NEWTON — Richard A. Schmidt, 83, died March 27. Born Sept. 7, 1927 at St. Rose Hospital in Great Bend, he was the son of August and Esther K. (Schmidt) Schmidt. He attended school in Meno, Okla. In 1948 he graduated from Bethel College. The next two years were spent in a flour mill laboratory in Minneapolis, Minn. He returned to Bethel College taking education classes and became a certified public school teacher. He helped build the new Bethel College Mennonite Church. He taught German, middle school science and industrial arts for 27 years in Howard, Lawrence and Lincoln. He spent summers attending graduate courses in science and German. In 1979 he retired and in 1990 he moved to Newton.

Survivors include three brothers, Robert, Wilbur, and James; a sister, Eleanor Nickel; an uncle, Roland Schmidt; an aunt, Sheila Sutton; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at a later date as cremation has taken place. Memorials are suggested to the Foundation For Fighting Blindness or Kidron Bethel Retirement Services in care of Peterson Funeral Home.