Former New Weston resident Cletus W. Schmitz, 78, 401 Lewis Ave., St. Henry, died April 13, 2010, in a fire at his farm in rural New Weston.

He was born Aug. 29, 1931, in North Orben, to George and Blanche Fisher Schmitz. On Oct. 28, 1995, he married Delores Kremer Abels, who survives. He and his first wife, Agnes Kramer, were married May 21, 1955. She died April 11, 1993.

Also surviving are three daughters, Karen (Grahame) Ruddock, Greenville, Va., Diana Schmitz, Dayton, and Virginia (Scott) Gottfried, Upper Sandusky; two sons, Donald (Tina) Schmitz, New Weston, and David (Sherry) Kramer, Clinton, Tenn.; four stepdaughters, Kathy Jones, Powell, Nancy (Stan) Nagel, Dublin, Diane (Randy) Stephens, Columbus Grove, and Brenda Abels, Vandalia; two brothers, Bernard (Eileen) Schmitz, Fort Recovery, and Ralph (Alvera) Schmitz, New Weston; two sisters, Agnes (Alfred) Heydinger, Jacksonville, Fla., and Rosemary Riley, Shelby; two sisters-in-law, Ann Schmitz, Versailles, and Hilda Schmitz, Union City; 22 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Deceased are three brothers, Edgar, Paul and Robert Schmitz, and a sister, Rita Boeckman.

He retired from the Union City Body Company in Union City, Ind., and also farmed. He was a member of the St. Henry Catholic Church where he served as lay distributor and a Mass server. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, was a Grand Knight and member of Knights of Columbus Council 3324. He also was a member of the Fort Recovery American Legion Post 345 and its military Honor Guard. He was a member of the 4th Degree St. Gasper Del Bufalo Assembly in Minster. He also served as a volunteer at Briarwood Village, the Gardens in St. Henry and the Mercer County Council on Aging.

Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church, the Rev. Benedict Magabe officiating. Burial is at St. Paul Cemetery in Sharpsburg.

Calling is 2-8 p.m. Friday and 9-9:45 a.m. Saturday at Brockman-Boeckman Funeral Home in Fort Recovery. There will be a prayer service led by the Knights of Columbus at 7:50 p.m. Friday at funeral home.

Condolences can be left at www.brockmanboeckmanfh.com.