Ken Schmieding, always a photographer, seemed to focus on how life’s little moments weave together in big ways to create community.
When he was photographing a ballerina’s first dance recital pose, a winning athlete’s joy or the bliss of a couple’s wedding as Schmieding Photography, he enjoyed the moment he was in, seeing happiness, love and achievement.
Tina Marroquin remembers her father being at every sporting event, every presentation and every significant event she was involved in growing up.
“He was at all the moments,” she said. “He loved it.”
He also showed up for his community. Over the years, he served on the Seward Tree Board, the Seward Parks and Recreation Board, the Seward Area Chamber of Commerce board, Nebraska Public Power District Board, Seward County Board of Commissioners and was an elder at St. John Lutheran Church.
“I really never knew my dad not to be holding civic responsibilities,” Marroquin said.
Seward Mayor Josh Eickmeier knew Ken and Cheryl Schmieding growing up, but he appreciated knowing Ken Schmieding as something more than classmate Marroquin’s parent.
“I think that you can tell what is important to people by their actions and he was always willing to volunteer and give his time. The city of Seward and the Seward community was very important to him,” Eickmeier said.
Randall Chapp served on the Seward Tree Board with Schmieding but had known him for many years in various aspects of life.
“If it had anything to do with community improvement, Ken was involved,” Chapp said. “He was always around and always cheerful and always brought a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm.”
Clark Kolterman agrees.
“He was all about helping and supporting other people,” Kolterman said of his longtime friend.
Both have been Seward Rotary service club members for decades. Kolterman said Schmieding took the international group’s motto, “Service Above Self” literally.
“He was willing to take on leadership roles,” Kolterman said, noting Schmieding’s commitment to do a six-week Rotary study program in Argentina when he had his own business to run here.
Schmieding was proud of his decades of involvement and leadership in Rotary at the local, state and international level. If he missed a Wednesday noon meeting in Seward, he would visit another club to make up the absence.
Seward Rotary recognized him recently for more than 60 years of perfect attendance.
Eickmeier call that accomplishment “nothing short of legendary.”
Just a few days before his death, Schmieding asked to Zoom into the Seward Rotary Club meeting from the hospital, Marroquin said.
Kolterman said Schmieding’s 60-plus years as a professional photographer allowed him to be involved with people as they experienced rites of passage and other happy moments in their lives.
He also noted that Schmieding earned honors at the state and national level for some of his work and was active in the Nebraska Professional Photographers Association.
But the lens through which he viewed and lived life always involved the people around him, Marroquin said.
“My dad loved his community,” she said. “He loved the stories about people. He would remember the details about the people he came across.”
That meant people at weddings, family reunions, ball games, dance recitals and just about anywhere.
“He would always connect to those people,” Marroquin said. “He never missed anything because that is what he wanted to be doing.”
He loved having coffee downtown, playing cards and golf league, she said.
Kolterman said part of Schmieding purpose in life was to be happy.
“He was always grateful,” Kolterman said.
In recent years, as Schmieding’s health posed challenges, he continued to pursue those moments.
During a 90-day stay in intensive care a while back, Schmieding came up with the idea of creating a memorial tribute featuring 4-H and FFA figures to commemorate the work and leadership youth and adults invest those Seward County programs.
“That was no easy lift,” Marroquin said.
Her father was in his 80s, his health was declining and he was on dialysis, but he still coordinated a group and led fundraising and creative efforts to make that dream real.
Kolterman said Schmieding was not to be deterred.
“He really was a man on a mission to get that statute accomplished,” he said.
Extension Educator Ann Dobesh said Schmieding’s work was impressive.
“He had the passion for it,” she said. “To leave something that is just going to be a lasting tribute for generations to come really says a lot about who Ken was.”
As a county commissioner since 2018, Schmieding served as liaison to the extension program, as well as the Seward County treasurer and the buildings and grounds department at the courthouse. He also served on the Blue Valley Community Action committee, Fourth of July Committee and Seward County Visitors Committee.
“He was always supportive of young people and interested in helping you succeed,” Dobesh said. “He was a great liaison.”
When the Seward County Board of Commissioners met July 7, they paused the meeting for a moment of silence and Chair Misty Ahmic extended condolences to the family.
“Ken dedicated himself to serving the people of Seward County with a genuine desire to make our county a better place,” Ahmic read. “Whether we agreed or disagreed on an issue, there was never any question about his dedication to public service or his care for those he represented.”
Schmieding also loved being a grandfather to Molly Marroquin.
He loved that she was a third-generation student at St. John Lutheran School and Seward High School where he had been president for the Class of 1962 and later organized class reunions.
“Getting to watch her be in the same hallways, it was a special legacy,” Tina Marroquin said.
Some of Schmieding’s last special moments included watching Molly graduate and celebrating with his wife of more than 50 years, family and friends.
“I know he was proud of his family, but we were proud to be with him,” Marroquin said. “I am so proud of who he was.”
