Walter Martin Schmidt

Walter M. Schmidt, 93, of Corvallis, passed away peacefully of natural causes Tuesday, January 24, at Good Samaritan Hospital. Walt was born August 1, 1923 in Corvallis, Oregon to Walter and Maria Schmidt. Walt and his five sisters were raised in Corvallis on 9th Street at the site of the current Shari’s restaurant. While eating at Shari’s, he enjoyed trying to figure out which room of his old house he would have been sitting in. Growing up, he attended Corvallis schools, Zion Lutheran School, and graduated from Corvallis High School in 1941. His father owned Schmidt’s Red & White Grocery Store; Walt and his sisters worked in the store. When he was old enough to drive, his father bought a new truck for Walt to use for delivering groceries which he did until he was drafted by the Army in 1943, serving in the Army Air Corps. He served his country until 1946. When he returned home, he worked at Whiteside Hardware as a clerk, and then he and his cousin, Norman Beck, bought a TD14 cat and started logging. Walt took the money from the sale of the cat and started Schmidt’s Hardware Store on 29th Street. The store eventually became Schmidt’s Garden Center which Walt ran for over 50 years. Walt married Paula Beikman in 1948. He helped build the house on 29th Street where they lived. They had two children, Patricia and Susan. Paula passed away in 2007. In 2008, Walt married Wilma Spees. Walt had great fondness for the City of Corvallis, even serving on the Corvallis City Council, as a volunteer fireman, and as a member of the Zion Lutheran Church. Walt was a Master Gardener and his yard was always a showpiece. He also took great pride in his Christmas yard decorations. Many will remember the Model T with Santa sitting inside. His outside decorations made the newspaper many times. He also loved telling stories about his childhood in Corvallis, his military training, and his travels. Walt was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Maria, his sisters, Gertrude Riess, Esther Warneke, Renata Riess, Ruth Wulfers, and his wife Paula Schmidt. Walt is survived by his wife Wilma Schmidt, sister Marie Grossnicklaus, daughters Patricia Schmidt (Dan McCabe), Susan Yaukey (Tim), step-daughters Cheryl Marshall (Larry), Linda Kline (Stan), grandchildren Jill Bemrose (Bob), Brian Wacker (Adriane), Todd Marshall (Jenn), Kim Brown (Jeff), and nine great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Funeral services will be held at Zion Lutheran Church, 2745 NW Harrison Blvd, Corvallis, February 4th at 2:00 with burial to follow at Zion Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran Church.

Tributes

Walter Martin Schmidt

August 1, 1923 - January 24, 2017