Darrel Chandler Schmidt

Darrel Chandler Schmidt was born on December 30, 1923 to Albert N. and Margaret (Jeffers) Schmidt in Stafford County Kansas, and passed away on July 3, 2020 in Satanta, KS. The Schmidt family moved to a farm across the road from Morning Star School northwest of Copeland in the late 1920’s. Darrel attended the Morning Star School, but later went to the Copeland High School where he graduated in 1943.
On December 31, 1944 he married Vera Pauline King in Dodge City, Kansas. They made their home on the Herbert Lyman farm northwest of Copeland. Vera passed away on October 25, 1995 after 50 years of marriage. Darrel was a farmer until he retired and even then he helped out on occasion. On July 6, 2002 Darrel moved to Hugoton, Kansas after his marriage to Helen Farrar. Helen passed away on August 17, 2018.
Darrel enjoyed working with horses, camping, boating, water skiing, and restoring antique cars. One of his most memorable moments was participating in the 1979 Tractorcade to Washington DC. Darrel didn’t take an active part in most politics, but the ag movement was something he could get behind.
He enjoyed taking the family to the lake to boat, and built his first camper for those trips. Later after he had grandkids he got a larger camper and his granddaughters were ready to go if grandpa was. Grandpa would spoil the girls by making them pancakes and letting them sprinkle sugar on them, letting them put sugar on tomatoes, eating saltines with jelly, and even letting them eat his homemade ice cream for breakfast.
Darrel was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Margaret Schmidt; his wife Vera; his wife Helen; brothers, Donald Schmidt and Dwyane Schmidt; sister Marjorie Trickey; and granddaughter, Cassandra Downey.
He is survived by his sons, Danny Schmidt of Dodge City; and Ronnie Schmidt and wife Barbara of Copeland; four granddaughters – Stephanie Schmidt; Andrea Downey and husband Eric of Riverview, Florida; Sarah Atzbach and husband Aaron of Dodge City, Kansas; and Katie Schmidt of Copeland, Kansas; three great grandsons; and one sister, Glenda Koehn of Weskan, Kansas, as well as many other friends and relatives.
A memorial has been established for the Copeland Christian Church. Memorials may be mailed to Robson Funeral Home, PO Box 747, Satanta, KS 67870.
Funeral service will be held on Friday, July 10, 2020, at 10 AM at the Copeland Christian Church, Copeland, KS with Pastor Doug Harris presiding and burial following at Copeland Cemetery, Copeland, KS.
Viewing will be Thursday, July 9, 2020 from 10 AM to 8 PM at Robson Funeral Home, Satanta