Herbert Schmidt
Herbert “Herb” A. Schmidt, 89, of rural Waterville died Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at his home. Funeral services were held Saturday, October 6 at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon with Pastor Gary Hatcher officiating. Burial with military graveside rites was held in Sixteen Cemetery, rural Monona.
Herbert “Herb” Allen Schmidt was born April 6, 1929 in rural Garnavillo, the son of Herbert W. and Elnora (Jahnke) Schmidt. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Garnavillo. When he was three years old, Herb’s family moved from Garnavillo to a house overlooking the Yellow River in Linton Township, rural Waterville, where he has lived ever since; later, this would be the house he and his wife, Katherine, would raise their family in while farming.
Herb attended Linton #16 country school and graduated from Waterville High School. He served in the U.S. Army Infantry from 1953 to 1955, during the Korean War, as a radar operator. May 31, 1953, he married Katherine Louise Sutton at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Garnavillo.
As a teenager, he and a neighbor boy worked with horses and threshers harvesting wheat in North Dakota. Herb loved to travel. As his family grew to five children, Herb and Katherine would take them on vacations every summer, mostly out West. Since his favorite author was Louis L’Amour, he probably wanted to live a little bit of some of those stories. It was an amazing experience and will always be a positive influence for his children.
Herb also played regional baseball from 1947 through 1952 with Scenic League Baseball. All of his children remember him taking the time to teach them the basics of the game and getting to use his old baseball mitt. He recalled recently that one of his favorite memories was of all his children playing ball before going out to harvest a bumper crop of hay. He said those were the best days of his life.
Herb was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Garnavillo and was a member of Farm Bureau, where he served on the board. He was an avid reader, very good with geography, and a historian. He could read or hear something and remember it verbatim. His recitation of poetry was amazing and moving to everyone; his beautiful verses will be missed. He loved the outdoors, especially wildlife and birds, and liked fishing. Herb also enjoyed feeding the birds, playing cards, especially solitaire, and working in his garden, which he was still able to do this past summer. He loved to work his farm and enjoyed accomplishing things. He loved his northeast Iowa land - he always called it God’s Country. It was very difficult for him to have to retire because of health issues. Herb loved his country, and was fiercely patriotic.
This past May, Herb and Katherine celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, surrounded by the entire family and their many friends and relatives.
Survivors include his wife, Katherine, of Waterville; his children: Kevin (Donna) Schmidt of Minneapolis, MN, Karen (Kent) Gregory of Tucson, AZ, Steven (Sandy) Schmidt of Iowa City, Susan (Tim) Rose of Monona and Karl (Becky) Schmidt of Loomis, CA; nine grandchildren: Matthew (Jessica), Danielle, Crystal, Rachelle, Kurtis and Kris Schmidt, Heidi (Andy) Meyer, Jessica Rose and Angela Litynski; and two great-grandchildren: Emma and Joe Meyer. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters: Jean (Wes) Monserud and Janet (Francis) Martin.
Casketbearers were Matthew, Kurtis and Kris Schmidt, Andy Meyer, Tim Rose and John Duehr. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
