Lee R. Schmidt

July 12, 1916 - August 5, 2020

Lee R. Schmidt, age 104, of Savanna, IL, passed away at Allure Nursing Home, in Mt. Carroll, IL, on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Cremation rites have been accorded. There will be a graveside service on a later date. Lee was born July 12, 1916 on the family farm, north of Mt. Carroll. He was the son of John and Matilda Schmidt. He attended rural country school in Mt. Carroll. He quit school when his father passed from a car accident, and worked for his neighbor for several years to help the family. In the spring of 1941, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and eventually ended up as a Tech. Sargent/ radio operator. He proudly served with the 103rd infantry “Cannon Co.” of the 43rd division in the Philippines and Luzon. After the war, he went to work for the Milwaukee Railroad in Elgin, until his retirement in 1980. He kept an apartment in Savanna and came out on weekends to help his brother Harold on the farm. While in Elgin, he took classes at a community college and earned his G.E.D. He was especially proud of that achievement. Lee is preceded in death by his parents John and Matilda; sisters Alma, Olga, Leonore, Carolyn, and Florence; and brothers, Herbert, Otto, and George. He is survived by several nieces and nephews. Any memorials to Lee may be given to the Savanna Veterans Memorial or the Salvation Army.