Obit: Schmidt, Norman #2 (1939 - 2012)
Contact: Audrey Roedl
Email: audero@charter.net
Surnames: Schmidt. Litka, Knoll, Stump
----Source: The Loyal TRG (Loyal, Clark County, WI) 30 May 2012-06-02
Schmidt, Norman (05 JUNE 1939-26 MAY 2012)
Norman H. Schmidt, 72, Loyal, passed away on Saturday, May 26, 2012, under the
care of his loving family and Ministry Home Hospice following a valiant fight
against pancreatic cancer for the past year. A celebration of his life was held
at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday May 30 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Loyal. Rev. Dan
Zimmerman officiated. A private interment followed with his immediate family at
St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, rural Riplinger.
Norman Herman Schmidt was born on June 5, 1939, in the town of Beaver, rural
Loyal, the son of Ervin and Verna (nee Litka) Schmidt. He was raised on the
family farm and received his education from Beaver Center School and graduated
from Loyal High School in 1957. He became an accomplished musician during his
high school days, playing the piano accordion and drums, and formed his own
polka band. He was a drummer with Wayne Seefeld Band, the Danny Strauss Band,
the Bill Chambers Orchestra and the Harmony Four Band and others through the
years. He played his last drumming job with the Harmony Four Band at Owen on
April 14, 2012. Norm married Janet “Jan” Knoll on June 30, 1962, at St. John’s
Lutheran Church, Riplinger. He served in the U.S. Army from September 1962 until
September 1964, when he received his honorable discharge after being stationed
at Fort Campbell, Kent. He was employed by the Clark County Highway Department
for 40 years with the last 12 years as the patrol superintendent, retiring in
October 1998. He was then employed by the town of Beaver as a part-time grader
operator until April of this year. He was a dedicated firefighter and served on
the Loyal Fire Department for 45 years until retiring in the fall of 2011. His
children grew up realizing his passion for firefighting and presented him with
his very own 1957 pumper fire truck for Father’s Day of 1999. It was his prized
possession and he spent many enjoyable hours with family and friends “playing
fire truck,” as Jan called it. Most recently he taught his youngest grandson, Bo
(14) to drive and operate it. He was a charter member of the Loyal Ambulance
Service and served as an EMT for the city of Loyal until 1983 when the family
moved to their current country home on Rock Creek Road. Norm was a lifetime
member of Trinity Lutheran Church and served on the church council in the
earlier years. He also served as an alderman on the Loyal City Council and was
chairman of the building committee when the new town of Beaver hall was built.
He was a member of the Loyal American Legion Post 175. Norm was a loving family
man, enjoying the simple things in life whether it be helping Jan with yard work
and her flowers or lending a hand to family and friends for any project that was
being done. He spent many hours listening to Old Time Music Sunday mornings on
the radio and watching the polka shows on RFD TV. He loved playing cards with
family and friends, and he and Jan spent several years in Port Aransas, Texas,
during the winter months.
He will be dearly missed by his wife, Jan, of almost 50 years (June 30, 2012)
and his three wonderful children and their spouses, Scott (Julie) Schmidt,
Neillsville, Lona (Jay) Stump, Willard, and Chad (Cheryl) Schmidt, Mosinee,
along with his six grandchildren that he was so very proud of, Luke Schmidt, St.
Paul, Minn., Austen (Stephanie) Stump, Greenwood, Chelsea Schmidt, Sioux Falls,
S, D., Leah (Special friend Justin) Stump, Altoona, and Samantha and Bo Schmidt,
Mosinee. Our lives have been truly blessed because we have had the best of the
best as his wife, children and grandchildren. He is also survived by one
brother, Kenneth (Nancy) Schmidt, Loyal; three sisters-in-law, Dorene Newman,
Evelyn Knoll and Cheryl Knoll; and three brothers-in-law, Don Newman, LaVern
Knoll and Gene Knoll.
We would like to thank the Marshfield Clinic Oncology and the Ministry Home
Hospice staff for their compassionate care over the past several months. A
special thank you to Pastor Dan Zimmerman, family and friends for prayers and
concern during this difficult time.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in his name to the family to be
designated at a later date.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.cremationsocietyofwisconsin.com.
The Cremation Society of Wisconsin. Altoona, assisted the family with
arrangements.
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