Roger Allen Schmidt was born on March 11, 1942, the son of Emil and Ida (Vetter) Schmidt of Westside, Iowa. He was the youngest of three siblings, with a sister Darlene and brother Larry.

Roger attended school at Westside, graduating from Ar-We-Va in 1961. One year later, on September 23, 1962, he married Marlene Dorothy Dierenfeld at Peace Lutheran Church in Wall Lake, Iowa. Their union was blessed with three children: Allen (Al), Daniel (Dan), and Angie.

Farming near Wall Lake was Roger’s pleasure for many working years, until he began his occupation in 1971 with the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, later known as the Chicago Central & Pacific Railroad and currently merged as the Canadian National Railroad. He served as the section foreman out of Wall Lake for most of his 31 years with the railroad, and saw many changes as new equipment and high rail trucks came along to make maintenance work easier. In March of 2002, Roger celebrated his retirement from the railroad with many co-workers, friends and family in Wall Lake and later enjoyed a memorable weekend get-away with his wife Marlene, the kids and grandchildren. This was a very special time for all of the immediate family with Roger.

Within the Wall Lake community, Roger was an active member of Peace Lutheran Church where he served as a trustee. He also spent many years as a volunteer fireman for the Wall Lake Fire Department.

In recent retirement years, gardening, golfing, fishing, playing cards, coffeeing at Doc’s Place and going south for the winter brought much pleasure to Roger. Riding on the bike trails near Wall Lake with Marlene and the grandkids was also a fun summer activity for him. Roger enjoyed immensely the domino and euchre clubs that he and Marlene attended monthly with their close friends.

Roger was certainly a hard worker, a dedicated volunteer and a person who enjoyed a variety of hobbies; but his most precious time was always with family. Roger’s wife, children and grandchildren were the highlight of his life. He was a devoted husband, caring father and proud grandfather with unconditional love and support. Roger always delighted in opportunities to spend time with his five grandchildren at his home, their homes and at their various activities.  Roger  frequently commented, “I don’t know what I did to deserve such wonderful children and grandchildren.”

While Roger and Marlene’s plans to have a party this year for their 45th wedding anniversary did not come to be, they fortunately did have a wonderful celebration back in 1997, hosted by their children, in honor of their 35th anniversary. Family and friends gathered in the Arcadia Legion Hall to celebrate this memorable event with a delicious dinner, a family video of their years together and then a few laughs were shared with a comedic entertainer. This was a time evermore cherished by both Roger and Marlene as years passed.

After a brief struggle with an incurable illness, it is with great sadness that the family of Roger Allen Schmidt announces his passing on Monday, December 31, 2007, at the age of 65 years.

Roger will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 45 years, Marlene, and their children:  Allen (Karen) Schmidt of Cedar Rapids, IA; Dan (Kathy) Schmidt of Breda, IA; and Angie (Randy) Meyer of Johnston, IA. Roger will also be fondly remembered by his five grandchildren: Amber and Austin Schmidt, Tayler and Nicole Schmidt, and Spencer Meyer; and three step-grandchildren: Jon, Jeremy and Morgan Meyer of Johnston. Other immediate family who will cherish Roger’s memory include his mother, Ida Schmidt of Twilight Acres; sister and brother-in law, Darlene and Dale Lenz of Denison; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jean and Ken Westrom of Denison, and Jeannette and Dick Taylor of Sioux City. Roger will forever be remembered by his family and many wonderful friends.

Roger was preceded in death by his brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Diane Schmidt of Ida Grove; father, Emil Schmidt of Westside; and mother-in-law and father-in-law, Louise and Charles Dierenfeld of Wall Lake.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m., on Thursday, January 3rd, 2008, at Peace Lutheran Church in Wall Lake with Pastor Roger Carlisle officiating. Burial will be at the Wall Lake Cemetery under the direction of the Farber & Otteman Funeral Home in Wall Lake.

Visitation is from 4:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 2, 2008, at the Farber and Otteman Funeral Home in Wall Lake where the family will be present.

Although we miss Roger dearly, we rejoice that he is safely home.

We thank everyone for their generous outpouring of kindness with visits, cards, food, flowers, memorials, and most of  all…prayers.  In lieu of thank you notes being sent to each of you, the family will honor Roger’s wishes and make a donation to the Daughters of Peace and Ladies Aid groups at Peace Lutheran Church.

To view Roger’s video you may go to youtube.com and type Roger Schmidt in the search field.