Reverend Earl W. Schmiesing was born in Lucan, Minnesota on April 19, 1920. He was graduated from High School at Kindred, North Dakota in 1937, from Concordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota in 1940, and from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri in 1946. On August 25 of that year he was married to Lois Ann Vogl of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

   On October 20, 1946 he was ordained and installed as missionary at large for the Oklahoma District. As a traveling evangelist, he helped to conduct "Open House" services in new mission fields in five cities. In 1947 he was called to Zion Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City and served in this work until 1959. While pastor of Zion Church he played an active role in the establishment of five new sister congregations. He was active in the Oklahoma City Chapter of the NAACP and the Urban League. He served extensively as dean for Lutheran Service Volunteer Schools.

   In 1959 he accepted a call to become pastor for Trinity Lutheran in Winfield, Kansas. Here he was "Campus Pastor" to students and faculty of St. John's College as well as to the community at large. He served as editor of both the Oklahoma and Kansas editions of the Lutheran Witness.

   In 1968 he moved to Syracuse New York where he served as a chaplain at Syracuse University. While there he took several graduate courses.

   From 1971-1978 he served as pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Seneca Falls, New York. He served in Warwick, New York from 1978-1985. He was instrumental in establishing ecumenical programs in the area. He also served as Pastoral Counselor for the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League.

   In 1985 he was called to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Parkton, Maryland. He was once again back to his focus of fifty years earlier of being a mission developer. He retired in 1994 after overseeing the successful construction of a new church building. After his retirement, he was honored with the title of "Pastor Emeritus."

   Reverend Schmiesing had said that the primary purpose of his ministry is "to help people realize the fantastic love of God as it is shown through Jesus Christ. My philosophy is that love is the most powerful dynamic. Loved people have a way of being happy people, and happy people have a way of being useful people."

   He was preceded in death by one son, Paul Edward Schmiesing. Survived by his wife of 56 years, Lois, three sons, Robert of Fairfax, Virginia, John, of Tempe, Arizona, Richard of Las Vegas, Nevada, a daughter, Beth Phillips of Arnold, Maryland, a sister, Everell Bartsch of Manka to, Minnesota, ten grandchildren, three nieces and a nephew.