Juanita Fern Schmidt

Juanita Fern Unruh Schmidt was born September 24, 1936, at Montezuma, KS, to Peter J. and Katie Irene Smith Unruh.  She passed away in the early morning on December 1, 2021, at Oakwood Manor, Brooksville, MS.  She had a firm belief in her salvation, and we believe Jesus was waiting for her with open arms.

Growing up in a large family, there was always plenty of work at home.  As she grew older, she worked at a grocery store and then later at Bethel Home.

She was baptized by Minister David J. Koehn on November 20, 1949, into the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.  On March 13, 1960, she was married to me, Harold Schmidt, at Montezuma, KS.  We enjoyed sixty-one years of married life.  We spent the first five years living at Montezuma, KS, where three of our children were born.  In 1965, we packed our belongings and moved to Rich Hill, MO, where our last two sons were born.  We moved to Brooksville, MS, in March of 1975.

Mother diligently cared for her family and was a hard worker.  We cherish the many comforters she made for us as a family.  Sewing days with the sisters were a top priority to her.  Puzzles were a relaxing hobby of hers.  The grandchildren spent quality time with Grandma doing puzzles and making good memories.  Highlights in Mom’s life were being houseparents at a boy’s unit, first in Vanceboro, NC, and later helping to move the unit to Houston, TX.  Later our parents spent time in Birmingham, AL, serving as missionaries.

In 2019 we moved onto the Oakwood Campus in Brooksville, MS.  In the last year of her life, Mom was lovingly cared for by the Oakwood staff.  We as a family greatly appreciate all the love shown to our mother in the closing days of her life.

Through divine intervention, God granted us a special Thanksgiving together.  Mom sang with us and chose a favorite song “Wonderful Words of Life.”  We treasure the last morning we were together when she gave us a clear goodbye.

Left to mourn her passing are her husband Harold; five children:  Kent and Susan, Dumas, AR; Nancy and Ray Hauder, Versailles, MO; Daryl and Sandra, Kyle and Rita, Brooksville, MS; and Galen and Elizabeth, Elkton, VA; seventeen grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; one sister Ormah and Arnold Giesbrecht, Brooksville, MS; one brother Larry and Sharolyn Unruh, Grifton, NC; sister-in-law Elaine Unruh, Macon, MS; three brothers-in-law Howard Nichols, Montezuma, KS; Howard and Shirley Schmidt, Montezuma, KS; and Charles Unruh, Ulysses, KS.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one grandson, nine brothers and two sisters, three brothers-in-law, and four sisters-in-law.

A funeral service was held at Brook Haven Mennonite Church in Brooksville on December 5, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. with Deacon Arlan Yost, Min. Gladwin Koehn and Min. Galen Schmidt officiating.  Burial was in the church cemetery. Cockrell Funeral Home was honored to be entrusted with arrangements.