Mildred Schmidt

Mildred Mae Cook, the daughter of George Herbert and Isis (Turnbull) Cook was born on July 24, 1915, at Menahga, MN. Mildred began her education in the Menahga School, and she graduated as the salutatorian of her Jeffers High School class in 1934. She was ill with a heart condition following high school, and continued her education in 1936 with Windom Normal Training which prepared her to teach in rural schools. Early in her teaching career she stayed with a fine Christian family. She accepted Christ as her Saviour and continued her education at St. Paul Bible Institute, where she graduated in 1946. These were some of the happiest years of her life. Mildred came to Mountain Lake in 1946 and began teaching at the Mountain Lake Christian School. On June 10, 1948, Mildred was united in marriage to Henry J. Schmidt in Jeffers. They both attended Goshen College in Goshen, IN and graduated in 1950. She taught school in Elkhart, IN, and Hutchinson, KS before returning to Mountain Lake in 1957. She continued her teaching ministry by teaching in the Christian School for nine years, and then she taught at the public school for 14 years before retiring in 1981. In Mountain Lake she joined the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church, where she was active as a Sunday School teacher, directed music and served as librarian for many years. She was a member of the teachers association, served on the Heritage Village board for many years, and was a member of the local bird club. Mildred died on Monday afternoon, December 18, 2006, at the Good Samaritan Village in Mountain Lake. Mildred is survived by her husband, Henry J. Schmidt of Mountain Lake; a daughter, Rebecca Jo Waack and husband Eugene of Sioux Falls, SD; five grandchidren, Dawn Waack, Laura Steenhagen and husband Frank, Keith Waack, Amber Sievert and husand Brian, and Mike Waack and wife Sally; two sisters, Hazel Johnson of Gonzales, LA, and Alice Anderson of Apache Junction, AZ; many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Glen Allen Schmidt; and a sister, Florence Roefer.