Obituary of Roy Peter Schmidt

Born in King City in 1913 and moved to Bitterwater with his family at the age of two. He was one of twelve children born to Nessen and Mary Schmidt. His given name was Roy Peter but his mother and relatives called him Bobbie. He attended Bitterwater School thru his freshman year of high school then taking a bus to King City High. At the age of seven he contacted Bubonic Plague from an infected flea while chasing a rabbit down a squirrel hole. He had a two mile walk home and was nearly unconscious when he got home. He was immediately taken to Hollister where Dr. O’Bannon diagnosed his 105 degree symptoms. He conferred by phone with two health service doctors in San Francisco. They immediately came to Hollister and took blood samples from his swollen glands. It was injected in guinea pigs that quickly died. He was given a new serum and started to improve immediately. For the next few weeks when his temperature spiked he was give serum ice baths. It took a couple of months to fully recover. Dr. O’Bannon told Bobbie he was famous since he was the first survivor in the United Stated to be bitten by a Bubonic infected flea and survive. Roy (older now) graduated from King City High, class of 1931, as class president. He graduated from San Benito College and Commercial High School in 1933. After a couple of summers working in the Pinnacles he went to work at the Bank of America for nine years. He then began his career as a California Highway Patrolman for 23 years. After a serious automobile accident in a patrol car he became a judge in the Hollister Judicial District for ten years. Next came a stint as the Executive Manager of the Chamber of Commerce and then Right-of-Way agent for the San Benito County Water Conservation District. During all of this he was also on the 4-H Executive Council, President of San Benito College Alumni Association, District Chairman of the Boy Scouts, Exalted Ruler of Hollister Elks Lodge, President and Treasurer of Hollister Rotary Club, and a member of Ridgemark Golf and Country Club. Roy and his wife Bettie also managed to fit in trips to all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Japan. He and his wife Bettie have one son, Ted, his wife Diane and one grandchild Leslie (Mrs. Pat Michael). He also has a great grandson Michael Michael. Roy was preceded in death by his wife Bettie and his siblings: Alyce Bengard, Claire Schmidt, Charles Schmidt, Margaret Carroll, Grace Bray, Lloyd Schmidt, Joe Schmidt, Jack Schmidt, Jeff Schmidt, Faye Franscioni, and Amy Lou Hall. A Celebration of Life will be held on November 19, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hollister Elks Lodge #1436, 351 Astro Drive, Hollister, CA 95023 Donations are preferred to Central Coast VNA & Hospice, 341 Tres Pinos Road, Suite 103A, Hollister, CA 95023 or c/o the mortuary.