August 31, 1940 - October 14, 2021
Ernie passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family on October 14, 2021.
He is survived by Elvira, his beloved wife of 59 years; their children, Carol Shipowick, Kevin (Sandra) and Charmaine Schmidt; their grandchildren, Jesse (Tamara) Shipowick, Ryan and Renae Schmidt, Raquel (Nils) Lemiere, and Emma Johnston (Tyler Carico); their precious great-grandson, Brantley Shipowick.
Ernie was born on August 31, 1940, in Wymyschle, Poland, to Leonard and Mina Schmidt. At the age of 8, Ernie and his family immigrated to Canada and settled in Acme, Alberta. From Acme, the family moved to Coaldale, Alberta where he spent most of his teen years. At the age of 16, Ernie accepted Jesus as his personal saviour and was baptized into the Coaldale MB Church. Ernie attended Alberta Mennonite High School in Coaldale, Alberta and after graduation attended SAIT for one year. While attending SAIT, Ernie fell hopelessly in love with Elvira Rempel. They were married in Calgary on May 26, 1962.
In 1968, the family moved to Abbotsford and Ernie started E. Schmidt Construction with his father and in 1989 Kevin joined the company. Ernie built 100s of homes in the Fraser Valley, helping families put down roots. Ernie retired in 2013 after passing the mantle to his son, Kevin.
Ernie loved his Saviour, his family, the people he worked with, and his customers. The family would like to thank the many nurses and medical professionals who helped care for Dad at home. A celebration of Ernie's life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at
Central Heights Church, 1661 McCallum Rd. Abbotsford. (check www.centralheights.ca for Covid protocols) Online condolences to the family may be made at www.woodlawnfh-abbotsford.com. Woodlawn Funeral Home 604-853-2643
Woodlawn Funeral Home