Ethel Ellen Schmidt
WALTON - Ethel Ellen Schmidt,
88, of rural Walton, died Saturday (April 12, 2008) at Bethesda Home in
Goessel. She was born Dec. 26, 1919, the first-born of Rudolf B. and Susie
(Voth) Schmidt.
She completed her schooling
at Sand Creek (Mn. Co.), Walton High School, an AB at Bethel College in North
Newton and an MME at the University of Wichita.
She taught 43 years,
beginning in country schools, Waldeck and Sand Creek; city schools in Plains,
Kiowa, Oakley, Mt. Hope, Peabody, Arkansas Avenue and Oxford; and Wichita
schools, Minneha, Payne and Park, with the main focus on elementary vocal
music.
She was a loving, generous,
soft-spoken and happy person who is remembered by her nephews and niece as a
mentor and teacher of the crafts and art in which she excelled. These included
jewelry making with rock polishing, silver smithing and shells, counted cross
stitch, embroidery, knitting and crocheting, leather tooling, Swedish weaving
and rug making. She pieced quilts and collected quilt magazines and music
boxes. She enjoyed photography and travel.
She was a member of the
Kansas Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Delta
Kappa Gamma, Kansas Quilters Organization and Extension Homemakers Unit.
She was a member of Tabor
Mennonite Church near Goessel.
She is survived by her
brother, Esley Schmidt of Agricola/Waverly; sister, Hildred Schmidt of rural
Walton; nephews, Rick (Cindy) Linn of Lyndon, Jay (Carolee) Darwin of Waverly,
Neal Dean (Tammy) Schmidt of Columbus; niece, Lori (Terry) Fischer of Waverly;
five grand-nephews; and four grand-nieces.
Visitation will be from 5 to
8 p.m. Thursday at Miller Funeral Home in Goessel, with family present from 6
to 8 p.m.
Funeral service will be at
10:30 a.m. Friday at Tabor Mennonite Church, with burial following at the
church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to
Mennonite Central Committee (a relief organization) or to a scholarship fund in
her name in care of the funeral home.
