Herbert was born to Tobias and Mary Schantz on May 2, 1883 in Conestogo, Waterloo County and raised alongside his seven siblings; Orpheus Moyer Schantz, Etta Lydia Mary Schantz, Sophie Emma Schantz, Austin Tobias Schantz, Franklin Abram Schantz, Arthur Benjamin Schantz, and Florence Annie Catherine Schantz.

He attended school in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. He enjoyed bike riding and kept a tame crow.

Herbert experienced significant health problems throughout his life. He suffered from epilepsy, a condition that worsened as he grew older.

Herbert’s health continued to decline in his twenties and he was eventually confined to the Hamilton Asylum for the Insane (also called the Ontario Hospital and later the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital) during the last three years of his life. He reportedly also developed dementia and asthma during the final two years of his life.

Herbert died on November 3, 1912.