Richard "Dick" J. Schmitz

Richard "Dick" J. Schmitz passed away peacefully, at home, with family by his side on Sunday, October 20. Richard was born on May 15, 1932, to Sebastian and Anna (Sames) Schmitz. He was raised on his family farm in Eagle Creek Township, Scott County, MN. He was baptized and received the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Confirmation at St. Mary's of the Purification in Marystown, MN. He attended elementary school in Marystown and went on to Shakopee High School, but left school at the age of 16 to pursue his own ambitions.

From a young age, Richard spent much of his time on the family farm hunting and trapping. The time he spent on the farm fostered a passion for the outdoors that he carried on into his adulthood and passed on to his children and grandchildren. Richard was a remarkable engineer, he could fix anything and would often come up with better ways to make repairs. He was tenacious, innovative, disciplined, and resilient - never one to settle for less or give up, he always said, 'The impossible takes longer.' Richard did what needed to be done and maintained a great sense of humor throughout his life.

Richard began his career working as a mechanic at Schesso's Chevrolet dealership in Shakopee. From there, he made his way to St. Paul, where he worked in various fields. In the spring of 1952, he moved to Montana to work on a ranch, returning to Minnesota that winter. In 1953, Richard enlisted in the MN National Guard where he served his country stateside during the Korean Conflict, until he was honorably discharged in 1955.

In 1953, Richard met his wife, Eileen Schoenbauer of New Prague, MN. They were married in August of 1956 at St. Wenceslaus Church in New Prague. They lived in Minneapolis while Richard worked for Mack Trucks as a diesel mechanic and later a salesman, and Eileen worked as a registered nurse at Northwestern Hospital. Richard continued to work at his parents' farm part-time while working at Mack and in 1959, he and Eileen moved back to Shakopee to raise their young family. After Richard's father passed away in 1976, he took over the family farm full-time. He was a crop farmer and raised Charolais beef cattle. Richard's love for the farm kept him busy well into his retirement.

Richard was a 3rd and 4th degree member of Knights of Columbus and served on the Knights of Columbus Home Association. He also served on the parish council at St. Mark's Catholic Church. He loved stock car racing, sports, and fishing. He was also a Case Tractor enthusiast, spending much of his free time restoring Case tractors and collecting memorabilia. He loved attending auctions where he was always on the hunt for his next "prize".

He will be remembered by his wife Eileen of 68 years, their two children, daughter Charlotte and son Stephen; and six grandchildren and their families: Sophia Yohannes-Smadi and Mohammad Smadi, and their children, Zaid and Linda Eileen; Doug and Jessica (Burns) Schmitz, and their children, Finley, Kellen, and Tessa; Adam and Jennifer (Theisen) Schmitz, and their children, Savannah Schmitz and Tyler Lick; Jean-Paul Yohannes and Megan Kramer, and their son, Apollo; Joseph and Caitlin (Peterson) Yohannes, and their children, Aurelia, Sebastian, and Theodora; and his youngest grandson, Anthony Schmitz. Richard is also survived by his younger sisters, Anna May (Schmitz) McCallum and Mary (Schmitz) Ince, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sebastian and Anna (Sames) Schmitz; his brother Joe Schmitz; brothers-in-law Lyle McCallum, Jerome Ince, and Reynold Schoenbauer; and sisters-in-law Dee Schmitz and Elizabeth Schoenbauer.

Visitations will be held Tuesday, November 12 from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. at McNearney-Schmidt Funeral and Cremation, 1220 3rd Ave. East, Shakopee, MN, 952-445-2755, and again on Wednesday, November 13 from 9:30 - 11 a.m. at St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church, 15850 Marystown Road, Marystown, MN, followed by funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. and burial. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the American Heart Association.

Condolences may be shared at www.mcnearneyfuneralhome.com

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