Full Obituary

     RALPH F. SCHMITT, SR., age 94, of Loyal, WI, passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, August 27, 2020 surrounded by his loving family.  A mass will be held at 12pm on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at St. Anthony’s Church, in Loyal.  Rev. Leo Johnson will officiate, and burial will follow in the parish cemetery.  Visitation will be held at the church, on Saturday, from 11am until time of service.  The mass will be live-streamed on the church website at www.stanthonyloyal.org.
     Ralph Frank Schmitt was born November 24, 1925 in Virgil, IL, the son of John J. and Margaret M. (Loerzel) Schmitt.  He grew up on the family farm, was the sixth of twelve children, and received his education at St. Peter & Paul Catholic School.  On September 14, 1946, Ralph and Mary M. Eder were united in marriage at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Maple Park, IL, and made their home in Burlington, IL.  He worked for an elevator for a few years where they shelled corn in summer and delivered wood and coal in winter.  Ralph then worked with his oldest brother, Louis “Chuck” Schmitt, at L.T.L. trucking.  They hauled insulation and steel springs, traveling over 100,000 miles a year, and were home almost every night.  In 1951, they moved to Aurora, IL, and in 1953, Ralph bought his own milk route and started hauling cans of milk to Modern Dairy in Elgin, IL.  It was at this point that he studied diesel mechanics to deal with repairs on his own vehicles.  The family moved to Maple Park, IL, where he added another truck and continued his milk route until 1967.  They bought a farm in Loyal, WI in 1967 and moved there in 1968.
     In July 1957, a patron on Ralph’s milk route gave him his first airplane ride.  He fell in love with flying.  By September, he began lessons and made his first solo flight on his birthday in November.  Ralph had several planes over the years, his last one being his Cessna 170.  He had a landing strip on the farm in Maple Park, and flew his family and friends many places.
     When he retired from farming, his son, Ralph Jr., purchased the farm in Loyal. Ralph, never wanting to be idle, worked for Wisconsin Dairy, drove school bus, and later worked Sunburst Youth Home.
     He was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Loyal Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, Senior Citizens, and served as an Alderman for the City of Loyal for 13 years.  He looked forward each week to playing sheepshead with friends.  
     Ralph will be dearly missed by his 6 children: Constance (Raymond) Milz of Milladore, WI, Patricia Sauber (friend Paul Skinner) of Caro MI, Pamela (Randy) Meyer of Loyal, WI, Ralph Schmitt, Jr. of Willard, WI, Nancy Locknane of Maple Grove, MN, and Albert Schmitt of Marshfield WI; 18 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; one brother: John (Diana) Schmitt of Sycamore, IL; one brother-in-law: Vern Warber of Sycamore, IL; 2 sisters-in-law: Clara Schmitt of Maple Park, IL, and Janice Schmitt of Hampshire, IL; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
     He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Mary Schmitt, on March 5, 2008; 7 sisters: Katherine McDonald, Elizabeth Sauber, Frances Altepeter, Loretta Schramer, Esther Warber Margaret Bewsey, Jean Ramer; 3 brothers: Louis Schmitt, Nicholas Schmitt, Robert Schmitt; and one great-grandson, Carson Milz.