Schoemakers, John (originally spelled Schoenmacher), a Catholic missionary, son of Henry and Petronilla (Kamp) Schoenmacher, was born at Waspick, Langstaat, province of North Brabant, Holland, Nov. 20, 1807. He was ordained a priest in 1833 and immediately left Holland, landing in New York on Dec. 25, of that year. From there he went to Georgetown, Md., where he enrolled as a novice in the Society of Jesus on Jan. 16, 1834, and in July of that year went with others of the same society to St. Louis, remaining in and about that place till appointed superior of the Osage mission in Kansas by the Rt. Rev. P. R. Kendrick, bishop of St. Louis. The journey to the mission was made by caravan in company with other priests and he arrived at his destination on April 28, 1847. He was given charge of the two buildings which were then in process of construction. In one of these Father Schoemakers opened a boarding school for Indian boys within a few days after his arrival, and having secured some Loretto sisters from Kentucky, a boarding school for girls was opened on Oct. 10 of the same year. Father Schoemakers remained at the mission during his life and not only took care of the poor Indians but also encouraged them to work, make homes for themselves and become self-supporting, which many of them did. He died on July 28, 1883.