Wilbert Schmidt

March 22, 1929 - April 8, 2016

Wilbert was born on March 22, 1929, in the Fenwood area of Saskatchewan. At a young age, he headed out to join the workforce, trying his hand as a tree faller, truck driver, factory worker, CAT skinner, and eventually finding his passion as a well driller. Driving around the countryside, he may not have remembered the name of the landowner, but he could tell you the depth and flow rate of the well he drilled on that piece of land!
On March 5, 1977, Wilbert and Delma were married, blending their families of three sons and one daughter. In June 1979, they completed their family with the arrival of their son Justin.
They decided to make Wadena their home, raise their family and run their business from here. It was during this time that Wilbert developed a special friendship with the Neilsons. It was pretty handy too that Neilsons were just down the road. He often went to their shop on Sunday mornings to have a coffee with George and the Neilson boys.
Wilbert was a hard-working man and took great pride in anything he did. His customers and employees were very important to him. With Dwayne by his side, he continued to run his company right up to the spring of 2014. At the ripe young age of 85, he finally decided it was time to retire and stay home to help Delma out at home.
He was very proud of his family and all of their accomplishments as well. His grandchildren meant the world to him and he would light up whenever he got to see them. One of his favourite times was the Schmidt family reunion in 2008.
Even though he worked hard, he still found time to enjoy a few distractions. He liked to follow politics and the news. Listening to Gormley on the way to work each morning was a must, and it usually ended up getting him all fired up about the topic of the day. He was an avid Blue Jays fan and he watched their games whenever he could. Dwayne usually knew there was going to be a Jays game on that day if Wilbert said the words, "Oh, well, we might as well shut down early today."
He also enjoyed golf and curling and would participate in these activities only if they wouldn't interfere with work! There were a few other things he was passionate about as well, one of them being Dodge trucks. The last truck he bought was his black Dodge and even though he was warned about how hard it is to keep a black vehicle clean, he didn't want to wait for a white one to come in. He wanted to drive a truck home that day!
What some may not know is that Wilbert had a sweet tooth! He liked a little bit of coffee with his sugar now and then! Dad's cookies, Allsorts and A&W apple pies were among his favourites.
In December 2014, Wilbert's health took a decline. After being so self-dependent, he now had to rely on the special care that Golden House in Wynyard could provide. He enjoyed having visitors, going out for a coffee and pie, telling stories of his work there and keeping the girls on their toes!
Wilbert was predeceased by his parents, Phillip and Matilda Schmidt; parents-in-law, Mike and Georgina Hepp; brother Harvey; brother-in-law Walter Shipowick; and sisters-in-law, Rosemarie Schmidt and Debbie Friesen.
He will be forever remembered and missed by his wife Delma; children, Jason (Sheila) and their children, Mallory, Emily, Georgia and Skylar; Loewen (Tracey), Jared and Lilly; Dwayne (Carmen) and Tyler; Sharon (Collin), Sheldon and Lyndon; and Justin (Tracy), Mason, Mackenzie and Nolan; sisters, Vange, Bernice and Doreen; brother Ralph; sisters- and brothers-in-law, Linda and Stan Kuras, Velda and Keith Folster and Garth Friesen; as well as by numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.