Walter D. Schmidt was born to Daniel and Lena Koehn Schmidt on June 21, 1931, near Ulysses, Kansas. He passed away on January 24, 2026, at Bethel Home in Montezuma, Kansas, at the age of 94.

His father, Daniel, had been a widower with four children (Frank, Fred, Ruby, and Martha) when he married Dad’s mother, Lena. When Dad was a year and a half, his father passed away. Six months later, his mother married a widower, Henry B. Koehn from Camp 45, Chihuahua, Mexico. Dad and his mother moved to Mexico and joined Henry and his nine children: Iva, Cecil, Clarence, Inez, Rebeca, Alvin, Herman, Leonard, and Daniel. His four half-siblings stayed in the States and were raised by the grandparents. Over the next ten years, six more children joined the family: Ben, David, Anna, Fred, Clara, and Susie. When Dad was thirteen, he and his family moved to Saltillo, Mexico.

Dad was baptized into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, on August 18, 1947, at the age of sixteen by his stepfather, Minister Henry B. Koehn. He remained faithful to these vows to the end.

Then in 1951, Dad, along with his family, left Saltillo and moved to La Junta, Mexico, to a ranch called La Tena. Here he farmed and milked cows. On January 10, 1954, he was married to our mother, Alda Koehn, by his stepfather, Minister Henry B. Koehn.

In 1956, our parents decided to move to the States. They first settled in Livingston, California, where he was able to reconnect with his siblings from his father’s first marriage, and they became beloved members of his family. Later, Dad and Mom moved to Inman, Kansas, and then into the Lone Tree, Kansas, area. Dad worked for many years at the Co-op Elevator and Feed Mill in Moundridge, Kansas. He enjoyed visiting with all the farmers who came there. He was a person who loved people, and we, as a family, would visit the elderly and often sing for them before we left.

We moved to Buhl, Idaho, in 1976. Here, Dad realized his dream of having a farm/dairy for four years. In the fall of 1983, Dad and Mom moved to Ulysses, Kansas, where he retired after working at the Co-op Feed Mill and serving as a custodian at the Methodist Church.

In 1994, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he especially loved the warm climate. When Mom’s health began to fail, they moved to Northridge Manor in Moundridge, Kansas. They made the Garden View congregation their church home. He loved visiting and encouraging the youth. Our Mom passed away on March 30, 2007, at Moundridge Manor in Moundridge, Kansas. They shared fifty-two years together.

Dad was very lonely, and on March 9, 2008, he was married to Rosa Koehn by her son, Minister James Koehn. They made their home in Sun City, Arizona. In 2016, they moved into an apartment at Bethel Home. On July 6, 2019, Mom Rosa suddenly passed away. They shared 11 years together. Sometime later, Dad moved into Bethel Home, where he was lovingly cared for until God Called him home.

Dad was a rock to our family. He was concerned for our spiritual well-being, always encouraging us throughout our lives, and often asked for prayers. We are thankful for the legacy that he left us.

He is survived by his children: Norma and Carl Koehn, Rosanna Schmidt, Ulysses, Kansas; Dennis and Tammy Schmidt, Galva, Kansas; Kennard Schmidt, Ulysses, Kansas; Carolyn Schmidt, Virginia and David Friesen, Paris, Texas; eight grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren; Rosa’s family: James and Donna Koehn, Inez, Texas; John Koehn, Wittman, Arizona; Darlene and Jim McGuire, Hesston, Kansas; Ronda and Glenn May, Stacyville, Iowa; Rachel and Steve Romero, Wittman, Arizona; fifteen grandchildren, and thirty-two great-grandchildren; and one sister, Susie and Benjamin Parra, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He is preceded in death by his parents, both wives, a son-in-law, Phil Schmidt; one full-blood brother, Daniel, who died in infancy; five half-brothers, five half-sisters, another half-brother, George, who died in infancy; seven stepbrothers, and three stepsisters.

Funeral service will be Friday, January 30, 2026, at 10:30 AM at the Garden View Mennonite Church near Halstead, Kansas, with Ministers Larry Koehn, Linford Holderman and Stuart Jantzen officiating. Interment will follow at the Garden View Mennonite Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday, January 28, 2026, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Garnand Funeral Home in Ulysses, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be given to Bethel Home in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave, Ulysses, KS 67880. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.