Eugene Russell Schmidt, 80, of Burlington went to meet his Lord at 7:00 a.m. Sunday, March 30, 2008, at Great River Hospice House in West Burlington.

            Born April 11, 1927 at his grandmother’s house in Des Moines County, he was the son of Ralph and Clara Mae Wolf Schmidt.  On January 1, 1949 he married Eupha Mae Harned in Morning Sun.

            Mr. Schmidt was a Burlington High School graduate and a 1963 graduate of Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music.  Mr. Schmidt was an Army veteran serving in Austria during World War II as a sergeant.  After his military service, he was a farmer until 1959 when he felt the calling of the Lord to enter into the ministry.  He became an ordained pastor and served in three churches in Iowa.  Mr. Schmidt retired at the age of 72 as a truck driver in Burlington.

            Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Eupha Schmidt of Burlington; two sons, Vern (Betsy) Schmidt of Lancaster, Texas and Dale (Nancy) Schmidt of Burlington; one daughter, Naomi (Lance) Landis of Indianapolis, Indiana; seven grandchildren, Amber, Ashley, Matthew, Troy, Stephanie, Krista and Starla and eight great grandchildren, Whitney, Clarie, Sabrina, Jerimia, Ithan, Colin, Kelsey and Blake.

            His parents and sister Joan Lant preceded him in death.