Larry Dean Schmidt

Larry Schmidt, 89, of Baxter, Iowa, passed away on October 11, 2023. Funeral services for Larry will be held on Saturday, October 14th, 2023, at Baxter High School. Visitation begins at 10:00 A.M. Brunch will be served from 11:00 A.M. to 12:15 P.M. The service will begin at 1:00 P.M. with a graveside committal at Restland Cemetery in Baxter to follow at a later date.
Larry was born and raised in Baxter, and he attended Baxter High School. He lived in Baxter the majority of his life and raised his family here in Baxter with his loving wife, Janice.
No one could say that Larry wasn't involved in his community. In fact, he made it a point to be as involved as he possibly could. He belonged to Baxter Congregational Church, the Baxter American Legion, was a past member of the Baxter Booster Club, became an EMT for the Baxter Ambulance Crew.
Larry held many jobs throughout his life. He was an assembler at Maytag for 31 years, retiring in 1983. You may think retirement would slow him down, but Larry went right on to become a Baxter school bus driver, a position he held for 32 years. He loved spending time with the kids of Baxter over the years. In addition to driving the school bus Monday through Friday, he'd also drive for school trips and would even take bus loads to the Iowa State Fair. He was also a Boy Scout Master and Eagle Scout. Additionally, he had a love of baseball and softball. He was a Fast Pitch Softball pitcher for 40 years, he participated in weekend tournaments, playing in 60-70 games a year and would help coach the kids in his free time. If that wasn't enough, Larry also took pride in working on the Baxter Softball Field. Larry loved his country. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korea Conflict and American Legion.
Larry loved life. From fireworks and 4th of July parties, and even being honored as Baxter Grand Parade Marshall twice, he lived loud and proud every single day he could. Whether that was volunteering, driving the school bus, working in his glass repair shop, woodworking, spending time with his grandkids or even just kicking back to enjoy a classic Western or a baseball game, Larry's love for life showed in every part of him. In his later years he enjoyed making wooden trucks and tractors, only to give them away to kids in need. He would say "every kid deserves a toy".
Larry's memory will be cherished by his wife, Janice (Shore) Schmidt; his sons Gary Schmidt, Ed (Deanna) Schmidt, Brian (Julie) Schmidt, and Adam (Connie) Schmidt; his grandchildren Jason Kutzner, Jamie Schmidt, Marcus (Shelby) Schmidt, Sydney (Chase) Gratopp, Riley Schmidt, Yara, Joseph and River Schmidt; his great-grandchild Asher Schmidt; his sister Joan Smith; his daughter-in-law Sally Schmidt; his many nieces and nephews; and his many, many friends. It was well known that Larry never knew a stranger.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, John and Beulah (Patterson) Schmidt; his son Steven Schmidt; and his siblings Leona Fahrney, Nadine Dee, John Jr. Schmidt, Leland Schmidt, Charles Schmidt, Esther Shattuck, Richard Schmidt, Margaret Ann Swalwell, and Eugene Schmidt.