Johannes Martin Steiner and Anna Barbara Schmied "The Steiner Family"
[It was on a Friday that a baby boy was born to Johann Georg Steiner and Anna Maria Kuhn in Ladenbourg, Mann, Baden, Germany. Parents Johann and Anna and their five-year-old daughter Gertruda welcomed their son and brother on 5 March 1824, and named him Johannes Martin Steiner. Johannes never remembered his father, as Johann Georg passed away just before the boy's first birthday. His sister Gertruda lived only eleven more years, passing away at the age of 16. Despite the trials of life, Johannes grew to be a fine young man.]
In the days of Johannes Martin STEINER, 1824-1897, in Germany, they had to serve time in the Army. As soon as Johannes was through he moved to Switzerland where he met Anna Barbara SCHMIED. His trade was tailoring (1st class).
There he met a beautiful young woman by the name of Anna Barbara Schmied.
Anna was the second of three children born to Christian Schmied and Verena Kunz. Anna Barbara Schmied was born on Wednesday, September 13, 1848. Her older sister was named Maria, and her younger brother, named Christian was born just seven months before their father passed away.
Johannes was twenty-four years older than Anna, and with the wisdom of years, knew a good thing when he saw it! Johannes was 44 years old and Anna Barbara was 19 when they were married on 6 May 1868. [According to Walter John Steiner's notes: "The marriage of Johann Martin Steiner and Anna Barbara Schmied has been recorded as 6 May 1868; however, a certified copy of the marriage date as found in the Switzerland records found the date to be 3 May 1873. The date was sent to us by a Swiss researcher."] Could this later date have been a second marriage for some reason in preparation for their baptism to take place four days later?
To them were born three boys and two girls.
Their first two sons were born while in La Chaux de Fonds, Neuchatel, Switzerland. John Ernest Steiner was born 30 May 1869 and Walter Herman Steiner was born 3 September 1870.
Johannes Martin STEINER and Anna Barbara SCHMIED were baptized and confirmed into the LDS Church by Henry Reiser, 7 May 1873. The place is unknown. At some point the young family moved to St. Imier. He was ordained an Elder on Sat. 17 Oct 1874, and was President of St. Imier Branch, 31 May 1875. They were baptized a second time, 26 Jan 1878, by Rinehart Maesser, (reason unknown).
Rulon S. Wells was Senior President of the First Quorum of Seventy at the time he told this story of the feather bed. This information was given by Rulon S. Wells who was 19 or 20 years old when sent on his mission and lived with the Steiners in Switzerland. The Steiner family spoke "high German" and Rulon S. Wells lived with them to learn the language. The night he arrived neither could understand the other. The interpreter who brought Wells explained to each other--then left. They used signs. Johann pointed to the feather bed. Rulon couldn't see any covers so when Johann went out Rulon examined the bed and found 2 feather beds and slept between them. He stayed there [with the Steiners] and learned the language.
Immigrating to Utah Territory
[The time came for the missionaries to gather the new converts and bring them to Salt Lake to help build up "Zion". Johann and Anna wanted to join with the Saints in Salt Lake Valley but could not afford the trip at the time. Their only children at that point were two sons. Their names are John Ernest Steiner and Walter Herman Steiner. They immigrated from Villeret, Switzerland to [the Utah Territory] on 2 June 1874. John Ernest had just turned 5 years old on May 30, and Walter Herman was 3 years, 9 months.] John Huber and Henry Reiser were in charge. [President Huber was serving as Mission President over the Swiss and German Mission, May 1872- June 1874. Also serving as a missionary was John C. Naegle who knew the Steiner family well. Brother Naegle promised Johann and Anna that he would personally care for their sons until they could make the trip to claim them.]
Having moved to St. Imier, Switzerland, their third son Simon Alfred was born on September 1, 1873. Two and a half years later, little Simon Alfred passed away. It took great faith to have already said goodbye to their first two sons. Now suddenly John and Anna were "virtually childless" once again.
Johannes' and Anna's hopes to join their sons in America as soon as possible were longer delayed for reasons yet unknown.
Flora and Hermine born
The family then moved to Villeret, Switzerland where finally their two beautiful daughters were born. Flora Clara joined them on 1 July 1880, and Ida Hermine was born 23 November 1882.
Johannes and his family immigrated from Villeret, 24 Aug 1883, going to Hull, England on the steamer "Fairy" and thence by rail to Liverpool, where they boarded the steamer "Nevada", 29 Aug 1883 which arrived in New York City on Sunday 9 September 1883. They arrived in Salt Lake City, UT in September 1883. With Johann and Anna were Flora and Ida Hermine, their daughters and Anna's mother, Verena Kunz. P.F. Gass was President of the company of which 106 were German saints.
By the time the boys saw their parents again (September 1883), and then only for a few days [there is some question on the correctness of this statement. According to Verla R. Warther, granddaughter of Flora Steiner Raab, John and Anna lived in Salt Lake for five years, then left for Santa Clara hoping for better prospects at making a living], Ernest was 14 years old and Walter had barely turned 13. They were so used to the life on the open ranch that they didn't want to live in the city with their real parents.