John Albert Schmitz, 60, of Centralia, Kansas, died Sunday morning, July 29, 2012 at his home. He had been battling cancer.

John was born in Axtell, Kansas on September 26, 1951 to Virgil and Irene Mathewson Schmitz. When he was almost five his mother died, and a year later his father married Verita Koch Schmitz. John attended St. Mary’s Grade School in St. Benedict and graduated from B&B High School in Baileyville in 1969.

After high school, he moved to Kansas City to attend Atlantic School for aviation training, graduating in June of 1970. John was employed with Delta Airlines in Chicago, Illinois, when he was drafted by the U.S. Army on March 9, 1971. He was honorably discharged on April 8, 1972 after serving seven months in Vietnam.

After serving his country, he worked for First National Bank in Lincoln, Nebraska. He then returned home and purchased the family farm.

On July 13, 1974 he married Nancy Glynn at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Benedict. The couple had two children, Eric and Holly, before they divorced.

John sold Mormon Feed while living on the family farm. He later sold the family farm and worked for Industrial Mills of Seneca.

On June 20, 1992 he married Lisa Gore in Westminster, Colorado. The couple had two children, Emily and Jared, and celebrated 20 years of marriage.

More recently, John drove a bus for Unified School District 380 in Vermillion and was employed by Black Vermillion Watershed until his illness precluded him from working. He enjoyed fishing, going to auctions, playing cards and attending his children’s activities.

He is survived by his wife Lisa of the home; two sons, Eric (Candice) Schmitz of Centralia and Jared Schmitz of the home; two daughters, Holly (Brian) Wempe of Du Bois, Nebraska and Emily Schmitz of the home; grandchildren, Jayce and Breanna Schmitz; his step-mother, Verita Schmitz of Seneca; two brothers, Linus Schmitz of Ponca City, Oklahoma and Elmer Schmitz of Highland, Kansas; and seven sisters, Marian Hasenkamp of Axtell, Kansas, Jane Strohmeyer of Manhattan, Kansas, Doris Holthaus of Olathe, Kansas, Eileen Scott of Los Altos Hills, California, Caroline McClure of Humboldt, Nebraska, Sandra Samskey of Olathe, Kansas and Nancy Vogel of Clearwater, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his mother Irene, on March 13, 1956 and his father Virgil, on January 2, 1998.

A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 PM Tuesday, July 31, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. The funeral service will be at 10 AM Wednesday, August 1, at the United Methodist Church in Centralia. Burial will be in Roots Cemetery, south of Seneca.

Memorials may be given in John’s memory for Coins for a Cause (a Nemaha County cancer group), or Nemaha County Relay of Life, or St. Luke’s Neuroscience Institute.