Rodney J. Schmidt

Rodney Joseph Schmidt age 81 of St. Helena, Nebraska died on Friday, March 10, 2023 at the Good Samaritan Center in Bloomfield, NE.

Due to Weather conditions:

Funeral mass is being rescheduled for Friday, March 17, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Helena. Burial to follow.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Family (Immaculate Conception) Catholic Church in St. Helena, Nebraska with the Rev. Jim Keiter officiating.  Burial will be at Immaculate Conception in rural St. Helena.  Visitation was on Wednesday, at church, from 5-7:00 p.m. with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation will continue on Friday one hour prior to services.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington.

Pallbearers will be Kevin Bruening, Dean Kaiser, Cory Martinson, Roger Bonertz. Arlynn Schmidt, and Darold Schmidt. 

Rodney Joseph was born on August 9, 1941 in Yankton, SD to Raymond Donald and Felicitas Josephine (Suing) Schmidt.  He grew up in St. Helena and attended Yankton High School.  Rodney worked for Yankton Concrete Products for 18 years.  He then worked for Concrete Materials in Yankton, SD for 32 years until retiring in 2010.  At that time Rodney drove a truck for Heine Feedlots and also for HK Oil in Yankton.  Rodney married Sharon Kay Mann on August 14, 1965 in Yankton.

Rodney was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and was the former Mayor of St. Helena.  He was instrumental in getting rural water in St. Helena.  He was a church usher and helped at the church stand at the 4^th of July celebration in St. Helena.  Rodney helped to maintain the cemetery for many years and he always loved to have coffee with his buddies either at the St. Helena Store or in Yankton.  Rodney lovingly cared for his wife through the years with her lung issues until her death on January 26, 2002 at the age of 61 years. They liked to bowl in their early married years.  He also cared for his aging parents. Rodney always took Cheri to her dance practices and dance functions. It was Raymond that taught his son Michael how to work on vehicles.  He loved to play cards and play solitaire.  He was always there to lend a helping hand, moving snow on people’s driveways.  He began a new appreciation of Boys Town when Donald and Cheri were house parents there from 2001-2004.  Rodney was always an animal lover. He and Sharon took care of Sharon’s dad Elmer when his health was failing by letting him move in with them in their house in St Helena, NE. 

Rodney is survived by his daughter Cheri (Donald) Rodgers of Wausa, NE; six grandchildren Cory Martinson, Wayne NE, and Corys fiance Shelby Loberg, Abigail and Chris Carrurth  Fayetteville,NC, Carrylee and Christina Martinson of Bloomfield NE, Hannah Schmidt of Hartington, and Zachary Steffen of Sioux Falls SD;  one great grandson Callahan Carrurth; three brothers Darrold (Jean) Schmidt of South Sioux City, NE, Arlynn (Dorothy) Schmidt of Elk Point, SD, Marvin “Butch” (Marlene) Schmidt of Fordyce, NE; a sister Marilyn Hejna of Utica, SD.

He was preceded in death by his wife Sharon Kay on 1/26/2002;  grandparents Joseph & Josephine Suing, Elmer & Eva Mann; parents Raymond and Felicitas Schmidt; son Michael, and brothers-in-law Lloyd Hejna, Melvin and Ralph Mann, Ted Pickett; sister-in-law Eldora Pickett; many aunts and uncles on both sides and on his wife’s Sharon’s side of the family.