Leo Arthur Schmitt, 76, of Laurel, Montana, returned to his heavenly home on December 18, 2019. He was born March 9, 1943, in Bozeman, Montana to Floyd and Freda (Thompson) Schmitt. He was the second oldest of seven children. He graduated from Three Forks High School in 1961. He married Patricia Joan Esterby on June 7, 1970, in Billings.
Leo enlisted in the Air Force in August 1961. He was an aircraft mechanic and worked on the flight line for the fighter jets. He also served in Okinawa with temporary duty in Saigon. He was discharged in May of 1966 and then attended mechanic school in Havre, Montana.
In 1969, he started working for Deere & Co. at the Minneapolis, Minnesota branch as a service representative. In 1975, he was transferred to Waterloo, Iowa, where he was responsible for Diagnostic Operation and Test Development. He developed test procedures and gathered data for Operation and Test Technical Manual authors. He retired from John Deere in 1999, but then signed an eight year contract with Almon Inc. to continue product development for John Deere row-crop and 4-wheel drive tractors.
In retirement, Leo continued to enjoy hunting, fishing, carpentry, genealogy, astronomy, and reading books about Lewis and Clark, politics and US and military history. He also continued working on tractors, helping local ranchers and anyone who needed help with a project.
Leo was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Frances, and grandson, Cory Hunter.
He is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters Jodi (Alan) Hunter of Rockford, Illinois, Kristi (Jim) Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota; sisters, Arlene (Jim) Bouley of Helena, Montana, Madeline (Doug) Engelking of Helena, Irene (Tim) Steffen of Vandalia, Michigan; brothers, Dewey (Sandra) of Three Forks, Montana, Leonard (Linda) of Lynn Haven, Florida; grandchildren Leah and Ryan Hunter of Rockford, Illinois and Calvin Dougherty and Broden Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota.
A visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:00 prior to the service. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, January 3, at The Rock Church in Laurel with burial at Yellowstone National Cemetery with military rites performed by VFW Post 6774.
Memorials are suggested to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 and ChristianCrusaders.org
Please visit: https://smithfuneralchapels.com/book-of-memories/4063900/Schmitt-Leo/index.php
Leo enlisted in the Air Force in August 1961. He was an aircraft mechanic and worked on the flight line for the fighter jets. He also served in Okinawa with temporary duty in Saigon. He was discharged in May of 1966 and then attended mechanic school in Havre, Montana.
In 1969, he started working for Deere & Co. at the Minneapolis, Minnesota branch as a service representative. In 1975, he was transferred to Waterloo, Iowa, where he was responsible for Diagnostic Operation and Test Development. He developed test procedures and gathered data for Operation and Test Technical Manual authors. He retired from John Deere in 1999, but then signed an eight year contract with Almon Inc. to continue product development for John Deere row-crop and 4-wheel drive tractors.
In retirement, Leo continued to enjoy hunting, fishing, carpentry, genealogy, astronomy, and reading books about Lewis and Clark, politics and US and military history. He also continued working on tractors, helping local ranchers and anyone who needed help with a project.
Leo was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Frances, and grandson, Cory Hunter.
He is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters Jodi (Alan) Hunter of Rockford, Illinois, Kristi (Jim) Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota; sisters, Arlene (Jim) Bouley of Helena, Montana, Madeline (Doug) Engelking of Helena, Irene (Tim) Steffen of Vandalia, Michigan; brothers, Dewey (Sandra) of Three Forks, Montana, Leonard (Linda) of Lynn Haven, Florida; grandchildren Leah and Ryan Hunter of Rockford, Illinois and Calvin Dougherty and Broden Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota.
A visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:00 prior to the service. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, January 3, at The Rock Church in Laurel with burial at Yellowstone National Cemetery with military rites performed by VFW Post 6774.
