Obituary

Richard H. Schmidt, 91, 716 N. Ash in Newton, retired farmer and taxidermist, died Friday (May 19, 2000) at Newton Medical Center.

He was born Jan. 26, 1909, in Goessel to Peter U. and Anna (Unruh) Schmidt. He married Tina Bergen April 3, 1931, in Goessel. She preceded him in death March 23, 1979. He married Ruth Woelk May 27, 1990, in Goessel. She survives of the home.

He was a member of Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel. He was a 1929 graduate of Goessel High School. He was a charter member of Kansas Association of Taxidermists and Kansas Ornithological Society.

He was an instructor in taxidermy from 1956 to 1976, at Emporia State University, where he built an extensive collection of mounted birds for the natural history museum. When he retired, the museum was named in his honor. With faculty from the university biology department, he participated in two arctic expeditions in the Canadian Northwest Territories as a collector and taxidermist. He also prepared an exhibit of 260 mounted birds for the Maurice Yoder Memorial Museum at Hesston College.

He received awards as practitioner and educator in taxidermy, including the Kansas Wildlife Federation's conservation education award in 1968, Colman Jones award in 1982 and McKenzie Taxidermy Supply distinguished service award in 1997.

Other survivors include: two sons, Richard Schmidt of Kansas City, Mo., and Donald Schmidt of Lanham, Md., three daughters, Frances Schrag of Newton, Elizabeth Duerksen of Golden, Colo., and Kathryn Mathews of Austin, Texas; 12 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He also was preceded in death by one daughter, Glenda van Sickle; two brothers, Ernst Schmidt and Arthur Schmidt; and two sisters, Louise Duerksen and Anna Goossen.

Funeral services were Tuesday at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel with Pastors James Dunn of the church and Kevin Goertzen of Goessel Mennonite Church officiating.

Memorials have been established with Bethesda Home in Goessel in care of the funeral home.