Leon J. Schmidt

Leon Joseph Schmidt, 92, of French Village died peacefully Thursday, January 3, 2013, at St. Joe Manor, Bonne Terre, MO.He was born March 12, 1920, the first son and second child of Andrew A. and Regina P. Beck Schmidt. He and Eula M. Moore were married May 11, 1946 in Cape Girardeau, MO.Leon leaves behind Eula, his wife, who still resides at St. Joe Manor. Other survivors include three children, Robert J. (Jane) and William L. (Louise) of French Village, Sharon E. (Dennis) Scherer of Cape Girardeau; three granddaughters, Tonya Scherer of Irvine, CA, Kimberley (Chris) Bader of Cape Girardeau, and Margaret "Maggie" Schmidt of French Village; one great-granddaughter Avery Bader of Cape Girardeau; two sisters, Rosemary Halbert of Farmington and Dorothy LaRose of Ste. Genevieve; and a sister-in-law, Anita Schmidt of French Village.He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, John Joseph; and a brother, Andrew.Leon lived nearly his entire life in French Village. He attended the rural schools and graduated from Desloge High School in the Class of 1941. During WWII, he enlisted in the Army Corp on November 3, 1942 and received training throughout the States being attached to the 490th Bombardier Squadron then having its facilities in Midland, Texas. Leon left for overseas duty on May 23, 1944 to the CBI (China, Burma, India) and did duty in India as part of the 84th Air Depot Command. It's task was to ensure that supplies reached their destination along the Burma Road and into China. Sgt. Schmidt's term of service in India ended February 11, 1946; he was honorably discharged March 15, 1946. Following his discharge, Leon returned to the family farm in French Village and, with other local veterans, attended school to study new methods of agriculture through the University of Missouri. A farmer nearly all his life, Leon was also an employee of the former St. Joseph Lead Company at its smelter in Herculaneum, retiring with 30 years of service.After retirement, Leon continued to farm on a limited basis with his two sons. He was an avid gardener and took pride in his vegetable and flower gardens. He and Eula traveled across the United States and through Europe until his health declined. In June 2008 Leon and Eula moved from their farm home to St. Joe Manor.Leon was a member of St. Ann's Parish in French Village. Later in life, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus #1088 and the VFW Post #5896 of Farmington.According to Leon's wishes, his body was donated to the St. Louis University School of Medicine for medical research. Memorial contributions may be given to the Alzheimer's Association, 9370 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132.