The second of seven children, Bill Schmidli was born June 3, 1918, in Deepwater, Mo., to William and Cora Evans Schmidli. After finishing the 10th grade, he quit high school to run the family farm, where he remained until he was 22 years old.
In 1940, Bill and his brother T. M. "Ted" Schmidli moved to Pendleton, Ore. The following year, he enrolled in a welding course at a vocational school and subsequently found employment at the Portland shipyards, rising to the position of lead welder following the U.S. entry into World War II. In March 1944, Schmidli enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served until the end of the conflict.
In August 1946, he met Betty Hillegas. They married the following year. After briefly running a small grocery store and gas station outside of Lowry City, Mo., in 1947, the couple moved to Malin, Ore., where Bill farmed with his brother Ted and uncles Mark and Merle Evans. After farming leased land for nearly a decade, Schmidli purchased 80 acres east of Malin in 1960. Over the next 20 years, he expanded the farm to 320 acres.
He was a member of the Malin Chamber of Commerce and served on the Oregon Potato Commission and was subsequently inducted into the commission's hall of fame.
Schmidli also bred and raced dozens of thoroughbred horses. A fine horseman, he often had 10 foals in the spring and over 30 head of horses on the farm. He also served on the board of directors of the Oregon Thoroughbred Breeder's Association. He loved sports, particularly baseball, boasting that in his younger days he only struck out once a year playing for the Malin Athletic Club. He reveled in the successes of the San Francisco Giants.
A man of great faith, he joined the Baptist Church at age 15 and was baptized in a Missouri creek in 1933. Although he remained a Baptist throughout his life, in later years he became a familiar face at the Malin Presbyterian Church services.
Bill Schmidli was a hardworking, generous, and devout man. He passed away in his sleep June 29, 2013, in his home in Malin. He was 95.
He is survived by his children Dave of Malin, Sue Keller of Klamath Falls, Ricki LaZelle of Woodinville, Wash., nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life ,Betty Schmidli, who passed away in 1988.
In 1940, Bill and his brother T. M. "Ted" Schmidli moved to Pendleton, Ore. The following year, he enrolled in a welding course at a vocational school and subsequently found employment at the Portland shipyards, rising to the position of lead welder following the U.S. entry into World War II. In March 1944, Schmidli enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served until the end of the conflict.
In August 1946, he met Betty Hillegas. They married the following year. After briefly running a small grocery store and gas station outside of Lowry City, Mo., in 1947, the couple moved to Malin, Ore., where Bill farmed with his brother Ted and uncles Mark and Merle Evans. After farming leased land for nearly a decade, Schmidli purchased 80 acres east of Malin in 1960. Over the next 20 years, he expanded the farm to 320 acres.
He was a member of the Malin Chamber of Commerce and served on the Oregon Potato Commission and was subsequently inducted into the commission's hall of fame.
Schmidli also bred and raced dozens of thoroughbred horses. A fine horseman, he often had 10 foals in the spring and over 30 head of horses on the farm. He also served on the board of directors of the Oregon Thoroughbred Breeder's Association. He loved sports, particularly baseball, boasting that in his younger days he only struck out once a year playing for the Malin Athletic Club. He reveled in the successes of the San Francisco Giants.
A man of great faith, he joined the Baptist Church at age 15 and was baptized in a Missouri creek in 1933. Although he remained a Baptist throughout his life, in later years he became a familiar face at the Malin Presbyterian Church services.
Bill Schmidli was a hardworking, generous, and devout man. He passed away in his sleep June 29, 2013, in his home in Malin. He was 95.
He is survived by his children Dave of Malin, Sue Keller of Klamath Falls, Ricki LaZelle of Woodinville, Wash., nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life ,Betty Schmidli, who passed away in 1988.
The second of seven children, Bill Schmidli was born June 3, 1918, in Deepwater, Mo., to William and Cora Evans Schmidli. After finishing the 10th grade, he quit high school to run the family farm, where he remained until he was 22 years old.
In 1940, Bill and his brother T. M. "Ted" Schmidli moved to Pendleton, Ore. The following year, he enrolled in a welding course at a vocational school and subsequently found employment at the Portland shipyards, rising to the position of lead welder following the U.S. entry into World War II. In March 1944, Schmidli enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served until the end of the conflict.
In August 1946, he met Betty Hillegas. They married the following year. After briefly running a small grocery store and gas station outside of Lowry City, Mo., in 1947, the couple moved to Malin, Ore., where Bill farmed with his brother Ted and uncles Mark and Merle Evans. After farming leased land for nearly a decade, Schmidli purchased 80 acres east of Malin in 1960. Over the next 20 years, he expanded the farm to 320 acres.
He was a member of the Malin Chamber of Commerce and served on the Oregon Potato Commission and was subsequently inducted into the commission's hall of fame.
Schmidli also bred and raced dozens of thoroughbred horses. A fine horseman, he often had 10 foals in the spring and over 30 head of horses on the farm. He also served on the board of directors of the Oregon Thoroughbred Breeder's Association. He loved sports, particularly baseball, boasting that in his younger days he only struck out once a year playing for the Malin Athletic Club. He reveled in the successes of the San Francisco Giants.
A man of great faith, he joined the Baptist Church at age 15 and was baptized in a Missouri creek in 1933. Although he remained a Baptist throughout his life, in later years he became a familiar face at the Malin Presbyterian Church services.
Bill Schmidli was a hardworking, generous, and devout man. He passed away in his sleep June 29, 2013, in his home in Malin. He was 95.
He is survived by his children Dave of Malin, Sue Keller of Klamath Falls, Ricki LaZelle of Woodinville, Wash., nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life ,Betty Schmidli, who passed away in 1988.
In 1940, Bill and his brother T. M. "Ted" Schmidli moved to Pendleton, Ore. The following year, he enrolled in a welding course at a vocational school and subsequently found employment at the Portland shipyards, rising to the position of lead welder following the U.S. entry into World War II. In March 1944, Schmidli enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served until the end of the conflict.
In August 1946, he met Betty Hillegas. They married the following year. After briefly running a small grocery store and gas station outside of Lowry City, Mo., in 1947, the couple moved to Malin, Ore., where Bill farmed with his brother Ted and uncles Mark and Merle Evans. After farming leased land for nearly a decade, Schmidli purchased 80 acres east of Malin in 1960. Over the next 20 years, he expanded the farm to 320 acres.
He was a member of the Malin Chamber of Commerce and served on the Oregon Potato Commission and was subsequently inducted into the commission's hall of fame.
Schmidli also bred and raced dozens of thoroughbred horses. A fine horseman, he often had 10 foals in the spring and over 30 head of horses on the farm. He also served on the board of directors of the Oregon Thoroughbred Breeder's Association. He loved sports, particularly baseball, boasting that in his younger days he only struck out once a year playing for the Malin Athletic Club. He reveled in the successes of the San Francisco Giants.
A man of great faith, he joined the Baptist Church at age 15 and was baptized in a Missouri creek in 1933. Although he remained a Baptist throughout his life, in later years he became a familiar face at the Malin Presbyterian Church services.
Bill Schmidli was a hardworking, generous, and devout man. He passed away in his sleep June 29, 2013, in his home in Malin. He was 95.
He is survived by his children Dave of Malin, Sue Keller of Klamath Falls, Ricki LaZelle of Woodinville, Wash., nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life ,Betty Schmidli, who passed away in 1988.
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