Dr. Margaret Schmidt, who practiced medicine in Hannibal during the 1860's was the first licensed woman doctor in Missouri. Born in Germany, Margaret Ruck de Schell married Henry Steininger at an early age. After his death, she married a clergyman, Dr. Carl H. Schmidt of St. Louis. He was preparing to go to Japan as a missionary, and in order to accompany him, she had to be qualified in some field. She attended and completed trianing at Missouri Medical College in St. Louis. Women were not given degrees, however the state gave her a medical license. Her husband was rejected for church duty abroad due to his bronchitis, so they moved to Hannibal in the 1860's and he went into business. They were active in the Congregational church. She was a doctor in Hannibal almost 40 years, was considered an excellent diagnostician and was respected by her patients and fellow members of the profession.

Hagood and Hagood, 1976, Source cited "Portrait and Biographical Record of Ralls, Pike and Marion Counties" (886 pages) pub. C.C. Owen Co. Chicago, 1895, revised and reprinted by Ralls Co. Book Co New London MO 1982, out of print. However not all of the points made in the above paragraph by Hagood can be learned from the source she cites, leaving open the question of what other sources, or imagination, is involved here.

"According to some information I found at home, Carl Hermann Schmidt witnessed the marriage of Margaret Catherine Ruckdeschel (sic) to her first husband, a young Frenchman, on the ship to America from Germany. The Frenchman later died of cholera"

Dorthy Preece, in letter to Bertha Smith, dated September 22, 1955

HCP (Hannibal Courier Post?) , 11/16/1909, Hannibal Missouri
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HANIBAL   LOSES PIONEER WOMAN
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MRS. MARGARET SCHMIDT, OVER FORTY YEARS A RESIDENT, DIES IN ST. LOUIS
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The death of Mrs. Margaret Ruck de Schell Schmidt, which occurred Saturday evening at 11 p.m. at the Bethesda hospital in  St. Louis, meant to Hannibal the loss of one of its best known and most highly respected pioneer women and to the state of Missouri one of its first women to begin the licensed practice of medicine.  Mrs. Schmidt came of a noble German family and was a woman of culture and wide human sympathy and the fact that she took up the study and active practice of medicine in the days preceding the civil war when few American women thought of such a thing savored of the romantic.   If not the first, she was at least one of the first women to be granted a license to practice medicine in Missouri and for over forty years she continued in the practice of her profession in Hannibal building up a large practice (serving?) all classes of patrons, men as well as women and children and continuing to make her calls until advancing years compelled her to desist.  She was 79 years of age and had been in remarkably good health until about a year ago, when she suffered a stroke of paralysis which complicated with (diabetes?) resulted in her death.  She was taken to the St. Louis hospital about three weeks ago from the home of her son, Dr. Richard Schmidt.

Mrs. Schmidt was the daughter of George Ruck de Shell of a German noble family and was married in (____) Bavaria at the age of 16 to Henry Steininger who lived but a few years after the marriage.  Her second marriage was to Rev. Dr. Carl H. Schmidt of St. Louis, a German Methodist clergyman, who planned to go to Japan as a missionary, and it was to assist her husband in the work and gain entrance to the Japanese homes that Mrs. Schmidt took up the study of medicine.  They were disappointed in their missionary ambitions by the failure of Dr. Schmidt to pass the physical examination required owing to bronchitis, from which he suffered and the couple then moved to Hannibal, where they continued to make their home and Mr. Schmidt went into business.  He died some ten years ago, since which time Mrs. Schmidt has made her home with her son, Dr. Richard Schmidt.  In the early days of her practice of medicine she was regarded as a unique and unusual figure, but her services were always in great demand and she established a reputation of the highest merit in her treatment of fevers and was considered an excellent diagnostician.  She occasionally assisted in surgical cases, but did not herself attempt to practice that branch to any extent.  She did much charity work and possessed the acquaintance and warm friendship of an entire community.  

As there was no organization of the German Methodist church here, Dr. Schmidt became identified with and was one of the organizers of the Congregational church in this city, and his wife also joined the demonination and took an active part in the church work for many years.

She was the mother of eight children, four of whom survive her. They are A. J. Schmidt of Shreveport, La, Dr. Richard Schmidt of this city; Mrs. C.E.Hutchings and Miss Louise Schmidt of St. Louis. The late W.A.Schmidt of Hannibal was also a son and by a strange conincidence the death of the mother occurred on his birthday anniversary. With the exception of A.L. Schmidt of Louisianna all of the living children are here to attend the funeral services, which occurred this afternoon at the residence of Dr. Schmidt, 1202 (1303?) Broadway, conducted by Rev. G. D. Yoakum, former pastor of the Pilgrim Congreational church. Internment was at Riverside cemetery.