DEFIANCE -- Mary Elizabeth Schmitz, daughter of Joseph and Mary Book Kramer, was born on a farm in Shelby county near Earling on May 20, 1888. She was baptized and confirmed at St Boniface Church in Earling, She attended St. Joseph's school and grew to adulthood on her parent's farm. On May 2, 1911 she married Henry Schmitz in St. Joseph's church in Earling, Ten children were born to this union.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Schmitz farmed near Westphalia, for 50 years. After Mr. Schmitz's death in 1962, Mary moved to Defiance. This was her home for 10 years. She then became a resident of the Little Flower Haven in Earling and this has been her home since that time. Mrs. Schmitz died at Myrtue Memorial hospital in Harlan on March 27, 1978 at age 89 years, 10 months and seven days. She was a long time member of St. Boniface church in Westphalia, After moving to Defiance, she was a member of St. Peter's church.

In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by two sons, Richard in infancy and LeRoy; a daughter, Mary Jane; four brothers, Joe, Bill, Frank and Carl Kramer; and by two sisters, Mathilda Kramer and Clara Muell. Survivors include a son, Virgil Schmitz of Neola; six daughters - Stella (Mrs. Isadore Wingert) of Portsmouth, Lillian Blum of Co. Bluffs, Laura Schmitz of Marshfield, Wisc..., Alice (Mrs. Ed Kwapiszeski) of Panama, Eileen (Mrs. John Schrader) of Seattle, Wash, Naomi (Mrs. Marcus Gross) of Defiance; 31 grandchildren; 43 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandson; nieces and nephews and other relatives.

A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Peter's church in Defiance on Thursday, March 30, 1978, with Rev. Anthony Fischer as celebrant and Rev. Donald Bruck as concelebrant, Burial was in St. Boniface cemetery in Westphalia, with Jim Blum, Terry Blum, Bill Wingert, Orlyn Wingert, Douglas Gross and Tom Kwapiszeski as pallbearers.