Dell Wayne Schmidtmann

Dell Wayne Schmidtmann was born in Lansing, MI on August 5, 1942. His parents were Kenneth and Thelma Schmidtman. He had one brother, Stuart Samuel Schmidtman, and has one sister, Charlene Kay Wilcox.

Dell met his future wife, Kay in school when he was nine years old. He enjoyed telling the story of walking her home from school when he was 12 years of age in the 7th grade. It was that day he decided he would make Kay his wife. He followed through on his promise on November 21, 1964. They celebrated 51 years together in 2015. Dell’s first son, Scott Samuel Schmidtmann, was born in 1966 and his second son, Seth Stuart Schmidtmann, was born in 1968.

Dell was a long-time believer in Jesus Christ. He became a believer after attending a Youth for Christ rally in Lansing with Kay. He continued to study and grow in his faith all throughout his life. He served as a deacon and as an adult Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church of St. Johns for many years.

Dell was always an avid reader. More often than not you would find him in his easy chair with a book in his hand. He also enjoyed traveling with family throughout the U.S., as well as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and several Caribbean cruises. He also went on a Missions trip with a church team to Klintzi, Russia to help them build a church. He volunteered his time as a wrestling coach when Scott and Seth were in high school.

Dell worked at General Motors at the Oldsmobile forge plant in Lansing for many years. He finished his career as a Safety Instructor. That was his favorite job with the automaker.

He enjoyed attending MSU wrestling tournaments, running 5k races, attending tractor pulls, riding his bicycle on trails all across Michigan with Kay and different friends & family members. He enjoyed cutting down trees and chopping up wood. He even continued to chop wood up until the final months of his life.

Dell enjoyed a full life. He was a great husband, dad, Opa, uncle and a man of God. He will be missed by all!

A memorial service will be held at 2pm on Saturday, March 19th, at the First Baptist Church of St. Johns, 512 S. Whittemore St., St. Johns. Those desiring may make contributions to Gideons International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800 or Sparrow Home Hospice, 1322 E. Michigan Avenue, Suite 204, Lansing, MI 48909 in memory of Dell.