Florence Schmidt

Florence Arlene Vetter Schmidt was born October 21, 1933 to August and Martha (Suhr) Vetter on their home farm near Crete, NE and graduated from Crete High School. She married Dale Edward Schmidt and they moved to Lincoln where they had three children, Carol (Tom) Bosshardt, Dale (Nancy) Schmidt Jr., Marilyn (Larry) Osler Wagner. She died April 3, 2023.

Florence’s greatest treasures were her Savior and her family. She served her Lord at Immanuel Lutheran in many ways from funeral lunches, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), and Stewardship Committee membership. She and Dale travelled to many Lutheran Laymen’s League and Lutheran Hour conventions, and they supported Mission Central out of Iowa.

Florence had worked in an office after graduating from high school. When her children entered school she worked at Saratoga and Holmes School lunch rooms, and then at Kay’s Restaurant, making pies and desserts. In retirement she cared for grandchildren.

Dale and Florence loved playing games, cards (especially pitch, golf, and pinochle), Farkel, and dominoes. She could throw together a meal on the spur of the moment. Buster Bar Ice Cream dessert was a favorite of the grandkids who also loved baking cookies with Grandma.

Florence and Dale had breakfast and morning devotions together. They loved gardening and shared their produce with many neighbors and friends as well as family. Even at Yankee Hill Village they had pots of flowers on their patio.

She was an accomplished seamstress and did alterations and made her family’s clothing and continued to sew her wardrobe throughout her life. A scrap of fabric was never thrown away, but put to use in smaller and smaller projects. She loved crafting decorations to sell at Yankee Hill Village’s craft fairs as well as sewing for Lutheran World Relief.

Florence is survived by one sister, Norma Dymacek, her children, eight grandchildren, and nineteen great grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years Dale, parents, one grandson, and one son-in-law.

Florence could talk with anyone and always answered the question, “How are you?” with “I am blessed.” Her confirmation verse was “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” Rev. 2:10b and she lived this every day of her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are encouraged for Lutheran Hour Ministries or Immanuel Lutheran Church.