Obituary of George Schmidt

A funeral service for George J. Schmidt, 94, of Spencer and Milford, will be held Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 10:30AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford, Iowa. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be on Wednesday, August 19th after 5:00pm with the family present from 5:00-7:00pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Mr. Schmidt passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer. George Joseph Schmidt was born August 10, 1921 in Melrose, Minnesota, the son of Frank and Christine (Kraker) Schmidt. He was raised and educated in Melrose, graduating from Melrose High School. He continued his education at the University Of Minnesota. George entered the US Army Air Corps. on July 10, 1942, serving during WW II as a B17 pilot as well as instructed students on B29 procedures. He was Honorably Discharged on November 26, 1945, as a 2nd Lieutenant. George was united in marriage to his schoolmate, Dolores Herges, on October 11, 1947. The couple made their home in Melrose, where George owned Schmidt Implement with his brother. After the sale of their implement business in 1957, George purchased a Farm Fleet store in Oskaloosa, Iowa, moving to St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1960 to serve as President of Fleet Supply. George and Dolores moved to Spencer in 1966 to start their first of many Shopper's Supply Stores. George was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford, Iowa. He was also a member of American Legion Post #1 in Spencer, Iowa and the Knights of Columbus. George passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at St. Luke Lutheran Home in Spencer, Iowa at ninety-four years of age. He is survived by his wife of sixty-seven years, Dolores; sons, Chuck Schmidt (Patricia), of Spencer, and Jim Schmidt (Ginger) of West Okoboji; grandchildren, Jessie, Tyler, Holly (Brian) Holum and Nate (Brea); four great-grandchildren, sisters, Sister Mary Corrine Schmidt and Corrine Finnegan; other family and many friends. He was preceded in death by parents Frank and Christine, sister, Mary Kay Panow and brother Frank Schmidt, Jr.