Memorials are suggested to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 and ChristianCrusaders.org
Please visit: https://smithfuneralchapels.com/book-of-memories/4063900/Schmitt-Leo/index.php
Leo Arthur Schmitt, 76, of Laurel, Montana, returned to his heavenly home on December 18, 2019. He was born March 9, 1943, in Bozeman, Montana to Floyd and Freda (Thompson) Schmitt. He was the second oldest of seven children. He graduated from Three Forks High School in 1961. He married Patricia Joan Esterby on June 7, 1970, in Billings.
Leo enlisted in the Air Force in August 1961. He was an aircraft mechanic and worked on the flight line for the fighter jets. He also served in Okinawa with temporary duty in Saigon. He was discharged in May of 1966 and then attended mechanic school in Havre, Montana.
In 1969, he started working for Deere & Co. at the Minneapolis, Minnesota branch as a service representative. In 1975, he was transferred to Waterloo, Iowa, where he was responsible for Diagnostic Operation and Test Development. He developed test procedures and gathered data for Operation and Test Technical Manual authors. He retired from John Deere in 1999, but then signed an eight year contract with Almon Inc. to continue product development for John Deere row-crop and 4-wheel drive tractors.
In retirement, Leo continued to enjoy hunting, fishing, carpentry, genealogy, astronomy, and reading books about Lewis and Clark, politics and US and military history. He also continued working on tractors, helping local ranchers and anyone who needed help with a project.
Leo was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Frances, and grandson, Cory Hunter.
He is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters Jodi (Alan) Hunter of Rockford, Illinois, Kristi (Jim) Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota; sisters, Arlene (Jim) Bouley of Helena, Montana, Madeline (Doug) Engelking of Helena, Irene (Tim) Steffen of Vandalia, Michigan; brothers, Dewey (Sandra) of Three Forks, Montana, Leonard (Linda) of Lynn Haven, Florida; grandchildren Leah and Ryan Hunter of Rockford, Illinois and Calvin Dougherty and Broden Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota.
A visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:00 prior to the service. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, January 3, at The Rock Church in Laurel with burial at Yellowstone National Cemetery with military rites performed by VFW Post 6774.
Memorials are suggested to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 and ChristianCrusaders.org
Please visit: https://smithfuneralchapels.com/book-of-memories/4063900/Schmitt-Leo/index.php
Leo enlisted in the Air Force in August 1961. He was an aircraft mechanic and worked on the flight line for the fighter jets. He also served in Okinawa with temporary duty in Saigon. He was discharged in May of 1966 and then attended mechanic school in Havre, Montana.
In 1969, he started working for Deere & Co. at the Minneapolis, Minnesota branch as a service representative. In 1975, he was transferred to Waterloo, Iowa, where he was responsible for Diagnostic Operation and Test Development. He developed test procedures and gathered data for Operation and Test Technical Manual authors. He retired from John Deere in 1999, but then signed an eight year contract with Almon Inc. to continue product development for John Deere row-crop and 4-wheel drive tractors.
In retirement, Leo continued to enjoy hunting, fishing, carpentry, genealogy, astronomy, and reading books about Lewis and Clark, politics and US and military history. He also continued working on tractors, helping local ranchers and anyone who needed help with a project.
Leo was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Frances, and grandson, Cory Hunter.
He is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters Jodi (Alan) Hunter of Rockford, Illinois, Kristi (Jim) Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota; sisters, Arlene (Jim) Bouley of Helena, Montana, Madeline (Doug) Engelking of Helena, Irene (Tim) Steffen of Vandalia, Michigan; brothers, Dewey (Sandra) of Three Forks, Montana, Leonard (Linda) of Lynn Haven, Florida; grandchildren Leah and Ryan Hunter of Rockford, Illinois and Calvin Dougherty and Broden Hoffmann of Stillwater, Minnesota.
A visitation will be held from 10:30 to 11:00 prior to the service. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, January 3, at The Rock Church in Laurel with burial at Yellowstone National Cemetery with military rites performed by VFW Post 6774.
Memorials are suggested to Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 and ChristianCrusaders.org
Please visit: https://smithfuneralchapels.com/book-of-memories/4063900/Schmitt-Leo/index.php
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