Obituaries from the week of December 7, 2005

Ruth Goodemann Schmidt, 83

Ruth Magadalene Goodemann (n) was born December 19, 1922 in Port Clinton, Ohio to Hulda Schulz Goodemann, an accountant and Elmer Goodemann, a farmer.

She attended public schools in Ottawa County, Ohio: South Portage through Grade 6, Oak Harbor for Grade 7 and 8, and Salem-Oak Harbor High School, graduating May 23, 1940.

Mrs. Schmidt received a special teaching certificate granted during World War II from Capital University, Columbus, Ohio c. 1943. She ultimately received her Bachelor’s degree with a major in Elementary Education from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio on June 11, 1948.

She taught elementary students in Christian Day Schools in Iowa, Texas, Indiana, and Ohio, including Donna Texas in the early 1940s, St. John’s Lutheran Church School in Boyden, Iowa from 1943 to 1945, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church School, Waverly, Iowa from 1945 to 1947.

Ruth met Victor John Schmidt in Waverly, Iowa and became engaged in 1947. They were married at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Napoleon, Ohio on June 18, 1950, shortly after he was ordained minister.

The couple lived in Brownton, Minnesota where Victor served as pastor for the mission congregation, Grace Lutheran until 1954 by which time the church was self-supporting. The couple lived in Morris, Minnesota where Victor served as pastor at Peace Lutheran Church until June, 1970 (the name changed to Grace Lutheran after merger with Bethany Lutheran in 1969). The couple lived in Westbrook, Minnesota where Victor served as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church until his retirement from the ministry in September, 1981. The couple moved to Forest Lake, Minnesota because Ruth accepted a teaching position near there. They lived in Forest Lake until June, 2000 when they moved to Tracy, Minnesota.

Ruth continued passionate interests in learning and educating others throughout her married life and while raising seven children.

Ruth served as a secondary teacher of German, elementary music, and high school librarian in Hancock public schools from 1966 to 1970. She earned secondary school certification with a major in German in 1969 from the University of Minnesota, Morris and graduate school certification in library science in 1970 from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She worked as German teacher and librarian in Westbrook from 1970 to 1981 and was named Teacher of the Year by Der Roller, a magazine for students of German in 1970. She received her Master’s degree in Foreign Language Instruction in 1974 from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and participated in numerous post-graduate educational courses, symposiums, and language/culture “sabbaticals,” in Minnesota and throughout the world, including East Germany before Unification. She taught German and Spanish and served as librarian at Concordia Academy, a Lutheran school in Roseville, Minnesota from 1981 until 1991.

Upon retirement, Ruth volunteered in international and church-related long-term living experiences, including mission work in Eagle Pass, Texas and Bogota, Columbia, and the Peace Corps in Slovakia, where she taught English and helped organize some of the first post Iron Curtain libraries for secondary schools in Nitra and Trnava, where a library was named in her honor.

Ruth enjoyed her children and grandchildren, and believed one of her most important accomplishments was raising her children. She held deep religious beliefs and tried to emulate those in her life. She was a traveler and student of the world, visiting many countries in Europe, and Central and South America. She took delight in flower gardening, music, and art. She enjoyed creating many, detailed scrapbooks, documenting travel experiences, and talking with others, particularly in late night sessions in the kitchen with her children and grandchildren.

Ruth died peacefully in her sleep on December 1, 2005 in Dallas, Texas.

She was preceded in death by her parents, maternal grandparents, Rev. Friedrich J. and Martha S. Schulz; paternal grandparents, Henry W. and Mary Ana M. Goodemann; and infant son, Nathan Shawn.

She is survived by her husband Rev. Victor Schmidt, Tracy, Minnesota; three brothers: Luther, Genoa, Ohio; Ervin, Toledo, Ohio, and Lee, Mason, Ohio; six sons: Juan (Julie), Montezuma, Iowa; Rene’, Dallas, Texas; Seth (Betsy), Tracy, Minnesota; Lael (Nancy), Grand Forks, North Dakota; Noel (Kelley), White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sergei (Kristen), Portland, Oregon; daughter Kirsten (Tom), Rochester, Minnesota, and fourteen grandchildren.

The funeral for Ruth Magdalene Schmidt will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, December 9 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Visitation will be at the church prior to the funeral beginning at 9 a.m. Burial will be at the Salem Township Union Cemetery, Oak Harbor, Ohio. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the music department at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor or the American Cancer Society.

Molly Jo and Dayton Andrew Judkins

Molly Jo and Dayton Andrew, children of John and Jodie Judkins of Tracy were stillborn on November 28, 2005.

They were preceded in death by a brother, an uncle and paternal grandfather.

A private memorial service was held for the immediate family, but all of your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.