Arthur A. Schmidt
Arthur A. Schmidt, 98, died on Dec. 14,
2016, at Newton Medical Center. Art was born on Feb. 8, 1918, to
Abraham and Sara (Schmidt) Schmidt at their home in rural Marion
County. When Art was two, the family moved to a farm in Harvey
County.
Art attended Walton schools through his
sophomore year, stayed home a year to help on the farm, but then
returned and graduated from Walton High School. While in school he
particularly enjoyed math and art classes and participated in
athletics, excelling in track and basketball. He attended Bethel
College for one year.
In his youth, Art worked with a
threshing crew and on the Drier farm, close to Hesston. Upon his
father's early death, Art took care of his parents' farm and helped
provide for his mother and younger brother and sister.
On June 3, 1942, Art married Ruth
Unrau, a local teacher. They celebrated their seventy-fourth
anniversary with family in June, prior to Ruth's death in August of
2016.
In 1947, Art and Ruth purchased their
farm close to Walton, where they had a grain and dairy operation.
They later joined with son and daughter-in-law Archie and Kristin
Schmidt to form Hillside Dairy. Art farmed for 60 years and continued
to garden until the last few years of his life.
In the 1970s and 1980s Ruth and Art
were foster parents for a dozen children and youth through several
agencies, as well as through informal arrangements.
Art was very active in the community as
a board member of the Walton School Board and the Farm Bureau Board.
He was a member of the Walton Lions Club for forty years and served
as a deacon and trustee at Tabor Mennonite Church.
He enjoyed music and sang tenor in
various ensembles and in duets with his sister Evelyn. In later years
Art pursued his creative and arts interests with simple wood carving,
making canes and walking sticks, welding metal pieces and drawing. He
won an award in the local "Art Is Ageless" competition
sponsored by Presbyterian Manor.
Along with Ruth, Art was involved in
various social groups, including the Over Forty Club (a square dance
club) and several informal coffee gatherings and monthly meetings at
the Whistle Stop Café in Walton.
Art was preceded in death by his wife
Ruth, his parents and all his siblings, Rachel (Ed) Goossen, Simon
(Martha, Rose) Schmidt, Eldo (Aileen) Schmidt, Evelyn (Orie) Lehrman;
a daughter, Elaine (Verlin) Bartel; a stillborn son, George Alan; and
a stillborn grandson, Alan Matthies Schmidt.
Survivors include brother-in-law Gordon
Dyck of Estes Park, Colorado; son-in-law Verlin Bartel of Kansas
City; son Archie (Kristin) Schmidt of Peabody; daughter Ada (Wes)
Schmidt-Tieszen of Newton; grandchildren, Heather (David) Bradford of
Ottumwa, Iowa, Olivia Bartel of Murdock, Jody Schmidt of Chicago,
Luke (Sarah) Schmidt of College Station, Texas, Katy Schmidt of
Peabody, Tina (Dan) Graber of Freeman, South Dakota, Alison
Schmidt-Tieszen of Denver; and great-grandchildren Anna and Isaac
Bradford of Ottumwa, Iowa, and Adaline Graber of Freeman, South
Dakota.
A Celebration of Life service will be
at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday Dec. 27, 2016, at Tabor Mennonite Church in
rural Newton. A visitation with family will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, in Menno Hall at Kidron Bethel Retirement
Village, North Newton.
Memorials may be designated in Art's
memory to Bethel College or Mennonite Central Committee.
Petersenfamilyfuneralhome.com
