Donald R. Smidt, age 80, died Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at his farm home near White. Private funeral services will be held at Eidsness Funeral Home. Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery in White.

Donald Richard Smidt was born April 27, 1936, at Brookings, South Dakota, to Rieke and Mary (Schmidt) Smidt. He grew up and attended school at White, and graduated from White High School in 1954. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1955 until 1959, stationed in California and Greenland. On August 19, 1961, he married Carol Tetzlaff at Truman, Minnesota. To this union three children were born: Brian, James, and Cindy.

Don enjoyed farming, and later in life the work that God had given him to do to spread the gospel—the eternal truth of God's word. He was a sinner saved by grace and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. He believed that all scripture is inspired by God; all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin; without faith it is impossible to please God; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned; all believers are commanded to spread the gospel—go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, redeemed, how I love to proclaim it."

Survivors include his wife, Carol, of White; three children: Brian Smidt of Brookings, James (Shelley) Smidt of Parker, and Cindy (Leon) Svoboda of Brookings; twelve grandchildren; and a sister, Elaine (Ray) Johnson of Newberg, Oregon. He was preceded in death by his parents.