Virgil E. Schmidt

POCATELLO - Virgil “Jim” Schmidt, 89, went to be with the Lord on August 19, 2010. He passed away at the Eastern Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

Jim was born May 4, 1921 to Harry J. and Katie A. (Larsen) Schmidt. He was born in View, Idaho and grew up in and around the Burley, Idaho area. He graduated from Burley High School where he was on the track team and was known for his speed and agility. He was noted for his tumbling ability which was taught at that time. Jim served in the military in world war two as a teletype operator, and later volunteered to pick up a rifle and fight the German Army at The Battle of the Bulge which was in Europe.

He got his first job hauling milk cans from local dairies and was able to throw the heavy cans one in each hand on his route. He was offered a job driving a small fuel delivery truck for Doug Mitchell who was a local jobber for Standard Oil of California and that started his career toward driving truck. Jim's work career shifted to working for Standard Oil Company directly, later known as Chevron Oil. He drove 18 wheel tank trucks on deliveries through Eastern Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. He eventually added dispatching to his driving duties when the family moved from Burley to Pocatello when the Chevron terminal was built (approx. 1963) across from Simplot which is on Rowland road. He earned a Million Mile Safe Driving Award and was a loyal employee for decades. Jim was easy going, hard working and dedicated to his wife, children and extended family. He came from a family of six children and was a loving and loyal son and brother.

Jim married his lifetime sweetheart, Elizabeth "Lorene" Schmidt, on Sept. 17, 1949 and they remained in love for 59 years until Lorene's passing Nov. 17, 2008. They truly had a marriage made in heaven which was a wonderful example to their 3 children and 13 grandchildren.

Jim was active in life and loved hunting, fishing and camping. He tied flies and reloaded his own shells and worked on his own cars. He would take his family wherever the fishing and hunting was and taught them how to be in and appreciate the outdoors.

Jim and the family want to thank all of his friends and neighbors who live and lived on his street. Through the years all of the memories and fun have been priceless. Also thanks to the employees of the Chevron Oil Company, and other drivers and people in the industry with which Jim worked, shared laughter, and associated with for all these many years.

Jim is survived by his three children, Sharon (Roger) Vallad, Franklin, Kentucky, Carolyn (Bill) Schoen, Las Vegas, Nevada and Jimmy (Teresa) Schmidt of Chubbuck, Idaho. He has 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Katie, brothers Ray and Billy, sister Phyllis, his wife, Lorene, and two grandsons, Christopher and Daniel Schmidt who will all be overjoyed by his return to Heaven. May God bless them all!