Kathleen Bergan Schmidt and her husband Lawrence have lived in unincorporated Nunda Township, McHenry County, since 1989. They are the proud parents of two sons, Christopher and Michael. Larry is the co-owner of Tellenar, a tool-and-die business located in Crystal Lake.
Along with her two older sisters and younger brother, Kathy grew up in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. She received a BA in History from Quincy College (now University) in Quincy, Illinois. She also earned a MA in History from the University of Illinois - Urbana. She was an Instructor of History at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for four years. Her main duties were teaching the U.S. history survey course and the methods for teaching social studies course. She also observed Fayetteville State student teachers in high schools throughout the coastal region and piedmont of North Carolina. As a graduate student at UI, she was a teaching assistant for the U.S. history survey course and a research assistant for the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Since her marriage in 1973 and the birth of Christopher in 1975, being a wife and mother has been her primary occupation.
As a McHenry County resident, Kathy has been involved in numerous community organizations and issues. Her first involvement in McHenry County matters was her membership on the Planning and Development Committee of the Fox Valley Freeway Advisory Committee in the early 1990s. As a working member of the Nunda Township Friends for Clean Water and Open Space, Kathy was a strong advocate for the Open Space initiative in the elections of November 2004 and April 2007.
Currently she is Nunda 1 Democratic Precinct Committeewoman and Chairwoman of the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee. In 2004 she was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Since 1997, she has been part of the McHenry County Breast Cancer Task Force and one of the “worker bees” for its 5K Race/Walk at Lippold Park the last Sunday in October.
Kathy currently serves as secretary for the McHenry County Latino Coalition.
Genealogy has led her to an interest in local history, which in turn ties her ever more deeply to the community. Kathy is the current Membership Secretary and Immediate Past President of the McHenry County Historical Society and Museum. She has been representing the Historical Stakeholders on the Imagaine McHenry County Board since 2006. She has held various offices in the McHenry County Genealogical Society, including president, program vice-president, recording secretary and editor of the newsletter. In May of 2008, she become a member of the Advisory Board of the Norwegian American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library located in Madison, Wisconsin.