Shirley Lou Schmit

Shirley Schmit https://fb.me/e/3RAK2Au8O

Osmond — Shirley Lou Schmit, 87, of Osmond died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020 at the Osmond Care Center in Osmond.                Visitation and funeral services will be held Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Osmond. Visitation begins at 9:30 a.m. with church services starting at 10:30  a.m. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Osmond. Services will be streamed at https://fb.me/e/3RAK2Au8O Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.  Ashburn Funeral Homes in Osmond is in charge of the arrangements.

Shirley was born on Aug. 26, 1933, to Alvie “Brick” and Sarah (Smith) Mapes, in Clearwater. She was the middle child of three girls and was baptized in the flowing water of the Elkhorn River.

As a child, she attended country school near their farm, and then graduated from Clearwater High School in 1952.

Shirley met the love of her life, Raymond J. Schmit of Atkinson, at a dance held in Kings Ballroom in Norfolk. On June 27, 1955, at 10 o’clock in the morning, she married him at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Osmond.

They began their married life owning a bar in Osmond. Mother rarely drank, and didn’t care much for those that did, so Dad claimed she was “Hard on the Business” and switched careers to farming and auctioneering.

Dad took care of most of the work, although mom would help out when she could. She would occasionally drive the grain truck in the fall, and she was so cautious that one could have checked the tires for air as it was moving!

Mom's job was raising us six kids Jim, Jerry, Bev, Connie, Patricia and Jane. If you ever thought Mom was crabby, we drove her to it. Between all of us, we gave her plenty to keep busy.

She was known for her very clean house, famous pot roast, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls and the many houseplants that thrived in her care. When we came home from school we would call  out “Mom” and hope she’d answer. Our home seemed empty without her in it.

She always preached “when you go outside, cover your ears so you don’t get sick.” When we got sick, her go to was Vick's Vapor Rub either on a cotton ball in your ear or lathered on your chest and neck  with a washcloth pinned around it. Her other famous remedy for illness was “take a poop and a nap!” It cured almost anything.

When her children grew up and got married, her favorite part of life happened, she became a grandmother. Mother would tell you the best job she ever had was rocking babies. She would sing her own little tune, “Bye-O,” to the lucky child in her arms.

When the grandkids got too big to rock (around the age of 10) she would then give them “Back Scratches,” and they never outgrew her nickname for all of them, “Sweetheart.” The spouses of her children were treated as her own, and they in turn gave her loving care.

Dad and Mom enjoyed Sunday drives and road trips. Mom was always the one who had to get back home. She was content there. Our dad passed away in 2005, and mother's heart was broken. All of her children feel blessed knowing they are reunited once again.

We will remember our mother's legacy by the countless visits on her front porch, her excitement over seeing a cardinal, the beauty she found in flowers and the friendship she had with squirrels! (They will miss her cookies!) She had friendships that lasted  a lifetime and will be dearly missed by all who loved her.

Our mother's last year was spent living at the Osmond Care Center.  Mom was a “homebody,” so she constantly told us “Let’s go!” She wanted to get back home. It in no way reflected the loving care she received from the staff. The employees there became part of her family, and we will forever be grateful to them.

Mother passed away peacefully. In her final breaths she opened her eyes, looked up and witnessed something wonderful! Once again, a lesson to her family to keep God in our lives.

Shirley is survived by her beloved sisterVirginia Langenberg; two sons Jim (wife Deb, mom claimed her as her own and loved her dearly) of Osmond and Jerry (friend Vivian) of Yankton, SD; four daughters Bev (Al) Throener of Norfolk, Connie (Kelly) Baller of Milligan, Patty (Roger) Timmerman of Osmond and Jane (Lawrence) Reiman of O’Neill; 17 grandchildren (one shared her birthday!); and 31 great-grandchildren that she loved to the moon and back.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister Zelpha, her loving husband Raymond, one daughter-in-law Jo (Sohl) Schmit and one grandson Joshua Baller.

We will have her final blessing with water from the Elkhorn River, a reminder to us all, life has a beginning and an end, but the love and memories flow on forever. — written by her loving children.                           53

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