[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15050-15051]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF VIRGIL SCHEIDT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart to honor the 
tremendous life and legacy of Virgil Scheidt from my hometown of 
Columbus, Indiana.
  Mr. Scheidt lived a long and blessed life full of family, hard work, 
and community service. On February 20, 1949, he married the love of his 
life, Bettie. He began his career as a farmer, and he and Bettie owned 
and operated their own farm for more than thirty years. But as much as 
he loved farming, Mr. Scheidt felt called to do more for his community, 
and in 1960, he was elected Bartholomew County Treasurer. After winning 
re-election four years later, he was also elected President of the 
Association of Indiana County Officials, and went on to be elected as a 
national director of the National County Officials in 1967.
  Mr. Scheidt was elected chairman of the Bartholomew County Republican 
Party in 1965, where he served for 33 years. After serving as district 
chairman for several years, he was ultimately elected chairman of the 
Indiana State Republican Party in 1989. His involvement in local, 
state, and national politics spanned decades and included such honors 
as serving as an elector of the Indiana Electoral College in the 2000 
presidential election, and attending and serving as a delegate for 
numerous national Republican conventions.
  Virgil Scheidt was also an entrepreneur and businessman. Besides his 
life on the farm, he founded a real estate brokerage firm, and in 1974, 
was appointed to the Indiana Real Estate Commission where he served as 
a member for fifteen years and as its chairman from 1983 to 1985. He 
was named Realtor of the Year in 1987 by the Columbus Board of Realtors 
and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by them in 1999.
  Despite his many business and political activities, Mr. Scheidt was 
still a dedicated and active member of his community. He was a member 
of the Columbus Rotary Club, Harrison Lake Country Club, the Columbus 
Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Columbia Club. He was also an active 
and lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Columbus. His legacy 
of service was honored by three different governors when each of them 
gave him the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash Award, and additionally 
he received the Distinguished Hoosier Award in 1985 from Governor 
Robert Orr.
  While his loss will be deeply felt, we find hope in the Good Book 
which tells us that ``the Lord is close to the brokenhearted.'' I offer 
my deepest condolences, to Mr. Scheidt's beloved family: wife Bettie; 
sons Randy and Warren; daughters Deborah and Christie; grandchildren 
Matthew, Leslie, Travis, Zachary, Allison, Katie, Todd, Emily, 
Nicholas, Olivia, and Madeleine; great-grandson Harrison; as well as 
his

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numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. May you find comfort in the 
eternal hope we find in our faith, and encouragement that Virgil 
Scheidt will be remembered and honored in the hearts of Hoosiers for 
his life of service for years to come.

                          ____________________