Gurnee Days announces this year’s honoree

GURNEE – The Gurnee Days Committee is proud to announce longtime Gurnee resident Martha Welton-Schmidt is the 2025 Gurnee Days honoree.

Welton-Schmidt comes from a family that is deeply rooted in the Gurnee community and has a legacy of significant community service.

Growing up, Welton-Schmidt observed the way that her extended family modeled serving and helping others. Her grandfather, Ray B. Dixon, was an original board member who organized and built Warren Township High School, among other important contributions.

Her parents, Art and Mary Welton, were Gurnee Days honorees in 1981 because of their long-standing community service. Other family members recognized at Gurnee Days include her uncle LaVerne Dixon, brother Dick Welton and brother-in-law Jim Hayner.

The family tradition of service to others was well ingrained in Welton-Schmidt.

“I am so honored and humbled to be considered for this honor. Thank you,” she said when asked to serve as this year’s honoree.

Welton-Schmidt is the fifth of eight Welton children. Growing up, she was surrounded by numerous cousins, aunts and uncles as well. She was introduced to working hard early in life by babysitting and then later joined her older siblings working at the family business, Welton’s Food Market.

That work taught her the value of helping others and being kind to one another. The preparation helped her as she began a 20-year career at the Community Trust Credit Union. One often would find a line at her station because people wanted to be served by Welton-Schmidt, especially seniors.

She met her husband, Marvin Schmidt, while “Scooping the Loop” in Waukegan and they were married in 1967.

Shortly afterward, he was drafted and sent to Vietnam. He was seriously injured while there and they have coped with those injuries since that time.

They were blessed with two children, Marnie and Buddy, as well as four grandchildren: Audrey, Janey, Matthew and Baylor.

While raising the children, Welton-Schmidt was involved in Cub Scouts, Brownies, band parent and choral parent activities. Today, she is an active member of the Gurnee Community Church, continuing the legacy of her mother, Mary.

As a wedding hostess, she helped organize more than 150 weddings. She helps with the annual Thanksgiving dinner for sailors from Great Lakes, senior luncheons, funeral meals and many other behind-the-scenes activities.

Ask her family, friends and neighbors and they will tell you that Welton-Schmidt serves in many quiet and humble ways.

Welton-Schmidt’s commitment and impact to the Gurnee community will be celebrated at the Gurnee Days annual testimonial reception Friday, Aug. 8, at Warren Township Center.

She will serve as the grand marshal of the Gurnee Days parade Sunday, Aug. 10.

Gurnee Days is an annual community celebration that marks the culmination of summer with activities for all ages to enjoy. This year, the festival will host a community art show, local food and drink, live music, a parade, a fireworks show and much more. Gurnee Days takes place Aug. 9 and 10 at Viking Park, 4374 Old Grand Avenue, Gurnee.

For more information, visit www.gurneedays.com.