Donald Peter Schmidt

CLERGY
Rev. Richard Weeman
MUSIC
Organist ~ Karen Conrad
Congregational Hymns
“I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
“I Am But a Stranger Here”
CASKETBEARERS
Mike King
James King
Michael Flahaven
Harry Guthmiller
George Verzani
Tom Kotas 
Donald Peter Schmidt was born in Tripp, South Dakota on Wednesday, April 7, 1926 to Pete Schmidt, Jr. and Bertha (Bitterman) Schmidt. He graduated from Tripp High School in 1944.  While in high school, Don was active in sports and started on the basketball team that played in the state basketball tournament in 1944. He was stationed at Jacksonville, Florida with the Navy from 1944-1946. Donald married Arlene Mae Breitkreutz on March 16, 1952.  He worked at various jobs in the Tripp area, including as beekeeper with Schmidt Honey from 1953 until 1971.  He was substitute mail carrier from 1951 until the mid sixties when he started full time with the postal service as both a mail carrier and a clerk in the office until his retirement in 1989. He enjoyed bowling and golf in his free time. Don was a member of Emmaus Lutheran Church in Tripp and served as trustee for several years. He was also a member of the Jelkin-Harms American Legion Post in Tripp. Donald passed away on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at Avera St. Benedict Hospital in Parkston at the age of 82 years, 11 months and 29 days.
He is survived by his wife Arlene Schmidt; daughters Janet (Mike) King of Sioux City, Iowa and Mary Schmidt of Sioux Falls; sons Bob Schmidt of Brookings and David Schmidt of Lake Preston; and three grandchildren: Jim King, Megan Schmidt and John Schmidt. He is also survived by his brother Jim (Lorry) Schmidt of Scotland, his sisters Thelma Smith of Davenport, Iowa, and Elizabeth “Betty” Meyer of Sioux Falls; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Ruth Flahaven and Dorothea Kerr, and his brothers Robert Schmidt and Theodore “Ted” Schmidt.