He was born Feb. 4, 1921, in Dubuque, Iowa, to the late Arthur F. and Freida (nee Bremmer) Schmid.

He grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Rufus King High School in 1939. Shortly after high school he moved with his family to Little Green Lake, West Bend.

During World War II he served in the Pacific with the U.S. Navy.

On June 21, 1946, he married Verna Johnson in Puckaway, Wis. The couple lived in Chicago from 1947 to 1948 where he worked as a tool and die maker at Fastener Corp.

They moved to West Bend in 1949 and he continued to work as a tool and die maker. In 1959 he started Midcities Tool and Die in Barton which he owned and operated for many years and currently served as chairman of the board.

He was a member and past master of the West Bend Masonic Lodge 138 F&AM, Tripoli Shrine, Knights Templer and Scottish Rite.

He was past president of Washington-Ozaukee County Shrine Club and was very active in taking handicapped children to the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children in Oak Park, Ill.

Art was a member of the Barton/West Bend Fire Department for 21 years and served as captain of the rescue squad. He was also a past Boy Scout leader for Troop 16 and past school board treasurer of Barton School.

He loved hunting, fishing, woodworking and working at his business.

Survivors include his wife; four sons, Kelly (Mary) Schmid, Arthur (Debra) Schmid Jr., Kevin (Terri) Schmid and Kurtis (Henrietta) Schmid, all of West Bend; nine grandchildren; a great-grandson; three sisters-in-law, Pat Smith of Prairie du Chien, Diane (Paul Oliver) Johnson of West Bend and Audrey (Jack Shannebarger) Hamann of Creston, Calif.; a brother-in-law, Charles (Rose) Johnson of West Bend; other relatives and friends.

Preceding him in death was a brother, Kenneth.

A Masonic funeral service will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Myrhum-Patten Funeral Home, West Bend.

Burial will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Washington County Memorial Park, West Bend.

Visitation at the funeral home will be Tuesday from 3 p.m. until the time of services.

Memorials to the Masonic Lodge, Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children, or a charity of the donor's choice are appreciated.