Schmidt, George W. (1902-1952)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1952 May 22 p. 9

Birth date: 1902 Mar 30

text of obituary:

GEORGE W. SCHMIDT

George W. Schmidt was born March 30, 1902, northeast of Cordell, Oklahoma.

On August 31, 1919, he was baptized by Rev. j. Flaming on the confession of his faith and joined the Sychar church.

On May 29, 1924, he was united in holy wedlock to maria Gaeddert and they lived on a farm northeast of Cordell for approximately six years. From there they moved to town, living in Butler, Clinton, and Cordell. After their marriage Mrs. Schmidt also joined the Sychar church and they were members of this church until it disbanded. They then became members of the Herold Mennonite Church.

On March 3, 1950, realizing his sinful condition and his need of Christ as his personal Saviour he gave his heart and his life to the Lord. After the Lord had become his Shepherd, his one desire was to love and serve the Lord. He was among the most faithful in his attendance at the services of the church and he had great joy in singing the praises of the Lord in the male chorus. His greatest joy came in witnessing to and praying with the precious souls in the Old People's Home in Hobart, Okla. How he loved these people and he prayed and worked that others might see the vision of this work, and then come to know the joy of serving the Lord in this capacity.

He was always ready to testify for his Lord, and just one week before he went home to be with Jesus he gave his last testimony in a joint C. E. program in the Bessie M. B. church. This testimony was in reality the testimony of his life, after he had Jesus as his own personal Saviour in his testimony he expressed surprise that Christian people were so slow in testifying for their Lord, and then said that he loved his Lord, and that he wanted to serve Him more and better. Little did he realize that one week later his Shepherd would answer that heart cry by taking him home to glory.

He became seriously ill Tuesday evening, march 11, and was taken to the hospital in Clinton Thursday evening. Sunday evening, march 16, at 7:25 p.m. he went to be with his Shepherd, and having seen Him he can now fully say, "I shall not want."

He reached the age of 49 years, 11 months, and six days. He leaves to mourn his departure: his wife, Maria; two sons, Raymond and Robert; two sisters, Mrs. Jacob Hildebrandt of Wichita, Kansas, and Mrs. Abe Pankratz of Reedley, California; four brothers, Aaron of Mountain View, and Jacob, William, and Henry Schmidt of Cordell; two brother-in-law, and many relatives and friends. One son, Bennie Martin, and one brother, David, preceded him in death.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."