Kelly Henry Schmidt was born on August 14, 1923, at Schmidt Ranch in Mason County, Texas, and passed away on November 11, 2019. His parents were Henry Carl Schmidt and Katherine Isabel (Katie) Keller Schmidt. Kelly was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mason. He was the youngest of three boys, growing up under the wings of his older brothers Harold and Werner, who taught him to hunt, fish, and trap.