Schmidt, Richard H. (1909-2000)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2000 May 25 p. 11

Birth date: 1909 Jan 25

text of obituary:

RICHARD H. SCHMIDT

Richard H. Schmidt was born Jan 25, 1909, in Goessel, Kan., to Peter U. and Anna (Unruh) Schmidt. He was baptized and joined Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church.

As a boy Richard developed a lifelong interest in the outdoors and the art of taxidermy. After graduating from Goessel High School in 1929, he worked on his father’s farm. On April 3, 1931, he married his high-school sweetheart, Tina Bergen, at Goessel Mennonite Church. He continued farming for 27 years while doing as much taxidermy as he could. He frequently was invited to present programs illustrated with his mounted birds. He prepared an exhibit of 260 mounted birds for a museum at Hesston College.

In 1956 his dream of making a career in taxidermy was fulfilled. He accepted an invitation from Emporia State Teachers College, now Emporia State University, to join the staff as a full-time taxidermist. He built an extensive collection of mounted birds for the university museum, which was later named the Schmidt Natural History Museum in his honor

In 1960 and 1962, with faculty from the university, he participated in arctic expeditions in the Canadian Northwest Territories. In 1970 he and Tina spent six months at a university in Bucaragmanga, Colombia, where he helped establish a museum. In 1976 he retired from Emporia State.

Richard also was a skilled woodcarver and an avid historian.

After retirement, Richard and Tina moved to Newton. Tina died of cancer March 23, 1979. In 1990 Richard married Ruth Woelk at Goessel Mennonite Church. On May 19, 2000, Richard collapsed unexpectedly at home and died peacefully at Newton Medical Center at the age of 91.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth; two sons, Richard and his wife Dorothy of Kansas City, Mo., and Donald and his wife Rita of Lanham, Md., three daughters, Frances Schrag and her husband Robert of Newton, Elizabeth Duerksen and her husband Jerry of Golden, Colo., and Kathryn Mathews and her husband John of Austin, Texas; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. In addition to his first wife, Tina, he was preceded in death y a daughter, Glenda van Sickle; two brothers, Ernst and Arthur; and two sisters, Louise Duerksen and Anna Goossen.

Services were held at the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.