Ray Schmidt, 59, formerly of Belfield, died Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at his home in Sisseton, S.D. Ray funeral service will be at 10 a.m., Friday, June 20, 2014 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Deacon Bob Stockert presiding. Inurnment will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Military honors will be provided by the Dickinson Honors Team. Visitation will be on Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Ray Michael Schmidt, son of John and Selma (Hecker) Schmidt was born September 15, 1954 at Dickinson. He grew up on a farm South of Belfield. Ray went to elementary school in Fryburg and graduated from Belfield High School with the class of 1972. He graduated from North Dakota State University (NDSU) with a bachelor’s degree in education with a major in History and a minor in Psychology in 1977. While at NDSU he joined the United States Army ROTC. After his honorable discharge from the Army in 1981, he attended Western Wisconsin Technical Institute in LaCross, Wisconsin and Hennepin Technical Center in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, earning an accreditation as a Biomedical Engineering Technician. In 1986 he returned to Dickinson and worked for St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center until 1993. He then worked for a VA medical center in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1996 he took a job with Indian Health Service, working in North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota, where he stayed until his death.
In his spare time he enjoyed listening to music, playing the stock market, going to the library, watching movies and talking politics. He also missed his family and home state of ND and came home as often as possible.
Grateful to have shared in his life are his mother, Selma, of Dickinson; sisters, Stephanie Moss and Jolayne (Dale) Miller, both of Dickinson, and Julie Schmidt, of Bismarck; nephews, Aaron (Melissa), Stephen (Julie), Chris (Tina), Casey and Levi. Niece, Lisa and great nieces, Liberty, Falicidy, Amica, Halo and Saraya.
His father, John, and brother-in-law, Bruce Moss, preceded him in death.
