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Merle Schmidtendorff, age 93, of Leonidas, died Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Battle Creek following a long illness. He and twin brother, Earl were born near Jones, on April 9, 1927 the son of Clarence and Lena (Garwood) Schmidtendorff.
He attended Shavehead Country School and then served in the U.S. Army in Japan as a military policeman. While at a square-dance in Leonidas, he met his future wife, Alta Rose Perrin. They were married on May 27, 1950 and made their home in Leonidas for the next 57 years. Merle lost the love of his life on April 30, 2007. Merle was a farmer and longtime employee of the St. Joseph County Road Commission. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was a member of the Colon American Legion.
Merle is survived by two sons, Arden (Carol) Schmidtendorff and Alan (Colleen) Schmidtendorff both of Leonidas; six grandchildren, Tami (Jeremy) Tyler, Jodi (Phillip) Ferrier, Mindi (Ryan) Cline, Bridget (Corey) Van Dam, Connor Schmidtendorff, and Morgan Schmidtendorff; nine great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Alta Rose, daughter Lisa Elaine; great-grandson, Cody Eugene; sister, Donna Lane; and brothers, Earl, Art, and Forest Schmidtendorff.
Private services will be at 11 am Saturday, April 25, 2020 at the Eickhoff Funeral Home in Mendon with Pastor Bill Beck of Locust Grove Church officiating, followed by military interment in Lakeside Cemetery in Colon Township. Memorial donations may be directed to Battle Creek Veterans Administration Hospital. Memories and condolences may be directed to the family at www.eickhofffuneralhome.com
