Obituary

Harold D. Schmidt (1917 - 2015)

Obituary

Harold D. Schmidt, 97, died July 19, 2015, at Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton.

A longtime teacher, farmer and carpenter, he dedicated his life to the Lord and serving others. He was born July 25, 1917, northwest of Walton to Cornelius H. and Katharina (Voth) Schmidt. He attended Walton consolidated school and Bethel College. In 1938, he started teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Antioch. On May 5, 1941, he married Hazel May Myers Ewert in Hillsboro. During World War II, he worked in Civilian Public Service at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on the first artificial insemination of dairy cattle.

He farmed for many years in Kingman and was teacher/principal in Greenfield, Walton, Cunningham, Cleveland, Spivey and Norwich before retiring in 1982. Harold and Hazel enjoyed singing together and moved to Hesston in 1986, later moving to North Newton. A member of Faith Mennonite Church in Newton, Harold made quilts from blue jeans and donated them to mission projects. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, Camp Mennoscah, making rockets to launch with students and family, and telling stories about growing up in his childhood home near Walton as one of 10 children. He was a charter member of the Kansas Mennonite Men's Chorus and former president of the Kingman County Teachers' Association.

Hazel preceded him in death in 2006. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Christy and Vince Painter of Derby; a brother, Earl A. Schmidt of North Newton; five grandchildren, Jason Painter, Dietra Leastman, Jeremy Painter, Zachary Painter and Darcy Gray; and nine great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life service will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25 at Faith Mennonite Church in Newton. Memorial contributions may be made to the church or to Mennonite Central Committee, in care of Miller-Ott Funeral Home, Goessel.