Schmidt, Arthur Cornelius (1914-1975)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1975 Feb 27 p. 11

Birth date: 1914 Jul 13

text of obituary:

ARTHUR C. SCHMIDT

Arthur Cornelius Schmidt was born on July 13, 1914, the oldest of four sons of Cornelius and Katherine Jantzen Schmidt of Bessie, Washita County, Oklahoma.

In 1918 his parents along with numerous others of family and friends decided to emigrate to Saskatchewan, near the town of Rosthern. During preparations for the move he along with many others were stricken by influenza and he was further afflicted by a severe abdominal ailment that nearly cost his life. This so weakened him that, at his age of four years, he had to completely re-learn walking. This bout with illness affected his endurance throughout his lifetime.

In 1919, after enduring the rigorous cold and long winter, his parents decided to return to the United States and arrived in Beatrice, Neb. with their three young sons on Memorial Day. This area became his home for the rest of his life.

He attended Lincoln Center Public School near the Ellis community and also the Mennonite Bible Academy. During the hard years of the 1930s, his young adulthood was spent helping on the family farm and working for others doing farm work.

On Easter Sunday of 1931 he was baptized and joined the Beatrice Mennonite Church, where he remained an active and faithful member the remainder of his days. In 1937 he began farming on his own. He followed this occupation for 20 years.

On April 27, 1939 he was married to Hattie Wiebe. They became parents of a son, Gary, in 1945. In 1957 he gave up farming for health reasons and the family moved to Beatrice. For 15 years he worked for Store Kraft in Beatrice as fireman-guard and general repairman.

He was on duty at Store Kraft when he suffered a severe stroke. He was brought to the Mennonite Hospital where he died on Feb. 4, 1975 at the age of 60.

He was a quiet man whose helpful ways and genuine love for others spoke volumes of his real character.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife; son, Gary, two grandchildren; his stepmother; three brothers, Ernest, Carl and Walter; and a brother-in-law, Richard, along with four sisters-in-law.