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Schmidt, Ruth Wenger (1921-1973)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1973 Nov 29 p. 11
Birth date: 1921 Aug 22
text of obituary
WORD has been received here of a highway tragedy about 5 o’clock last Sunday evening near Champaign, Ill. which claimed the lives of Mrs. Ruth (Wenger) Schmidt, 52, and Theodore (Ted) James Schmidt, 17, wife and son of Orlando A. Schmidt of Elkhart, Ind., associate professor of Church Music and Worship at Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Prof. Schmidt sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung but is reported in satisfactory condition in Burnham City Hospital, Champaign. Also in the car was another son, John, 22, who apparently escaped serious injury but was hospitalized several days for observation.
Leaving for Champaign Sunday evening by train to be with them were Rev. Malcolm Wenger of Newton, only brother of Mrs. Schmidt, and Alfred Schmidt of Buhler and Mrs. Rosa Mae Lohrenz of Hutchinson, brother and sister of Prof. Schmidt.
THE SCHMIDT FAMILY had come to central Kansas last week to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with relatives in Newton and Buhler. They left for home by car early Sunday morning.
According to information received here, the family was traveling in heavy traffic on Interstate 57 about 12 miles from Champaign when a car ahead of them spun around and stopped broadside on the highway. Mr. Schmidt stopped, setting off a chain reaction crash involving nine vehicles. The Schmidt car was hit from behind twice and catapulted off the highway.
The impact caused the gas tank to rupture and the car broke into flames. Prof. Schmidt and son John, who had been riding in the front seat, were able to escape from the car but because of the flames they had no chance to rescue Mrs. Schmidt and Ted, who occupied the rear seat and may have been seriously or fatally injured by the impact.
Mrs. Malcolm Wenger received word on Tuesday that private burial services for the mother and son would be held Wednesday at Violett Cemetery in Goshen. A memorial service for the two is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday Dec. 2, in the Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount on the seminary campus, Elkhart. Prof. Schmidt hopes to be able to attend the service.
PLANNING to join the other family members for the memorial service are Mrs. Alfred Schmidt of Buhler, Mrs. Lohrenz’s children David and Margie, Mrs. Aaron Epp of Aberdeen, Idaho, also a sister of Prof. Schmidt, and Mrs. Malcolm Wenger and daughters of Newton.
Mrs. Ruth Schmidt was a registered nurse and was employed parttime at Elkhart General Hospital. Ted Schmidt was a junior at Concord High School near Elkhart.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1974 Jan 10 p. 11
text of obituary:
Ruth Wenger Schmidt, born Aug. 22, 1921, at Aberdeen, Idaho, was the daughter of Olivia Koppes and Ira J. Wenger. She died together with her son Theodore at Pesotum, Ill. on Nov. 25, 1973, as a result of an automobile accident.
She received her elementary and high school education in the Aberdeen community and became a member of the First Mennonite Church. Further education included training at Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Bethel College, Bethel Deaconess Hospital, and New York Theological Seminary.
On Aug. 1, 1947, she was married to Orlando Schmidt in Aberdeen. Two sons, John and Theodore were born in 1951 and 1956.
She began her profession as a registered nurse in Idaho at American Falls Hospital, later serving hospitals in New York City, Mountain Lake, Minn., Newton, Kan. and Elkhart, Ind., also serving as school nurse at Hesston College.
She was at heart a person committed to meeting the needs of people. In addition to serving her family and patients in the hospital she had a love for international students from many countries. Especially close were Bernard and Emmanuel Muganda of Tanzania and Tomio Uchimura of Japan, all of them having lived in the home for a while. At the time of her death she was serving as a deaconess of her congregation, the Hively Avenue Mennonite Church of Elkhart, Ind.
Friends remember her as one who possessed a "quiet, loving radiance" while helping others, expressing a "trusting naturalness, profound simplicty and purity of spirit," which communicated faith, hope and love "better than many words."
Theodore James Schmidt was born Oct. 27, 1956, at Mountain Lake, Minn., son of Ruth Wenger and Orlando Schmidt. He died together with his mother at Pesotum, Ill. on Nov. 25, 1973, as a result of an automobile accident.
In 1960 he moved with his family to Hesston, Kan. and in 1962 to Elkhart, ind. where he received his elementary and high school education. At the time of his death he was a junior at Concord High School. He was active in music and athletics in addition to his regular school work. He enjoyed the activities of his youth group at Hively Avenue Mennonite Church and participated in a number of Outspokin' bike trips.
Ted was an avid reader and a hard worker. In a recent issue of his school paper he was quoted as saying: " . . . I am most thankful for life since so many things come with it. I am thankful for being alive, but this is surely only because of my situation. Others are not as fortunate."
Burial for both Ruth and Theodore took place on Nov. 28 at Violett Cemetery in Goshen, Ind. Memorial services were held on Dec. 2 at the Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, Elkhart. Members of the immediate family include John and Orlando Schmidt of Elkhart and Malcolm Wenger of Newton, Kan.