The decision to relocate the house was rooted in the couple’s desire to merge two family legacies. JaSondra Schmidt, who grew up in Medina, North Dakota, explained that preserving a home that had survived five generations was as vital as establishing a new life on her husband’s ancestral farm.
After years of hunting, a Facebook comment about a 1914 farmhouse steered JaSondra to the property that had once belonged to her great‑great‑grandfather, Friedrich. The family had known of the house since childhood, but it was only when a relative hinted at a sale that the couple seized the chance.
The plan stalled when a flood in Iowa rerouted the movers they had booked, and a sudden illness of their daughter forced them to split their time between North Dakota and Rochester, delaying the project until late 2025. By then, the house was finally acquired, and relatives agreed to sell it to the Schmidts.
Once acquired, the house was detached from its foundation, steel beams inserted, jacks lifted the frame, and rollers pushed it along a six‑mile corridor that required power lines to be temporarily moved. The relocation itself cost about $40,000, while the new basement and foundation construction pushed the total to $340,000–$380,000.
The new basement and foundation work left the house perched on beams for weeks; contractors now finish the interior, strip modern additions, and restore original woodwork. The couple plans to occupy the historic home by summer 2026, bringing a 112‑year‑old family legacy back into daily life.