Frances K. Schmidt

November 24, 1915 - June 7, 2019
Frances passed away peacefully on June 7, 2019 at the Cerwyndden Care Center in Duncan, B.C.
Frances was born on a farm near Viking, Alberta in 1915. She was the 3rd of 4 children of Fredrick & Mary Waltz who were developing a homestead. Frances and her sister, Helen, ventured out to Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1937 where Frances gained employment at the General Hospital as a nurse's aid. While residing in Port Alberni, she met her future husband, Oscar Schmidt, and they were married 3 yrs. later, in 1940. Frances and Oscar moved several times based on new job employment opportunities (Campbell River, B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Merritt, B.C.) before arriving in Nelson in 1951, where they resided for the next 56 years. During this time in Nelson, Frances was a full time homemaker for her 2 sons, a superb green thumb gardener, master seamstress, extremely active with the Catholic Women's League (CWL) and baker extraordinaire! There were always extra visits from neighbors when the fresh bread aroma was wafting from within 614 Mill St.
In 1968, Frances & Oscar launched a business next to the Nelson Public Wharf called "Oscar's 2 Cycle Shop". In 1979, after 11 years of successful operation, the shop was sold and they retired.
In 2007, Frances moved to Vancouver Island upon Oscar's passing.
Frances's 3 siblings, Anne Drever, Helen Dobry and Frederick Waltz Jr. have all predeceased her.
Frances is survived by 2 sons: Norman Schmidt aka Harley Rollins (Shirley) of Duncan, Gordon Schmidt (Elise), of Seattle, 3 grandchildren and 5 great grand children.
Funeral Services will be held at the Cathedral of Mary Immaculate at 10:30 am Friday, June 14, 2019, located at 813 Ward St. Nelson B.C. Interment following at Nelson Memorial Cemetery. A Celebration of Life memorial buffet is being held 12 am - 2 pm at the Kestrel Room Best Western at 153 Baker St. Nelson B.C.
If you wish, in lieu of flowers, please send a memorial donation to the Nelson Catholic Women's League, 813 Ward St., Nelson B.C. VIL 4P3.