa State Historical Library in Iowa City.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.