Magdalene M. Schmidt 1930-2026

Magdalene Schmidt was born March 5, 1930 in Muden-Dieckhorst Germany, and passed away in her sleep at her home in Lodi California on March 18, 2026 at 96 years of age. She immigrated here in 1953 to marry her sweetheart, Dagobert Schmidt, only to find he had been drafted into the US Army. After securing a three-day pass, they were married on Christmas Day. They soon left family in California to relocate across the country when stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. After an honorable discharge they began the long drive across the United States back to Lodi where they soon built their home where Magdalene lived for nearly 70 years.
In addition to raising their two children and home-making, Magdalene worked briefly as care-giver & at Diamond Foods before taking over the office & bookkeeping duties at their family machine shop & foundry. Always a hard-worker, she kept a spotless home & garden while managing the office. She finally retired in her seventies to enjoy her garden & spend more time with her loving family.
Magdalene was a 70 year member of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Lodi, serving in various capacities including as greeter & on altar guild for many years. She loved her large garden with many varied flowers, as well as good music & classic movies. She enjoyed cooking & baking for her family, with her Rouladen, Streuselkuchen & other special recipes all memories we still enjoy & cherish. Brisk walking five miles around northwest Lodi every morning at 5:30am was a healthy habit she maintained into her eighties; greeting her many morning-walk friends with her bright smile & bidding a cheery good-morning as she "zoomed-by".
She was a loving & supportive mother, grandmother & great-grandmother who was always positive with a Christian attitude towards life & all that she met. Through a life with more than its share of difficulties, she kept true to her motto of "making the best of it" until the day she died. She was preceded in death by her husband of 69 years, Dagobert Schmidt, and survived by her sister, Elfriede Reunig, children Susanne Schmidt and Dr. Norman (Lesa) Schmidt; her grandchildren Alexander (Kelly) Schmidt and Dr. Amanda (Kevin) Keller and four great-grandchildren (Charles, Liam, Elizabeth & Alayna).
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Tuesday, March 31st at 10:00 am at Cherokee Memorial, Evergreen Chapel, followed immediately by a private graveside service.