WALTER SCHMID

1902 TO 1995

Walter immigrated with his parents and sisters to Orange County from Southern Germany in 1911 at the age of 9, the youngest of 7 living children. His parents, in their mid-50's, bought a 40-acre orange grove in Garden Grove, although they had never farmed before At the death of his father in 1916, Walter quit high school in order to operate the farm. He completed his education at Anaheim High School, graduating in 1923 at the age of 21.

Walter had a knack for understanding opportunities to improve farming operations. In his early 20's, he purchased 2 tractors and rented them to other farmers and ranchers. In expanding his farming to field crops and vegetables, he envisioned equipment to prepare better seed beds and for better fertilizer applications and then proceeded to hire local blacksmiths to build them. During the second World War (1941 to 1945), with gasoline being rationed, he converted his tractors and trucks to run on Butane, which was readily available. After the war, he was the first to install underground pressure pipes in his fields in order to irrigate his crops with overhead rainbird sprinklers, for water conservation.

During his 80 years in farming, he grew the majority of crops raised in Orange County, including oranges, lima beans, blackeyed peas, alfalfa, barley, sugar beets, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach. green lima beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, baby lima beans, green pea, and strawberries. Relocating his operations to the lower Coachella Valley, he raised carrots, corn, radishes, cotton, dates, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons, and grapes. He also ran cattle for 1 year. At the height of the family’s farming operations, Walter had over 400 acres under cultivation.

Walter’s father had given him 2 maxims to live by: (1) That Orange County is the "land of milk and honey" and (2) To "give back to the community". He remembered well and honored those maxims. He was initially involved in the Farm Bureau, then got involved with the Orange County Water District, served on the Orange County Grand Jury, and became deeply involved with the Orange County and State Chamber of Commerce as Chairman of the Highway, Military Affairs, and Sewer and Water Committees. He also served on the State Water Resources Board. Walter managed the political campaigns of Richard Nixon in Orange County and was an initial founder of the Lincoln Club. The basic County infrastructures constructed in the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's had his hand prints ALL over them.

Early in his life, he became a generous contributor to UCI Medical Center, Local Junior Colleges, Shriner’s Crippled Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph‘s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Goodwill Industries, and, of course, Chapman University, as well as many other worthwhile charities. He was an easy mark for good causes.

After semi-retiring from farming, he developed some small commercial projects in Orange and Riverside Counties, which he was quite proud of. He was a passionate pinochle and gin-rummy player. Most of all, he loved his wife and family, the friends they had acquired, and the opportunities found here in Orange County. He passed on his love for Orange County to his 2 sons and their families, who are attempting to follow in his footsteps.