Mark A. Schmidt, 52, of Abbotsford passed away on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at his home due to cardiac arrest with his dogs Destiny & Heidi by his side.

A Funeral will be held at 11am on Friday, October 2, 2026 at the Sauter/Rembs Funeral Home in Stratford with Father Eric Mashak officiating. Interment will follow in St. Joseph Parish Cemetery in the Town of Eau Pleine. The family welcomes relatives and friends for visitations 3-7pm Thursday evening and from 10 until service time on Friday.

Mark was born August 16, 1974 in Marshfield to James and Veronica (Nikolai) Schmidt. The 4th of 5 children born to the couple; he was raised and attended school in the Stratford area, graduating from there in 1992. Mark was a career metal-worker and most recently was working as a Laser CNC Programmer at Colby Metals.

Family and friends were very important to Mark. It was important to him to attend all family functions. He could be counted on to be anywhere that anyone needed his help with no questions asked.

Mark had a special place in his heart for German Shorthairs. They were more than just pets to him - they were his kids, and he loved them deeply. At one time, he had five dogs living with him, and over the years he fostered and adopted several more, giving each of them a loving home and the best life he could. His compassion for these dogs led him to become a member of Wisconsin German Shorthair Pointer Rescue (WGSPR), where he was able to share his love for the breed with others. Mark was also an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending time in nature. He appreciated the simple pleasures of life, including canning, pickling, and making his own wine. His love for animals, the outdoors, and the things he enjoyed doing reflected the caring and generous spirit he carried throughout his life. He liked to collect old trunks and slot machines as well as going to shows and selling metal art. He was proud of his 1968 Super Bee that he had restored.

Mark is survived by his parents James and Veronica of Stratford, and his siblings: Jamie, Karla, Eric, and Bryan all of Stratford. He is further survived by several aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents: George & Evelyn Nikolai and Walter & Marie Schmidt and several aunts and uncles.

In lieu flowers, please consider donating to the Wisconsin German Shorthair Rescue in memory of Mark using the following link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=CCGVDMCHQM6C6

This is a cause that was very important and dear to his heart.