James William Schmidt

Jim was born December 19, 1927 in Waseca, MN the son of William and Odessa Schmidt. He served in the US Army after high school. Jim married Marlys Christianson on May 6, 1950 in Hendricks, MN. Jim and Marlys lived in Mankato, MN until they moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1959. He worked for Spitznagel Architecture for a few years and then worked at Koch Hazard Architects until his retirement in 1995. After 51 years of marriage Marlys, passed away in 2001. Jim married Bernice Arendt on January 28, 2006 and attended church with her at St. Therese Catholic Church. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on July 11, 2014 at the Dougherty Hospice House, Sioux Falls. He was a charter member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and a member of the Elks Lodge. Jim volunteered in many ways which included at church, Prince of Peace and Meals on Wheels. His favorite activities were golfing and watching sports. He was an avid fan of the Minnesota Vikings and the LA Lakers. His travels took him to the west coast and several countries in Europe, he especially loved Germany. In his spare time he enjoyed visiting local vineyards, tinkering in his garage and yard work and feeding the wildlife that wandered through his backyard. He is survived by his wife of 8 years Bernice; his children: Kim (Dan) ODowd, Todd (Laura) Schmidt, Jon (Denise) Schmidt and Troy (Cloie) Schmidt; 5 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; his siblings: Janet (Marv) Weber and Jean (Dale) Staley; Bernices children: Ron (Faye) Matthies and Kristie (Bill) Huet. He was preceded in death by his parents (William and Odessa) and first wife Marlys. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Jims name to the Doughtery Hospice House and the MS Society Dakota Chapter.