Several of you have replied asking if there is anything you can do to help and when the memorial service is. Here is some info passed onto me by another former teacher:

Dear Friends:

It is with a really sad heart that I am sending this email to let you know that our dear friend Willie Schmidt passed away Monday morning at his home. I know some of you have already heard so I am sorry if this is redundant.

Willie had been battling cancer for several years and he suddenly took a turn for the worse only about a couple of weeks ago. They had found that his cancer was very aggressive and they gave him one chemo treatment with several more to follow but he deterioated very rapidly. We will miss him sadly. Nan is doing very well. Her friend Cheryl was with her the last couple of days to help her with Willie. We had traveled to Tennessee for our granddaughter's wedding and got home Tuesday afternoon.

There will be no viewing or funeral. Willie is being cremated and Nan has not made a definite decision on his final resting place. She is planning to have a memorial service in the near future so we will keep you posted on that.

Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society and cards and letters can be sent to:

Nancy Schmidt
1012 Blackhawk Drive
Beaumont, CA 92223

Sincerely---Doris McCafferty

Also, for those of you who didn't know Mr. Schmidt, he was an 11th grade US History teacher. I'm not sure if he also taught other grades. I was never actually in his class, but I knew who he was.

-Rebecca