Madonna Schmitt(1920-2020)

SCHMITT

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/20/2020 at 20:28:32

Madonna Schmitt answered God’s call to come home on Sunday, April 19, 2020, at the Hawkeye Care Center in Dubuque, just weeks short of her 100th birthday.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Madonna will be held Thursday, April 23, 2020 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Peosta. Burial will be in the church cemetery in Centralia which is directly across from the home she and Harold built in 1977. The service will be available for viewing shortly after the Mass is concluded at www.hskfhcares.com.

She was born in Emery, South Dakota on June 4, 1920 to Michael and Edna (Thielen) Koetz. Madonna called Centralia, Iowa home and where she and her husband, Harold, bought a farm in 1947.

On February 27, 1943, Madonna married Harold Schmitt at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Peosta, Iowa where she had been a life-long member. Together, she and Harold raised five children, Pat (Ron) Schueller of Cuba City, WI, Joann of Omaha, NE, Richard of Columbia, MO, Ken (Carol) of Dubuque and John (Robin) of Buford, GA. Having been married over sixty years, Harold preceded Madonna in death on December 31, 2003.

Madonna graduated as valedictorian from Peosta High School in 1938 where she played basketball. She was an avid bowler as well as a member of St. John’s Rosary Society. After they retired from farming, she enjoyed working in the kitchen at Helen’s. For many years, Madonna was a voting clerk at the Centralia Fire Department during elections.

Madonna is survived by her children and nine grandchildren including Karen (Ron) Snyder of Peosta, Greg (Marcia) Schueller of Ft. Atkinson, WI, Gail (Dana) Benson of Cumming, GA, Dana Schueller of Chicago, IL, Dianne (Ron) Jentz of Platteville, WI, Lynee (Rod) Robson of Cuba City, WI, Maureen (Terry) Waskow of Dubuque, Jared (Megan) Schmitt of Centralia, and Josh (Michele) Schmitt of Livermore, CA. Madonna took joy in her twenty-two great grandchildren. She is also survived by siblings Francis (Marian) Koetz of Centralia, Mildred Finzel of Dubuque, Glen (Donna) Koetz of Dubuque, and sisters-in-law Rosie (Ed) Horsfield of Epworth and Carol Schmitt of Peosta.

In addition to Harold, she was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother, as well as siblings Marilyn Koetz, Joseph (Louise) Koetz, brother-in-law Norb Finzel, Harold’s brothers Gerald, Jim, Robert, and George Schmitt, and sisters Marguerite Richter, Marcella Schmitt, Gertrude McGovern, Bonnie Moses, Alice Burds, Evelyn Hammes, Dorothy Von Ah, and Mary Lou Lindecker.

We would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Hawkeye Care Center which Madonna has called home and been treated like family for the last seventeen years. Our family would also like to thank Hospice of Dubuque, especially our Megan, Angelia, Suzanne, Scott, Heather and Kelli for the skilled expertise, compassion, and dignity provided to Madonna and her family.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent in Madonna’s name to Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home, 3860 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52002.

A photo tribute can be viewed and condolences sent to the family by visiting Madonna’s obituary at www.hskfhcares.com.