Florian Schmidt

Florian Schmidt, 91, of Verndale passed away December 23, 2017, at Tri-County Healthcare in Wadena.

 Mass of Christian Burial was held, Dec. 30 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Wadena with Fr. Mitchell Bechtold as celebrant.

Arrangements were with the Schuller Family Funeral Homes, Wadena.

Private interment at the Minnesota State Veteran’s Cemetery near Little Falls will be held at a later date. 

Florian was born February 3, 1926, to George C. and Barbara (Armbrust) Schmidt in Fayette, Dunn County, North Dakota. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII from Oct. 1944 until his honorable discharge in Nov. 1946. He married Mildred Dukart on Sept. 27, 1949 in Dickinson, ND. Florian worked as a mechanic in Dickinson until 1962, when the family moved to a dairy farm near Verndale. In 1988, he started Schmidt’s Small Engine Repair which he owned and operated for 20 years. He served as Commander at the Verndale Legion Post, was a member of the VFW, Knights of Columbus, the Stowe Prairie Township Board and a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bertha. Florian enjoyed woodworking, feeding the birds and shooting his pellet gun.

He is survived by five sons, Clarence “Clyde” Schmidt, Virgil (Sandy) Schmidt, Perry (Lyn) Schmidt, all of Verndale, Keith (Pam) Schmidt of Sebeka and Harlan Schmidt of Maple Grove; four daughters, Geraldine (Steve) Cottrell of Frazee, Kathie (Terry) Davis of Ottertail, Marlene (Dale) Campbell of Verndale and Pamela (Jim) Rach of Belgrade; 27 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren; three brothers Andy, Matt and George Schmidt; three sisters Tillie Mullen, Rose Anderson and Jenny Rice; and many friends and his “wonder cat”, Tiger.

Florian was preceded in death by his wife; parents; three brothers, Raymond, Jerome and Philip Schmidt; two sisters, Marion Gulka and Magdalene Schmidt and daughter-in-law, Rita Schmidt.

Memorials are preferred to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bertha.

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