Tobias Kolb Schantz was a mill worker and salesman. He was born to Benjamin Schantz (1811-1868) and Lydia Kolb (1814-1862) on April 10, 1842 in Freeport on the Grand River and raised alongside his ten siblings: Josiah K. Schantz (December 5, 1834-August 3, 1913), Catharine Schantz (May 17, 1836-February 28, 1917), Hannah Schantz (April 1, 1838-August 20, 1841), Christian Schantz (January 20, 1840-?), Abraham K. Schantz (September 20, 1844-?), Benjamin K. Schantz (December 5, 1846), Menno K. Schantz (January 31, 1849-July 6, 1888), Lydia K. Schantz (August 17, 1851-July 16, 1900), Sarah K. Schantz (April 1, 1854-April 10, 1878), and Enoch K. Schantz (October 7, 1856-May 25, 1888).

As a young adult, Tobias worked in his father’s gristmill in Port Elgin, Ontario.

On August 6, 1863, Tobias married Mary Moyer. The couple had eight children: Orpheus Moyer Schantz, Etta Lydia Mary Schantz, Sophie Emma Schantz, Austin Tobias Schantz, Franklin Abram Schantz, Arthur Benjamin Schantz, Florence Annie Catherine Schantz, and Herbert Cecil Palmer Schantz.

From 1864-1865, Tobias attended the Eastman National Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Tobias completed his schooling in the spring of 1865 and returned to Port Elgin, Ontario in 1866 with his family.

Tobias’ father Benjamin sold his gristmill in Port Elgin, Ontario in 1866. Afterwards, Tobias travelled to Missouri with his father for a short period in 1867.

Tobias moved to the village of Hawkesville in Waterloo County in 1870 with his family where he worked in Wilson’s mill. Later in 1877, Tobias moved to the village of Conestogo in Waterloo County with his family where he worked in the Conestogo and Bridgeport mills.

In 1884 Tobias and his family moved to Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario and lived in a house on Benton Street. In 1887, the family purchased two aces of land from Samuel Schneider’s farm for $1,100.00. In 1888, the family built an Italianate style home at 43 Schneider Avenue. It was the first house built on the street and cost $1,725.00 to build. During this period, Tobias worked for ED Smith selling fruit trees and he also worked as a book salesman.

In 1902, Tobias followed his two sons Arthur and Austin and son-in-law, Ward Malott White, out west to homestead in Alberta. They each claimed a a quarter section of a 160 acres of land southwest of Didsbury, Alberta for a fee of $10.00.

Tobias remained in Alberta until 1907. Afterwards, he returned to Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. He died on April 16, 1925.