John Schmitt Anthes was a businessman and teacher born November 8, 1844 in Wilmot Township, Waterloo Region to parents Martin Anthes and Catharine Schmidt, both born in France. John Anthes worked as a teacher before coming to Berlin (later Kitchener) in 1865, where he worked as an accountant and salesman at the Breithaupt Tannery. In 1884 he entered the furniture business purchasing the Berlin Novelty Works and manufacturing children's carriages and slat chairs and later high end furniture for the home. In 1901 he went into the amalgamation of furniture factories under the name of Canada Furniture Manufacturers Ltd., in which company he was a director and manager of the local factories for a number of years. In 1906, Mr. Anthes resigned as director and in partnership with J. C. Breithaupt established the Anthes Furniture Company. Outside of business operations, Anthes was an active member of municipal affairs and was first elected as a city councillor in 1886. He went on to serve as depurty-reeve in 1887, 1891, 1897 and 1907, and was the a member of the first Berlin Water Commission. Anthes was also an member of the Zion Evangelical Church, serving in a number of executive roles. He married Lydia Catherine Herlan on June 27, 1867. Together they had seven children: Caroline Catharine "Carrie"; Frank; John Isaac Franklin "Frank"; Sarah Magdalena, who died in infancy; Lydia Louisa "Louisa", Martha Melvina; Ella Elmina; and Alvin Burton Charles, who also died in infancy. Anthes died on April 13, 1915, and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener.

Lydia Catherine Herlan was born in Warsaw, New York on December 20, 1849 to Franz Herlan and Carolina Demarez. She married John Schmitt Anthes in Kitchener, Ontario on June 27, 1866. Together they had seven children: Caroline Catharine "Carrie"; Frank; John Isaac Franklin "Frank"; Sarah Magdalena, who died in infancy; Lydia Louisa "Louisa", Martha Melvina; Ella Elmina; and Alvin Burton Charles, who also died in infancy. Lydia died February 22, 1936 and was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener.

The Wagners and Hailers were prominent early settler families in Waterloo County, Ontario, as were the Staebler, Biehn/Bean and Breithaupt families.