Norman Schmidt, 1935-2017

Published 12:01 am Thursday, December 28, 2017

Funeral services for Norman Schmidt, 82, of Albert Lea will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home. The Rev. John Holt will officiate. Interment will be at Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Friday.

Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Norman passed away on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, peacefully at home in Albert Lea.

Norman Schmidt

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Norman Schmidt was born on Feb. 2, 1935, in Albert Lea, the son of William and Minnie (Guenther) Schmidt. He grew upon a farm near Conger. He went to District 69 country school in rural Conger through eighth grade before graduating from Albert Lea High School in 1952. Norman married Naomi Planting on April 17, 1965, in Fairmont. They had one son, Paul Schmidt.

After graduation, Norman worked as a carpenter and at several other jobs before joining the shipping department at Streater LLC in Albert Lea, where he worked for nearly 40 years before retiring in 1998. In retirement, Norman delivered Meals on Wheels, mowed lawns and moved snow, which kept him busy. He also enjoyed watching westerns and the classic “Hee Haw” on RFD TV. Norman enjoyed traveling and seeing the many sights of the country — he particularly enjoyed historical sights and traveling with friends and family. He especially enjoyed visiting the Black Hills in South Dakota. One of his favorite trips was taking his granddaughters and family to Disney World and on a Disney cruise. Norman also enjoyed spending many summer days watching his granddaughters swim, going fishing and visiting with friends and family at their lakeshore property on Horseshoe Lake near Backus.

Norman is survived by his wife of 52 years, Naomi; son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Mona Schmidt of Leland, Iowa; two granddaughters, Sara Schmidt of St. Louis Park and Natalie Schmidt and fiance Tyler Flugum of Hanlontown, Iowa; two sisters, Shirley Forgerty of Albert Lea and Arlene Green of Owatonna; three sisters-in-law, Janice (John) Graham of Cambridge, Sue (Wally) Fink of Albert Lea and Peggy (Tom) Newville of Backus; two brothers-in-law, Lyle Planting of New Hope and Don (Julie) Planting of Fairmont; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Norman was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws; brothers-in-law Joe Fogerty, Darwin Green, John and Wayne Planting; and sisters-in-law Peg, Darlene and Marlene Planting.