Daniel Adrian Schmidt

Daniel A Schmidt, 88, of Jefferson City, passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at his home. He was born at home on the family farm in St. Thomas, Missouri on November 23, 1937, the son of Thomas Bernard Schmidt and Clara Victoria (Adrian) Schmidt.
He was born at a time where there was no electricity available, no running water available, and all the farming on the 305 acre farm was done with horses and mules. He was 17 before that would change. He remembered well getting up at 4 o'clock every morning helping milk 17 cows by hand with only lanterns for light before walking a mile to school every day He said many times in later years that he wouldn't trade those times for anything different. They were a solid rock to build the rest of his life on.
He became a very well educated individual. He attended St. Thomas Elementary from 1942 – 1950; St Peter's High School in Jefferson City, Missouri from 1951-1955; Cardinal Glennon College in St Louie from 1959-1963; Benediction School of Theology in Conception, MO from 1963-1967; Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO 1967-1972. During these years he earned four separate college degrees and was always in the top ten grade wise in all of them. He ended up with a BA in Philosophy, Latin, Logic; STB in Theology, History; BS in Education; Masters Degree in School Administration, Masters in Adult Education.
He married in 1967, and after 21 years, that marriage ended in 1988. Following this change, he left his hometown of St. Thomas and moved to Jefferson City. A few years after, he met and married the love of his life, Ellen Bachus Schmidt, on April 2, 1993. He has two sons, Aaron Matthew Schmidt (Connie); Jared Caleb Schmidt (Amber); and two step-daughters, Ashley Marie Rackers (Aaron); Aubrey Ann Allen (Jay).
He was known for his work ethic always working and giving 100% to everything he did. People remember him for the great physical condition he kept his body in all the way to his end. He was a 25 yr member of the YMCA and he worked out almost every day. Living at St Thomas he would jog both of the bottom roads a distance of 10 miles 3 times per week. He didn't retire from regular work until he was 77 years old.
Coming out of high school, he went to work at MO Division of Employment Security for 5 years before deciding he wanted to become a Catholic Priest. The next 7 years were spent in the Seminary before dropping out 3 months before ordination.
The next 33 years were spent teaching in the St Elizabeth Public School (5) and Jefferson City Public Schools (28). This was followed by teaching the GED for next 10 years in the Missouri Correctional System. He closed out his full time work with 8 additional years at Scholastic INC. This makes 56 years of working full time. In addition to full time work, he also managed to work 2nd jobs at Capital Region and Memorial Hospital for 13 years and as an ASA Softball and MSHSAA Baseball Umpire for 8 years.
While living at St. Thomas he had a small farm where he commercially grew strawberries and raspberries and raised butcher rabbits for sale butchering out an average of 200 rabbit fryers per month and having sales for all of them.
In terms of community service, he served as St Thomas Mayor from 1968 – 1977. Without any city tax of any kind, he managed to blacktop all the city streets, have a part time law officer, extend the city limits, have an Elderly Housing 4 plex built, wrote the first book about St Thomas MO, a 485 page hardcover book entitled "The Heritage of St Thomas" in 1974 depicting the history, pictures, and folklore from its founding of the church, city, and community from its founding until 1974. He accomplished this by blood, sweat, and tears writing a lot of grants and applying for and receiving them and also the city limit extension gave us sufficient population to now qualify for our share of Missouri Gas Tax money for the first time. He was also very involved in youth sports organizing a baseball league for youth ages 12 - 18 made up of neighboring towns. He funded and managed three teams from St Thomas named the Untouchables, Valkyries, and Talisman. He made sure they always received a small write up about their games in the Jefferson City News Tribune.
At the time of his death his parents Thomas and Clara Schmidt, one brother Thomas Schmidt, Jr. (Mary Ann (d), one sister Geneva Plassmeyer (Roman (D), and one brother-in-law, Sylvanus Enie Hoecker preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife and children and their spouses; one sister Eldora Hoecker; grandchildren, Tanner Schmidt, Elsie Isla Schmidt, Eva Monet Schmidt, Chase Rackers, Ellisyn Rackers, Presley Allen, Tripp Allen and many nephews and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the St. Thomas the Apostle School.
Friends and family will be received from 1:00p.m. to 3:00p.m. on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at Houser-Millard Funeral Directors with a service to follow.
Burial will be at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of HOUSER-MILLARD Funeral Directors, 2613 W. Main St.; Jefferson City, MO 65109. (573) 636-3838. Condolences may be left for the family online at www.millardfamilychapels.com