What would Gilbert do?

A visit to Gilbert Schimmel's grave on the anniversary of his death - in deep snow

Abriendo un camino con la pala en la nieve... Digging... shoveling... Auf ans Schneeschaufeln…
Un poquito más... A little bit more... Noch ein wenig mehr...
Listo Got it... Geschafft!
¡Aqui está! – la tumba de Gilbert Schimmel Here it is – Gilbert Schimmel’s grave Gefunden – Gilbert Schimmel Grab Fotos: Christi Jentz © 2008

USA, Christi Jentz. February 15, 2008. It’s the dead of winter. This year Wisconsinites encounter endless snow and bitter cold- the like of which we haven’t experienced for many years.

A short visit to the Schimmel gravesite on February 15th presented us with a new challenge. Where was it? How should we proceed?

In the spirit of Gilbert Schimmel, we already knew the answer to the question, "What would Gilbert do?"  With a little perseverance and a determination to "chip away" we found what we were looking for.

Who is Gilbert Schimmel?

Gilbert Schimmel was born in rural Wisconsin in 1906 and grew up on a farm and later in a small town. His work took him to the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, where he met and married Joanna Hintz. As a worker at the famous Allis-Chalmers plant he had to stand up for his rights in one of the most notorious labor disputes of the mid-20^th century. He did so with the courage and charity of Christ. When he and his wife met Father Kentenich in 1954, it changed their lives. The quiet worjer now faced the challenges of married life and fatherhood in a new light and had to wrestle with his times. In the end he felt compelled to offer his life to the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt as a "Second Joseph Engling for America". It was an offering that God accepted when he died of cancer in 1959.