Henry Schmidt

Henry was born on April 16, 1920 to Jacob E. and Katherina (Quiring) Schmidt on the homestead farm near Chinook, Montana. His mother died when he was four years old. His father moved the family from the farm to Minnesota and later married Helen Reimer. As a young boy, Henry was treated for polio in Chicago and wore braces until he was seven. Henry graduated with the Mountain Lake High School Class of 1937. On May 16, 1937 he was baptized at Bethel Mennonite Church by Rev. John Bartel and became a member of Bethel. In 1941 he began working at Epps Department Store. He left in '47 as the grocery department manager to enroll at Goshen College, graduating in 1950. He married Mildred M. Cook on June 10, 1948 at Jeffers Methodist Church. Henry's first teaching post was near Elkhart, IN, teaching 4th grade. He and Mildred had hoped to teach in India but, due to health concerns, they instead found work at Central Christian High School in Hutchinson, KS. Henry taught Social Studies and some music for six years. During summers, he attended Emporia Teachers College, earning his Masters Degree in 1957. That same year he began working at Mountain Lake High School where he taught Social Studies, ran the Audio-Visual dept., and started a class on the history of Mt. Lake. Although he retired in 1982, Henry continued to teach the Mt. Lake History class for five more years. The Mayor of Mt. Lake asked Henry to head the committee writing a history book of Mt. Lake to sell for the Centennial celebration in 1986. He and a co-chair moved the Senior Center to a renovated building (now Mt Lake Community Center) and he continued to help the Senior Club (including serving as secretary and as a board member of the dining program). Henry worked with many Cottonwood County groups, including serving on the board of the Historical Society Museum in Windom, and as president of the AARP. Henry was a faithful member of Cornerstone Bible Church (formerly EMB) having transferred his membership from an EMB church in Kansas. He served on many councils, was Sunday School Superintendent, and earning an award of recognition for teaching Sunday School for over 40 years. At the 2005 Mt. Lake EMB Church Convention, Henry was given the Anna Rieger Christian Education Worker of the Year award by the FEBC Commission on Education for his exemplary and influential impact as a Christian educator. Henry enjoyed games, camping, fishing, singing, traveling, birding, volunteering, and DON'T bother him while he was watching the Twins playing. He also enjoyed singing and sang in many groups, including quartets and the German Singers. Henry is survived by his daughter, Rebecca Becky Jo (Eugene) Waack, Sioux Falls, SD, grandchildren: Dawn Waack, Laura (Frank) Steenhagen, Keith Waack, Amber (Brian) Sievert, and Michael Waack, and great-grandchildren: Tierany, Cara, Keely, Luke, and Levi. He was preceded in death by his father, mother, and step-mother, wife, Millie, son, Glen, sisters, Frieda and infant Mary, and step-brother, Jacob. Visitation 10:00 am Saturday, December 21, 2013 Sturm Funeral Home, Mountain Lake Chapel 420 - 10th St. N. Mtn. Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159 Service Information 11:00 am Saturday, December 21, 2013 Sturm Funeral Home, Mountain Lake Chapel 420 - 10th St. N. Mtn. Lake, Minnesota, United States 56159