Donald V. Schmidt

1934 to 2025

Don's favorite scripture:

"And the river clear as crystal flows from the throne of God." - Rev. 22

Don was a lover of magic, trains, making 8mm movies, photography, cats, wildlife, and was a devoted disciple of Christ.

Donald V. Schmidt, age 91, of Waupaca, Wisconsin, died peacefully at home of old age on Friday, November 14, 2025.

He is survived by his niece, Julie Kitzenberger; his first cousin, Trish Campbell; and nieces Julie Nassif and Debbie Pitsch. His sister, Kathy Castillo, passed away six months before him in May 2025.

Don was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1934, to Delmar and Edna Schmidt. His father, Delmar, had continued the Schmidt family furniture business in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. His mother, Edna, was the first woman in her family to get a college degree. In this family photo, Don is about age two.

Don attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, for one year and then served in the Army for two years.

Don lived and worked for his parents at, and then later owned, the Red Mill Colonial Gift Shop on the Crystal River in Little Hope for 53 years, from 1960 through 2013. Don provided the artistic eye that made the Red Mill so beautiful. He loved greeting and showing around visitors who came from around the world.

From the time he was a young boy, Don worked at becoming a magician. There was a section at the Red Mill with magic tricks that could be purchased. Don showed his rings trick to all who came into the store. As a true magician, he would never tell how the tricks were done.

Don performed magic shows at local venues, including senior homes, for many years. He also showed his magic tricks to the local kids who came to his special movie room to watch old movies, listen to comedy records by Jonathan Winters, and lose sleep after listening to Orson Welles' recording of "War of the Worlds." When the word went out that Don was showing movies, the kids came running.

Don's favorite TV show was "Penn & Teller: Fool Us," where magicians from around the world present their best magic and try to fool Penn and Teller, who can usually figure out how the tricks were done.

Don had a passion for trains. He began taking the California Zephyr back when the train with its Vista car wound its way through California's Feather River Canyon. He rode the train many times, filming the trip from all angles using his 8mm movie camera. He made a fascinating, professional-quality documentary of the train ride. A digitized version is at the Waupaca Historical Society.

Two of Don's train adventures may not be known to all:

The first was one time when the Zephyr stopped briefly for a water stop. Don got off the train to take some photos. Suddenly he heard the train pulling away from the station. He ran after it, waving his arms. The conductor saw him and pulled the emergency brake to stop the train so Don could get back on.

The second was when Don was eating breakfast one morning on the Zephyr in the dining car. A couple sat across from him – a gentleman and his wife – and they chatted with Don throughout the breakfast about various things. After Don left the table, a passenger approached him and asked how he felt to be eating with the couple that morning. Don asked what the passenger meant. The passenger said, "That man sitting across from you was Admiral Nimitz!"

Don loved cats. The Red Mill cats were well known. The first cat was named Smiley, whose pink tongue was always sticking out. He was a grey kitty with stripes. When children entered the store, the first thing they asked was where the cat was. Don placed little wooden memorial markers with photos of each cat along the pathway on the other side of the Crystal River.

Don was an excellent photographer and took all the photos used for the post cards of the Red Mill. He was out with his 8mm movie camera constantly documenting everything in the area. This included Waupaca's 4th of July strawberry shortcake, which was set up on long tables and may have set a record as the longest strawberry shortcake.

One of Don's funniest movies was taken one winter when the Crystal River froze over. A grouse was trying to cross the river and kept slipping and sliding on the ice. Plop it would go, falling to one side or the other and then scrambling to right itself. Somehow it managed to get across. Watching the movie later, we were laughing so hard we cried.

The puzzle shown below is of the old pump and the covered bridge behind the Red Mill along the Crystal River.

Don's favorite movies were Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and the western "Shane" with Alan Ladd. As a photographer, Don explained that a long lens -- that is, a telephoto lens -- was used to film "Shane," which caused the Teton mountains in the background to appear close up. Don loved the sound track from the movie, "The Big Country," which he used as the music for his movie about the California Zephyr. Years ago, he had his friend, the minister Reverend Allen, narrate the documentary.

Don loved nature and wildlife and was always reminding us how important it was for us to take care of wild animals. He was fascinated by the story of the monarch butterflies who migrate over 3,000 miles to California and Mexico every year.

Don was a devout Christian and made every effort to live his life according to what Jesus taught. The chapel at the Red Mill was a special place for him. The glass window, shaped like a cross, was designed after the Chapel of Transfiguration, located in Jackson Hole near the Grand Teton mountains in Wyoming. When the fall colors shown in the window, it resembled a stained-glass Tiffany window.

A 30-minute memorial service with military honors was held for Don on Friday, December 19, at 1 p.m., at the Administration Building at the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery across the road from the Veterans Home. Address: N2666 County Road QQ, King, Wisconsin 54946.

Don's niece, Julie Kitzenberger, can be reached at JulieK618@Gmail.com.