Catherine "Katie" Schmidt

Catherine H. "Katie" Schmidt, 95, died July 24, 2009 at Good Samaritan Center in Hays.Katie was born January 24, 1914, in Catherine, Kansas, to Frank and Monica (Koerner) Walter. She married Alexius J. "Lex" Schmidt on July 20, 1937, in Hays, and she was a housewife until all of her children had entered school. Katie was a member of the St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and she kept active in the Daughters of Isabella, the Altar Society, and the Christian Mothers Society. In addition, she was a member of the auxiliaries of the Hays Medical Center and American Legion. With her husband, she enjoyed dancing, especially polka and square dancing, and playing pinochle with friends. In the kitchen she enjoyed cooking Volga German dishes for her family. And in 1964, she joined the kitchen staff at Hays High School to prepare home-cooked lunches for the students and teachers. She retired in 1977, but until late in life she continued to serve as hostess for family gatherings.In addition to being Grandma and Great-Grandma to her growing family, Katie kept busy in her retirement years with sewing, needle work, quilt making, crafts, and furniture recovering. In her 90s, her embroidery earned her many purple ribbons and a "Best of Show" in 2008 at the Ellis County Fair. And, she Rummikub to her love for board games. In 2002, she and Lex moved to St John's in Hays. At St. John's, she enjoyed attending daily Mass and rosary services, the company of residents, and eating meals prepared daily by the wonderful cooks. After Lex's death and in failing health, Katie moved to Good Samaritan in early 2009.Survivors include her three daughters, Elaine Leikam, Centennial, Colorado; Anita Heble, West Columbia, Texas; Rita Billinger, Goodland, Kansas; four sons, Wayne, Fort Worth, Texas; Gerald, Lenexa, Kansas; Richard, Laramie, Wyoming; and Robert, Topeka, Kansas; four sisters, Marcella Dreiling, Chapman, Kansas; Alice Windholz, Hays, Kansas; Rosemary Gerstner, Conyers, Georgia; Sr. Mary Alice Walters, C.S.A., Cudahy, Wisconsin; one step-sister, Leona Fross, Hays, Kansas; one half-sister, Janet Gerstner, Overland Park, Kansas; one brother, Ralph Walters, Hays, Kansas; one step-brother, Robert Befort, Ellis, Kansas; and one half-brother, Ronald Walters, Albuquerque, New Mexico; 20 grandchildren; 3 step-grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; 8 step-great-grandchildren and one step-great-great-grandchild.She was preceded in death by Lex, her husband; Myra Arpin Schmidt, daughter-in-law, Francis R. Leikam, son-in-law, and Leo D. Heble, son-in-law; her parents; and six sisters: Cecelia Wolf, Mary Pfeifer, Frances Schmidt, Rita Mae Walter, Miriam Walter, and Wilma Bieker Isengard.Services will be at St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m., on Friday, July 31, with Fr Earl Befort, OFM, Cap, officiating, and burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Hays.Visitation is at Brock's North Hill Chapel at 2509 Vine in Hays from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 30th. a Sisters of St. Agnes Prayer Service will be at 4:00 and a parish Wake Service at 6:30 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the "Lex and Katie Schmidt Endowment For Faculty and Staff Development" at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays or Hays Home Health & Hospice in Hays.











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