Obituary of Kenneth Melvin Scheidt

Kenneth (Ken) Melvin Scheidt passed away in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on June 1, 2015 at the age of 79 years. Ken leaves to mourn his passing: wife Joan; three children: Keith (Bernadette), Carolyn (Scott), Lori; granddaughter, Kayla; brothers, Norman (Dena), Elmer (Rita) and sister Sylvia (Bob), and sisters-in-law: Arlea (Wayne) and Lillian (Greg), and several nieces and nephews. Ken was predeceased by his parents, August and Emma Scheidt; brother, Raymond Scheidt; sister-in laws Bernice and Gertie Scheidt, and brother-in law Ron Zimmer. Funeral services will held at the First Lutheran Church in Lloydminster, Alberta on Monday, June 8 at 11AM. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Ken may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or charity of your choice. EULOGY My name is Kevin Hauth, a close friend of Ken Scheidt and his family. The family would like to thank everyone here today; he would have been pleased to see so many of his friends and family together. On behalf of his family, I would like to share with you some of the memories the family have prepared. Ken was first and foremost a family man, and had a heart of gold. When we think of him the words that come to mind are: hard working, caring, determined, faithful, and a skilled craftsman. In the summers, Ken was truly an outdoor man and his passion for camping and spending time at the lake was surpassed by none. As a young family, he would pack everyone up, along with the old canvas tent and the hand-built wooden boat and off we would go to the lake. He spent countless hours fishing, swimming, water skiing, or pulling kids behind the boat. Eventually the small Evinrude West Bend motor could no longer pull the kids, and promising Joan that the next boat was the boat that would last a lifetime, the family soon had a shiny new fiberglass boat with a bigger motor. Little did Joan know, but the lifetime boat would be replaced many times over the years, several times with a larger motor. Family camping trips up to Kimball Lake were always a highlight. Many cousins learned to fish or ski behind Uncle Kenny’s boat, as he was the patient and dedicated driver from morning until dusk; and don’t forget the water fights – a full out water war was declared on a pretty regular basis as the cousins ganged up on the uncles and aunts. No one was safe, and the road between the campsites always looked like a flash flood had happened. Keeping the boat running was a priority for Ken, and sometimes he was so focused on this, he did not always consider the consequences. This was the case when one day he decided to test out a spark plug for the outboard motor while standing in the lake – which of course – resulted in quite a shock. Keith, now I understand why your dad always had plenty of words of wisdom for us whenever we undertook a project. Playing cards was another Scheidt tradition, and we’re sure all that knew him played more than one game of crib, Kaiser or smear with him. Winters were no different, as his passion for being outdoors continued. For many years Ken would prepare an outdoor skating rink providing hours of entertainment for the family and neighborhood kids. He also spent countless hours driving to and from hockey rinks to watch all the games he could. Ken very much enjoyed watching each of the kids, and a very special granddaughter, playing the sport. The love of the game never did stop. He volunteered for several years on the Lloydminster Minor Hockey Association board as the secretary/treasurer, and could be found many a night watching local hockey. He also enjoyed making fun of the Oilers poor track record, reminding everyone that Lloydminster had a much better team, and cheaper tickets. Winter sports did not end there. In his mid-fifties, he decided if the kids could ski down the mountains,why couldn't he? In his black and red skidoo suit, he would strap on his skis and point downwards. At Big White, Ken was very proud of the time it took him to get from the top of the Black Forest Express to the bottom, and would jokingly give the rest of the 'young' kids a hard time for taking too long to complete a run. He was fortunate to have taken many trips to the mountains to enjoy this sport with all his children and his granddaughter. Snowmobiling was another winter sport that Ken enjoyed. He explored a lot of territory in the Bronson Forest around Little Fishing Lake, and managed to experience a few mountain excursions. One always had to remember to ensure they were ahead of Ken, because once he got going, he would forget to check if you were still behind him. I can personally attest to the many miles experienced in the Bronson Forest. More often than not, I was at the back of the bus. Sometimes, when we came to a cross in the trail, Ken and Keith would be standing at the crossroads discussing which trail to take. I came to understand very quickly that this does not mean they really knew which direction was the correct one, but I can tell you, we were never home after dark and we were never late for supper. Fishing also continued into the winter months, as he would take out his truck or hook up the snowmobile to tow out his fishing tent and gear. The children weren’t always so excited to go out in the cold, but he frequently found many friends willing to join him. There was no question Ken was a skilled wood worker. From building hand crafted bedroom furniture suites, to picnic tables and adirondack chairs, he loved working in his saw room. Ken also built the family’s first set of water skis, and also curved a sheet of plywood to create a more primitive version of the knee board. Some of the earliest memories Kayla has of her grandpa is visiting the house every day after school and learning to play cards or tinkering in the basement. He often allowed her to help build whatever he was working on, or they would build something together like bird houses or planters for mother's day. Ken will be fondly remembered as “Mr. Fix-it”. Whenever someone needed something fixed, he would be the one called to help, whether the problem was small or large. Ken was always honest and candid – sometimes too much. One time when clearing airport security, Ken was asked by the security officer if he was aware of the contents of his carry-on bag, he promptly replied “No”. When asked if this bag was his, he again clearly stated “No”. When the puzzled officer looked questioningly at Ken, he finally provided further clarification “The bag belongs to my wife Joan. She packed this.” Fortunately the security officer let him go through and join the rest of his concerned family standing on the other side of security line. The cabin he built at Little Fishing Lake, quickly became the family’s second home. Hours were spent enjoying outdoor sports and the fresh air. He was very active in the hamlet, and after more than one hard-fought election campaign, was the successful candidate as mayor. Ken held this position for many years. Ken was always a man of routine. In the last several years, this routine included daily trips to coffee row where much would be discussed and debated, but never resolved. He faithfully walked on a regular basis and could be seen walking around the track at the Servus Sport Centre in the winters, or in the summer he would be walking the dog. Ken would joke he had walked enough miles to cross Canada on foot. Retirement pastimes also included working on jig saw puzzles, and he spent many an hour putting together hundreds of puzzles. He enjoyed watching any sport either live or on TV, and enjoyed attending live music performances at the Winspear in Edmonton or at the Vic Juba Community Theatre here in Lloydminster. His passion for gardening grew over the past years, and many a neighbor would stop to chat with Ken as he sat on his small chair diligently deadheading the petunias. Everyone here loved and respected him so much. We have been privileged and honored to know him. Let us cherish all of the great memories we had together. We will all miss you and love you always. I would just like to add that when Keith told me his dad had just passed away, I said to him Your family has lost an incredible husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law; that the world had lost a man of immense integrity; and my family had lost a great mentor and a very special friend. What I forgot to mention, was that although Ken’s passing is an insufferable loss, we were very fortunate to have him in our lives. Whether we knew him for a day, a week, a month, a year or a lifetime; all of us have had a better life because Ken is part of it.