Jessie Florence (Miller) Schmidt

Jessie Miller Schmidt, age 93 of Apple Valley, formerly of Redwood Falls, passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at Regina Medical Center in Hastings, MN following a fall.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 26 at the First United Methodist Church in Redwood Falls. Visitation will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Saturday at the Redwood Valley Funeral Home.

Visitation will continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Sunday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to: The High School Library Fund, Cedar Mountain Public Schools, 310 Somerville Ave., Morgan, MN 56266. Email condolences may be sent to www.redwoodvalleyfuneralhome.com. The Redwood Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Jessie Miller was born on September 15, 1915 in Morton, Minnesota to Maude (Fadden) and John Miller. She was a salutatorian of the 1933 class at Morton High School. She completed “Normal” teacher-training school in Redwood Falls and taught at Crow Creek country school. In 1936, she traveled to California in a Model-A Ford with several special Morton friends and they had many adventures. The Golden Gate Bridge was still being constructed. On December 27, 1938, Jessie married Vernon J. Schmidt at Sioux Falls, SD and they made their home in Redwood Falls. In the mid-1950’s, Jessie returned to college as well as resuming her teaching career at Clements School (grades 1-6). She then became a reading specialist at Morgan Public Schools. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree and two Masters’ degrees from Mankato State University. She had the following certifications: Elementary Principal, Elementary Education, Elementary Remedial Reading, Reading Consultant, Reading Director, Secondary Developmental Reading and Secondary Remedial Reading. She taught until she was 77 years of age, retiring in 1991. Teaching young people was one of the highlights of her life. She would tell her students that she wouldn’t ask them to do anything that she wasn’t willing to do. Thus, she wrote poetry, stories and myths right along with them. Her special love of poetry – both the reading and writing of it – enriched the lives of her family. As recently as this September, she enjoyed planning and sharing with her family what she would like to be teaching if given the chance. In 1998, she moved to Apple Valley to be closer to her extended family. The most important thing to Jessie was her family. Her great-grandchildren flocked to her and she adored each one of them for their uniqueness. In October 2005, because of special medical needs, she became a resident at Augustana Health Care Center in Hastings. She became a favorite of those who cared for her and she even proof-read papers for one of her caregivers who was attending college.

Jessie is survived by her children: Jeannette Anne Harrington of Apple Valley, and Cathy Joan Ford of Apple Valley; daughter-in-law Susan Schmidt; grandchildren: Cathy Jo (Terry) Swanson, Bobbie Jo Knutson, Jason Jacobs, Bradford Harrington, Laurel Harrington, Kevin (Kim) Schmidt, Jeannine Schmidt, Christine Schmidt, David (Janean) Schmidt, Sarah Schmidt, John Vernon (Lindsey) Schmidt, and Rebekah Schmidt; great-grandchildren: Jessica Swanson, Cassandra Swanson, Angelina Swanson, Victoria Schmidt, Independence “Indy” Jacobs, Rachel Schmidt, Hannah Schmidt, David Schmidt, Jr., Blake Knutson, and Conner Knutson. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Vernon J. Schmidt, Sr.; son Vernon J. Schmidt, Jr.; infant sister Nola Mae; and her sister-in-law Phyllis Schmidt Roberts.