Schmidt

Memorial services and a celebration of life for William “Billy” Anderson Schmidt, 53, will be held Saturday, June 12 at 10 a.m. at West End Church in Industry with Brother Dennis Keen officiating.

Billy Schmidt passed away peacefully on June 6, 2021 at his home, in the Haw Creek community of Fayette County, from complications of congestive heart failure.

He was born Aug. 29, 1967, in Columbus, the son of Nelson and Lurraine “Rainey” Schmidt.

Following graduation from Columbus High School in 1985, he worked a plethora of jobs using his many talents and skills. Besides being naturally talented in a number of different areas, he had training and teaching from various elders in his life.

Among those that he learned from was, first and foremost, his dad. Billy began learning the tricks of the trade of welding and mechanics at a very young age with his dad. That learning was ongoing as he could always count on him for advice and counsel.

Billy learned the art of butchering and meat processing working alongside his grandfather William “Bill” Dennis at Dennis Processing in Columbus, Texas. First, with his grandfather’s cattle then he began working with Arlen Brune and B.C. Glover on the Glasscock Ranch in Columbus.

Billy went on to learn carpentry skills from Harvey Lee Speck building homes.

He could operate heavy machinery, erect metal buildings, perform electrical and plumbing work and one could honestly say there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do or wasn’t willing to learn to do as he could figure out a solution to almost any problem that arose.

Among Billy’s hobbies and joys in life were fishing, hunting and riding in the pastures checking cows or looking at deer. He loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman and hunter

He is survived by his mother, Lurraine “Rainey” Schmidt of Fayetteville; brother and sister-in-law, Matthew and Jovana Schmidt and their daughter, all of Sulphur Springs; sister, Jessica Schmidt of Fayetteville, her son Logan Spanihel of San Antonio and her life partner, Michael “Buddha” Gideon, also of Fayetteville; three children, Destiny Shay Cook, Kayley Dawn Schmidt and Luke Schmidt; and numerous other family members including aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Nelson Schmidt; daughter, Ashley Nicole Schmidt; grandparents, William “Bill” and Marguerite Dennis and Louis and Alma Schmidt; aunt, JoAnn Zapalac Sutton; uncle, Kervin Schmidt; nephew, Tanner Scott Bayless; and great-grandmother, Hester Hendrix.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the West End Church Missionaries or the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter.

Family and friends can view and sign the guestbook online at www.lagrangefunerals.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations in La Grange.