Funeral services for Vernon Schimmels, 87, Clinton resident will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, October 18, 2019, in the First Baptist Church, officiated by Chris Fields. Burial will follow in the Arapaho Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.

Claude Vernon Schimmels was born October 4, 1932 to Claude Sherman Schimmels and Ina (Smith) Schimmels in Arapaho, Oklahoma, and passed away Sunday, October 13, 2019 in the Clinton Veterans Center.

Vernon was raised in Arapaho and graduated from Arapaho High School in 1950. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1952 and served with the 45th INF Division in Korea and received the National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1954 and soon transferred to the Army Reserve where he served eight more years.

He married Lois Otte November 25, 1978, in Oklahoma City.

He has farmed most of his life and he retired as janitor from the Clinton Public Schools after 15 years.

He is a member of the First Baptist Church. He was a member of the Oklahoma Square Dance Association and retired from the Custer County Rural Water No. 3 Board.

He is preceded in death by his parents; brother and sister-in-law, Clifford and Mary Schimmels; daughter, Lori Schimmels Cavaungh; brother-in-law, Dale Otte; and parents-in-law, Wilmer and Leah Otte.

He is survived by his wife, Lois, of the home; daughter, Betsy Hernandez and Steve Becker, Clinton; sons, Tony Schimmels and wife Laura, Custer City, Terry Jonson, Lawton; sisters, Roberta Elder and husband Johnny Lee Elder, Arapaho, and Sandy Johnson and husband Ron, Choctaw; and sister-in-law, Karen Otte, Larned, Kansas.

He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Carrie Baggett and husband, Calvin, Amber Lee and husband, Tommy, Zachary Johnson and wife Shelby, Chad Boggs and wife Trish, Lea Williams, Heather Miller and husband, Chris, and Nikki Moss and Trey Anderson; 12 great-grandchildren, Taelar and Rihann Baggett, Dalaynie, Daycie and Dalton Lee, Hayden and Harlin Johnson, Chelste and Alexis Vela, Lori Boggs and Breanna and Kaitlyn Miller.

The family will greet guests from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M., Thursday, October 17, 2019, in the Kiesau Memorial Chapel.