Leroy Schmidt

MISSOULA - Missoula lost another unsung hero from World War II’s “Greatest Generation” when Leroy John Schmidt died after a brief illness, Monday, January. 19, 2009, at his home at the Springs Assisted Living Facility.





Lee enlisted with the Army August. 30, 1940, at the age of 21, serving as a Heavy Artillery Gun Crewman with the 59th Coast Artillery, Battery F, in Corregidor in the Philippine Islands. He held this position until May 6, 1942, when General Wainwright surrendered Corregidor to the Japanese. The remaining three and a half years of his military service were spent under the Japanese as a POW in forced labor camps.





After his immediate capture, Lee spent time in Camp O’Donnell in the Philippines. He traveled across the bay to Manilla and then on a death train to Cabanatuan, in the stifling Philippine heat. Later, he was transported in a Japanese “Hell Ship” to Japan. These ships were prone to American attack because they were not marked as prisoner ships. In Japan, the Japanese military used him as forced labor in its mines, rice paddies and as dock labor.





September. 2, 1945 marked Lee’s day of liberation. Subsequently, he was honorably discharged from the army. When Lee returned home, his 6-foot-2 muscular body had shrunk from a robust 185 pounds to less than 100 pounds with many health issues that would plague him throughout his life. He attributed his survival to “The Man Above.” For him, God was his guide and salvation during those horrible years. And this belief followed him throughout his life and throughout his last illness and into his death.





Leroy began his life in December of 1919, the first son of Mabel Bailey Schmidt and John C. Schmidt in Clark, S.D. One brother and three sisters would follow him. Their family moved around a great deal doing farm work. Thus Lee’s formal education began in Philipsburg and ended with his graduation from Darby High School in 1937. His family was living in Arlee when Lee enlisted in the service.





During Lee’s Darby years, his family lived in several locations including University Heights where they farmed. Lee and his brother and sisters all had their chores and learned the importance of a good work ethic and how their work affected the family. With perseverance and hard work, the family survived. Without it, they might fail. This experience most certainly helped Lee during his POW years. But living on a farm was not all work and when not doing chores, Lee and his brother, Al, were out riding horses, fishing the Bitterroot River and many nearby streams, and hunting gophers from which Lee became an expert with a 22 rifle.





Lee’s brother recalls how he and Lee helped their Dad by milking cows. While Al wasn’t too fond of milking, Lee seemed to enjoy it and would put his beautiful singing voice to work consoling the cows as he milked. His love of old time western music continued all his life as he knew and sang all the words to numerous songs on a whim. He even had contests with his table mates at the Springs where Harold, Ken or Lee would sing and the others had to come up with the artist.





Lee met Norma Fay Jordan in Spokane. A romance ensued and they were married in Spokane August. 26, 1950. They spent their married life in Missoula, first on Plymouth Street, and later moved to North Avenue West. Their marriage lasted thirty-six years until Norma’s death in June of 1986. Lee missed her love and companionship for the rest of his life.





Lee continued living on North Avenue until his health started declining during the late 1990s. In November of 2002, after being hospitalized, he decided to sell his house and move into Hunters Glen. In 2004, he moved to the Springs Assisted Living Facility where he found a wonderful family in the Spring’s staff and residents





While living on North Avenue, Lee and Norma became close friends with the Petersen family next door. Their friendship lasted more than forty years. And, thus, they bonded with each other as “family.” They spent time together having barbeques and trips to Flat-head Lake. Through good times and bad, they were there for each other.





During his working life, Lee worked as an over-head crane operator for the Anaconda Company from 1949 to 1972. When ACo sold to Champion International, Lee continued on with the company doing the same job until his retirement in 1985.





Lee is predeceased by his parents; and his sister Lorna Viola Paul and her husband Willis, formerly of Kalispell; and his sister-in-law Lorraine Schmidt.





His survivors include sisters Naomi Ruth Schmidt and Norma Violet Fairley of Clarkston, Wash.; and his brother Alvin Ray Schmidt of both Yuma, Ariz. and Bayview, Idaho. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Norma Gough and Dale of Spokane, Carol Jacobson of Walla Walla, Wash., Lois Bowman and Arnie of Pendleton, Ore.; brother-in-law Virgil Jordan and Betty of Endicot, Wash.; and by many loving nieces and nephews who have kept in contact with him over the years.





Lee is also survived by his long time extended Missoula family from North Avenue. We took care of Lee as the need arose over the past several years up to his passing and were thankful to do so. Included are Lucille Petersen and her children, David and Rosalie Petersen, Jill and Mitch Dahl. Also included are his godchildren, Roger Petersen of Columbia Falls, and Angela Leslie and Luke of Clinton.





As we cared for Lee during his last illness, our family was overwhelmed by the number of Springs staff members who came to visit him in the hospital and at his apartment while under hospice care. The Springs staff and residents are also Lee’s survivors and family. They gave him unconditional love and he returned that love wholeheartedly. They dearly miss their friend.





We invite you to an informal gathering at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, at the Springs at 3710 American Way in Missoula, behind Home Depot, to celebrate Lee’s life. Join us to listen to the music he loved and to reminisce. We’d love to hear your stories.






Read Leroy Schmidt's Obituary and Guestbook.