Ellis “Bud” Schmidt, 85, of Dawson, North Dakota, passed away peacefully at his home on February 3, 2023. Cremation has taken place, and a memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m., Monday, February 13, 2023 at the Dawson City Hall with Pastor Jacob DeBoer officiating.

Ellis, known by many as Bud, was born on November 22, 1937, to Robert and Annette (Hatfield) Schmidt in Dawson, North Dakota. He grew up on the family farm near Lake Isabel, went to Liberty Grade School in rural Dawson, and graduated from Dawson High School in 1955. He attended Jamestown College for a short period of time before moving back to Dawson to help on the farm.

Ellis married the love of his life, Camille Miller, on July 29, 1962, in Steele. Shortly after, they moved to Jamestown where he worked for a local beekeeper and discovered his life’s passion. In 1967, Ellis and Camy moved back to the family farm, where they have resided ever since.

After returning to Dawson, Ellis started his own beekeeping business, which he ran for over 40 years. He loved working with his bees, spending time in nature with God’s creation. He also raised cattle and chickens and farmed a small alfalfa field. Ellis retired in 2009 to take care of Camy, and he was a loving caretaker until the end.

Ellis’s favorite pastime was gardening, and he had quite the green thumb. For many years, he had two very large gardens and continued to garden on a smaller scale through this past summer. He shared his produce with his family and often had enough to sell at local farmers’ markets. His garden was something he was always proud of and brought him great joy. He also planted many trees throughout the years.

He loved his home and felt there was no better place to live than Dawson. Ellis would often drive around the country and would call and visit with family and friends whenever he could. His family was the center of his world, with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren being his pride and joy.

Ellis will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Camille; his children, Jeff Schmidt (Mary Dietz), Steele, ND; Chad (Angie) Schmidt, Bismarck, ND; and Jennifer (Ryan) Grandalen, Lincoln, ND, twelve grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Robert, Walter, Lewis, and Arne, and sisters, Catherine Lang, Evelyn Zimmerman, Ruth Eichele, Geneva Schulz, Marilyn Naish, and Jeannette Meidinger.

Eddy Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.