Bernard
Schmidt, 68Bemidji - Bernard P. Schmidt, 68, died Saturday, December 25, 1999 at North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji.
Funeral services will be held today (Wednesday, December 29) at 2 p.m. at St. Philip's Catholic Church in Bemidji with Father Mike Patnode officiating. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.
Honorary casketbearers will be his grandchildren and friend Keith Pence. Casketbearers will be Sam and Steve Helland, Douglas and John Vondal, Bob Klein Schmidt and Roger Bachman. The Cease Family Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Bernard P. Schmidt was born on March 20, 1931 in Red Lake Falls, the son of Frances Hirsch and Joseph Schmidt. He attended LaFayette High School in Red Lake Falls, graduating in 1948. He served in the U.S. Navy in Paxington River, MD from January of 1951 to February of 1955.
Bernard married Jeanette Benoit on September 15, 1956 in Red Lake Falls. He started working for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and worked construction and later as a bridge inspector in Crookston, Thief River Falls and Bemidji. The couple moved to the Bemidji area in 1976, and Bernard retired in 1986 at the age of 55.
He enjoyed gardening, yard work, making lawn ornaments, refinishing furniture, visiting and spending time with his grandchildren.
Bernard is survived by his wife, Jeanette Schmidt of Bemidji; three daughters, Barb (Danny) Decker of Mt. Washington, KY, Joyce (Tim) Green of Phoenix, AZ and JoAnn Stradtmann of Sauk Rapids; two sons, Paul (Venita) Schmidt of Louisville, KY and James (Kathleen) Schmidt of Detroit Lakes; eight grandchildren; one brother, Donald Schmidt of Red Lake Falls; one sister, Bernadine Schmidt of Red Lake Falls; two brothers-in-law; his mother-in-law, Irene Benoit of Thief River Falls; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two sister, Teresa Hanson and Marcella Hedlund.
A00003B1999DC29