Don R. Schmidt

Don R. Schmidt, age 70, died on Sunday, December 23, 2007 at Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam.

Friends and Family may gather on Friday, December 28, 2007 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Murray Funeral Home in Reeseville and on Saturday, December 29, 2007 from 10:00 AM until the time of service at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Reeseville. The Funeral Service for Don will be held on Saturday at 11:00 AM at the church, with Rev. Donald Steinberg officiating. Burial will follow at Lowell Cemetery.

Don Reynold Schmidt was born on July 18, 1937 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, to the late, Walter and Myrtle (Brunk) Schmidt. On May 3, 1980 he was united in marriage with Darlene Neitzel at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Reeseville, where he remained as a member. Don always liked to be busy and worked at numerous places throughout his life. He was employed at Lindberg Heavy Duty, then worked for Wilbert Vault Works in Watertown setting up cemetery vaults. He then worked for Caine Transfer as a Semi-driver, followed by 24 years as a Maintenance Mechanic and Boiler Operator at Green Giant which allowed him to become FDA Certified. He served as the Beaver Dam Mall Custodian followed by employment at Johnsonville Meats in Watertown. Later, he worked at Blew Inn working in the kitchen, doing maintenance and custodial chores until his retirement in March of this year. Since 2001, he has helped his son-in-law, Bob, with his business, M & S Fabrication.

Don enjoyed gardening and loved mowing the lawn. He had a passion for cars and antique tractors. He would go to car shows in the area and was a member of the Horicon Marsh Car Club. Don watched NASCAR and was a Matt Kenseth fan. He could also be seen in the stands at Powercom Park or the Dodge County Fair Grounds watching the locals race. Cooking and grilling was a specialty of Don”s. He was also a handy man, having built three houses in his lifetime and was always available to help others. Don was always interested in current events and would watch the nightly news as well as “Joe”s Polka Show” and he rarely missed a Packer game. Ultimately, his greatest concern was his family and doing right for them and he was rewarded by being able to drive Darlene to Florida for a vacation last winter.

Survivors include his wife, Darlene of Juneau, his daughter, Kim (Bob) Mann of Juneau, his six other children, Gene (Anne) Schmidt of Watertown, Gary (Regla) Schmidt of Ladysmith, Steven Schmidt of Burbank, CA, Cyndy Ellsworth of Willard, MO, Scot Schmidt, Delevan and Julie (Frederick) Fabris of Beaver Dam. Don was blessed with seven grandchildren, Johanna Verttalen, Leo Ellsworth, Moriah Schmidt, Kendrick Schmidt, Logan Schmidt, Jessica Schmidt and McKenna Gimmel. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters, Larry Schmidt of Wisconsin Rapids, Harold (Sue) Schmidt of Adams, Helen (Willie) Roessger of Crandon, Mary (Marv) Saxby of Williams Bay, Karen Huber of Clyman, Russell (Mary) of Watertown, George Schmidt of Appleton, Linda (Richard) Kohls of Kekoskee, Ray (Laurie) Schmidt of Beaver Dam, Alan Schmidt of Hancock and Louis (Mark) Bauernfeind of Beaver Dam, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Don is preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Dale Schmidt and a sister, Laura Parker.

The Murray Funeral Home in Reeseville is serving the family. Online condolences may be made on our website at www.MurrayFH.com.

Service Details

Saturday, December 29th, 2007, 11:00am

Interment Details

Lowell Cemetery