Fred Schmidtke

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Fred Henry Schmidtke, 79, formerly of Strain, passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2019, at the Missouri Veteran’s Home in St. James.

He was born Oct. 31, 1939 to Henry and Lois (Schreiber) Schmidtke at Caldwell, Iowa.

He was united in marriage to June (Landwehr) Paneitz, July 12, 1969.

Fred attended school near Caldwell where his family’s farm was located. As a young boy, he worked on the family farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. He worked for many years with Fidelity Communications as an installer and trouble-shooting repair technician.

Fred enjoyed traveling with wife, June, and spending time at the river. Over the years, he loved collecting rocks and arrowheads from his travels. His hobbies included fishing, woodworking and gardening. Fred was active with the VFW and American Legion. He was a member of Champion City Methodist Church and took a special interest in St. Labre Indian School and The National Arbor Foundation.

He was preceded in death by parents, Henry and Lois; brother, Dale Schmidtke; and sister, Virginia Schmidtke.

Fred is survived by wife, June; sons, Randy Paneitz and wife Kelly of Sullivan and Scott Schafer and wife Robin of Rockford, Iowa; daughters, Candy Key and husband Blake of Sullivan, Kim Rogers and husband Mike of Leslie and Julie Begeman and husband Craig of Charles City, Iowa; brothers, Roy Schmidtke and wife Laura of Bourbon and David Schmidtke; sisters, Evelyn of Sullivan and Carol of Texas; grandchildren, Dane, Mitch, Holly, Chelsey, Jason, Ryan, Mamie, Michael, Jennifer, Jessi, Lindsey and Lauren; 17 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Saturday, July 6 at Eaton Funeral Home, Sullivan, with Pastor Mary Avizenis officiating. Burial with full military honors was at Champion City Cemetery, Leslie. Memorial contributions suggested to Champion City Methodist Church, Leslie.