Shirley R. Schmidt

Shirley was the eldest of six siblings. She was resilient and generous, joyous, and quick-witted, always with a good sense of humor. She began each morning at her kitchen table, where she faithfully completed her Yakima Herald crossword puzzles. She welcomed her daily clan of visitors with a singing “who is it?” as they entered her home and joined her at the table for a snack. She especially enjoyed sharing walnuts from the tree in her yard or raspberries from her garden, and a friendly game of cards with relatives. In the fall, college football played on the TV; in the winter, she cheered on the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Shirley was born on March 30, 1929 to William and Della Traversie in White Horse, South Dakota. She was a proudly enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and spent her childhood on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Her family later moved to Washington, where she graduated from Prosser High School in 1947. Shirley went on to receive a Business degree from Haskell Indian Nations University in 1949.

She and Leo Schmidt were married on June 10, 1950 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Toppenish, WA. They spent nearly 70 years together: growing a loving family, hosting Christmas gatherings in their home, dancing with the German Dance Club, and attending weekly services at St. Paul Cathedral, where Shirley sang in the choir. She worked alongside Leo for several years as a meat wrapper, and was also a 48-year member of the Young Ladies Institute #97, serving for many years as the financial secretary.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Leo and daughter Gail, who both passed in 2020, her three siblings, Charlotte, Ellen, and Wayne, and her parents.

She is survived by her son William Leo and daughter Maryellen May, who cared for her through her final months. Shirley is also survived by two brothers, Jerome and Krohn Traversie. She is remembered dearly by her eight grandchildren: Isham (Jutta), Carley and Chandler Schmidt, Shannon, Ryan (Yvette), and Dasha Low, Kathy (Dave) Homa, and Sarah (Adam) Smith, her nine great-grandchildren, her son-in-law Randy May, her god-daughter Bonnie Cerrillo, and many nieces and nephews.

Shirley’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the caregivers who provided comfort and support for her over the last few months.

A celebration of life will be held on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 11 a.m. at Langevin Funeral Home. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.lepfuneralhome.com.