We are heart-broken to share that Leslie Charlotte Schmidt passed away suddenly on November 12, 2021 after a brief but hard-fought battle with lupus. Leslie was born May 21, 1965, to Earl and Joan Zenert and was raised on a farm near Drake.
Growing up, Leslie was always a hard worker, never complaining and always there to help anyone who needed it. She would help her mom tend the garden or pick rocks in the field with her dad. She loved spending time playing games with her siblings and attending Young People’s in Drake. She always enjoyed going to the rink to skate and play hockey/shinny. Leslie was always inquisitive and asked questions about everything, she was always interested in learning new things. She was a great listener and always gave people the benefit of the doubt. Leslie was an amazing, loving daughter and sister.
Leslie married Ken Schmidt on February 11, 1984 and quickly became a busy mom of four kids. She enjoyed life on the dairy farm near Clavet and worked hard in her home and on the farm. She appreciated having her in-laws close by.
Leslie had many passions in life, she treasured spending time with family and loved her kids and grandkids more than anything. She looked forward to Sunday suppers when everyone would crowd around the table enjoying a meal together. She especially loved the family’s deliberately tone-deaf rendition of Happy Birthday, always trying to capture the moment on video. She enjoyed going camping with the family in the summer, especially playing with her grandkids. Leslie was blessed with a large family and always looked forward to spending time with everyone during holidays and get-togethers.
Leslie loved nature, lovingly tending a garden far too large for her to utilize, she donated produce to the Friendship Inn every harvest. She loved all of the flowers in her ever-expanding garden, but always took time to map out where everything should be planted. She loved walking her dogs around the farm yard, likely picking up a new rock along the way. She had a keen eye for photography often making Ken pull over on an evening drive home from the city to get the perfect shot of the moon.
Leslie loved children, once her kids were out of elementary school, she decided to go back to university to obtain her teaching degree. She enjoyed her work as an educational assistant, substitute teacher, volunteer with Clavet School Drama, and the Band Program in Prairie Spirit School Division. At family gatherings she was more often found playing with the children than visiting with the adults. Most of all she loved spending time with her grandchildren Zoe and Parker, she spent countless days caring for them, volunteering at preschool, teaching them new skills such as sewing, and taking them on adventures.
Leslie always had multiple creative projects on the go, quilts for family members, craft projects with her grandchildren, cross stitch while watching TV, creative Halloween costumes, and turning what others consider trash into something new (coffee bag turned wallet).
Leslie loved to read; from an early age she was often up in her bedroom reading a book when she was supposed to be out doing chores. Her home was filled with countless books (new and old), Archie comics, and magazines. She was regularly found at the kitchen table with a bag of Spitz reading a book. She had a love for listening to her grandkids read stories, and through the pandemic and while she was in the hospital Zoe and Parker would often call her via Facetime to read her a book.
Leslie enjoyed travelling, taking trips with Justin on the Clavet Tour Group, and with Ken to Italy and Greece. She was thankful to travel within Canada with her mom and siblings and to Maui with the Schmidt siblings. She was fascinated by the tropical flora and treasured spending time with her grandkids in Mexico.
Leslie had a love for nostalgia, she loved watching TV shows from her childhood, such as Little House on the Prairie and Happy Days. She’d rewatch Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas countless times with her grandkids.
Leslie lived life every day and didn’t worry much about the future, she knew what was important to her and couldn’t be bothered by trivial things often saying “I’ll deal with it later!” She had a zest for life and lived each day the way she wanted.
Leslie was predeceased by her baby brother Dougie Zenert (1970) and her in-laws Joyce Schmidt (2017) and Wally Schmidt (2017). She will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Ken Schmidt; daughter Laura (Warren) Richelhoff and their children Zoe, Parker; sons Alex (Nikki) Schmidt, JT (Nick) Schmidt, and Justin Schmidt; parents Earl and Joan Zenert; siblings Becky (Wally) Hoehn, Bonny (Mark) Bayne, Jack Zenert, in-laws Judy (Kevin) Tomporowski, Ron (Wanda) Schmidt, Dean (Karen) Schmidt, Cheryl (Jeff) Prediger, and numerous cousins, aunties, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
A Celebration of Leslie’s life will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lupus Canada. Arrangements in care of Travis Minor - Mourning Glory Funeral Services (306) 978-5200.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.9.5