Rev. Donald Schmidt   
    The Rev. Don Schmidt, 51, of New Canton, Ohio, formerly of Quincy, died Wednesday (January 5, l972) at 5:00 p.m. in Community Hospital in Salem, Ohio.
   Mr. Schmidt was Association Minister of the Eastern Ohio Association of the United Church of Christ and had served as Assistant Conference Minister of the Minnesota Conference of the church. He was ordained December 26, 1954, in Salem Evangelical and Reformed Church in Quincy by the Rev. R. M. Schroedel.
   Mr. Schmidt was born November 24, l920, in Des Moines, Iowa, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert B. Schmidt and moved to Quincy in 1921. He graduated from Quincy Senior High School in 1939 and entered Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis in 1951. He served in the Navy during World War II and before entering the ministry was employed by State Theater and operated Don's Teen Town. He was also Youth Director at Salem for three years.
   He married Erma A. Richardson January 19, 1940. He served as student pastor of the Ursa-Fowler charge in Adams County from 1951 until his ordination and continued as full-time pastor of Zion Church in Ursa and St. Paul in Fowler following his ordination. A new church was constructed in Ursa and an educational building in Fowler during his pastorate.
   While serving the Ursa and Fowler pastorates, Mr. Schmidt was instrumental in purchasing the lodge home north of Ursa from Mr. and Mrs. Russell Shriver of Ursa for a year-round church campground. The project, originally undertaken by eight county churches, became the Ursa Retreat House. It was later sponsored by the Adams County Council of Churches. The project received support of the Moorman Foundation and has served groups of all ages in the entire community.
   In 1957, Mr. Schmidt accepted a call to the pastorate of St. Paul Evangelical and Reformed Church in Duluth, Minnesota, where there was a need for a new church building. He became Assistant Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ in Minnesota in 1965.
   Surviving are the widow; his mother, Mrs. Herbert Schmidt of Good Samaritan Home; four sons, Jan, Kim, Curt and Mark; a daughter, Lynn; and a brother, Russell Schmidt of Quincy.
   Arrangements were handled by Zehender-Robinson-Stormer Funeral Home.
   Mr. Schmidt was on the Board of Homeland Ministries, Associate Conference Minister of Eastern Ohio Association of the United Church of Christ and Assistant Conference Minister of the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ. He served the Duluth, Minnesota Peace Church for nine years and the Ursa, Fowler and Meyer churches for six years.
   Mr. Schmidt was a Past Grand Orator and Past Grand Chaplain of Masonic Lodges in the state of Minnesota and Knight Commander Court of Honor of the Minneapolis Consistory. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Minneapolis, Minneapolis Consistory, Shrine of Duluth, Minnesota, Royal Arch Masons of Duluth and Duluth Commandery.
  He was also a member of the Duluth Council of Royal and Select Masters, Pomona Grange of Ohio and Big Brothers.
   Rev. Don Schmidt was the third minister to be interred in the Ministers' Circle on January 10, 1972.
   Other family members buried wih Rev. Schmidt are his wife: Erma A. Richardson Schmidt Harland born Sept 19, 1918 and died March 2, 2001 and two of their sons: Kim Schmdit born Nov. 10, 1948 and died Jan. 23, 1988 and Mark Schmidt born April 17, 1952 and died July 12, 1998.

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