LIVING HISTORY
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ter life was continued when Louis and Anna moved in 1918
from Missouri to the then sparsely settled area that is now
known as Vero Beach. Their children joined them and they
carried with them a spirit of self-reliance and independence
that continues to be passed down to their offspring. Many
Schlitt teens began by working for their Uncle Frank at Schlitt
Brothers Painting before branching out to other home or
construction-related businesses of their own.
“It’s really great that when you have a question on almost
anything there is someone in the family who you can pick
up the phone and call,” says Schlitt Ford. She works with
siblings Steve Schlitt and Linda Schlitt Gonzalez as well as
other family members — Andrew and Melanie Gonzalez,
Joseph Schlitt and Joseph O’Neill — at Coldwell Banker
Paradise Real Estate. Their father, Ed Schlitt, first established
the real estate firm as Ed Schlitt Realtors. Schlitt Gonzalez
says she feels a sense of responsibility for the community
which she got from her father who served on many
economic, zoning and business committees.
“He had a vision to keep Vero more like old Florida and
worked to reduce building densities, height limits, encourage
cooperation between development companies and various
government planning divisions and much more,” says
Schlitt Gonzalez.
EXTENDING THE FAMILY
Many of their annual family reunions were at Florence and
John’s homestead but as the family grew, necessity kept them
moving around. Currently, the family Easter egg hunt is held
at Schlitt Ford’s Vero Lago clubhouse and the Thanksgiving
FSU/UF Rivalry reunion is a block party in McAnsh Park >>
Ed Schlitt poses with Gov. Bob Graham for the article “The Man who Sold a
Town,” which described Schlitt’s deal to sell the Town of Orchid to developers.
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