A Mass of Christian Burial for Roger Schmit, age 84, of Jackson, will be held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Jackson on Friday, September 19th at 2:30 PM, with a time of visitation and gathering from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. A private family burial will be held at a later date.

Roger Jerome Schmit was born October 29, 1940, in Breckenridge, Minnesota to Clarence and Phyllis (Lienen) Schmit. Roger grew up on the family farm in Fairmount, North Dakota. He began grade school in town, but on his first day thought recess meant school was over and started walking the seven miles home, until a friend gave him a ride. After that, he attended country school, where he could run across the field to get home. Roger later returned to school in Fairmount, where he played basketball and baseball, graduating in 1958.

After graduation, he attended NDSSS (North Dakota State School of Science) for auto mechanics, but had to drop out after contracting blood poisoning. He began working for his uncle at a mechanic shop from time to time and later decided to move to St Paul, where he began working for a car dealership. On his walk home from work one day, he passed an Army recruiting office and after talking with a recruiter he enlisted in the Army.

Roger served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1964, where he was a tank mechanic. He was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and had temporary duty in Germany. Roger was honorably discharged and returned to North Dakota. Upon his return, he met Shirley Hubrig. They began dating and were married on May 1, 1965, in Fairmount.

After getting married Roger decided to utilize the G.I. Bill and enrolled again at NDSSS to study accounting and data processing. He graduated with an associate degree in December 1968 and was hired by Federated Rural Electric in Jackson, Minnesota. He started his new career as an accountant and administrative assistant. In 1974 he was promoted to Office Manager and spent 34 years in this position until his retirement on February 28, 2003.

Roger and Shirley had two children, Rhonda, born in 1965, and Randy, born in 1968. Roger enjoyed spending time and playing with his children and attending church, which strengthened his faith.

Sports were a lifelong passion for Roger. He played basketball with the National Guard, softball with local teams including the Farmers Coop team (often with his son Randy), and joined several bowling and golf leagues in Jackson. In retirement, he enjoyed golfing with friends who jokingly called themselves the "Seniors Out Wandering Around." Beyond sports, Roger loved home projects, attending games, and time spent with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Roger and Shirley loved to travel, often with their close friends Dick and Elaine Untiedt. Together they enjoyed many road trips from Jackson, exploring both the east and west coasts, as well as making frequent visits to the waterfalls of northern Minnesota.

In 2021 Roger began to show signs of memory loss, and with medication he responded well. He continued to live at home with the help of caregivers and developed a special rapport with Cheryl. In April 2024, Shirley's sister Sharon moved to Jackson and was able to assist with his care. Roger was able to reside in his home till April 2025, when he moved into a nursing home in Lakefield, MN. On July 1, 2025, room was available at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home, and he moved back to Jackson until his passing on September 15, 2025.

Roger survived by his wife Shirley (Hubrig) of 60 years; children, Rhonda (Chuck) Lee of Sioux Falls, SD, and Randy Schmit of Apple Valley; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Evan (Madelyn and Colby Roger) Cummings of Adrian, Erin (Wesley) Cummings of Sioux Falls, SD, Erika (Tyler)(William) Wallert, and CJ Lee; brothers, Dan (Jan) Schmit and Dave (Mayre) Schmit; sisters, Rita Schmit and Delores Lysne; sister-in-law, Sharon Meyer; as well as nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Phyllis Schmit; sisters, Dianne Hoffman, Janice Green and Mary Skiorski; brothers-in-law, Ray Hoffman, Richard Lysne, Dale Hubrig and Allen Meyer; Godson, Steve Schmit; great-granddaughter, Catherine Shirley Wallert; and several aunt, uncles and cousins.

A special thank you to Dick Untiedt for the hand-crafted urn in which Roger will be laid to rest, and we extend our sincere gratitude to all the neighbors and friends who helped Shirley care for Roger while he was at home, especially Larry and Judy Olson, Jared, Sarah and Ben Spaeth, and Shawn Pygman.