Janette Ruth Schmidt

Janette Schmidt, age 70, of Wheaton, MN passed away Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, ND.

A Private Family Memorial Service will be held Monday, November 29, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at the Bainbridge Funeral Home in Wheaton with Rev. George Sagissor III officiating.

A Public Service is being planned for Spring 2022. 

Burial will be in St. John Lutheran Cemetery, rural Wheaton at a later date.

Janette was born to Harvey and Ruth (Metzger) Wahl on April 11, 1951 in Wheaton, Minnesota.  She was raised on her parents’ farm and lived there most of her life.  After graduating from Wheaton High School in the Class of 1969, Janette attended Alexandria Technical College for clerical and key punch.  On June 13, 1970, Janette was married to Lee Schmidt, and they enjoyed 51 years of marriage together.  On February 7, 1972, Gordon Donnelly hired Janette as a bookkeeper at State Bank of Wheaton.  She made this her place of employment for 42 years, holding the titles of head bookkeeper, assistant cashier and assistant vice president.  Janette loved working with the public and was always a smiling face for her customers.

Growing up, Janette belonged to the Monson Wide Awake 4-H Club.  At times she would enter as many as 30 items at the fair, earning her numerous Grand Champions for sewing, gardening and photography.  She belonged to FHA and choir in high school, played the piano and occasionally, sang solos at church.  At home one of her favorite songs to play was “How Great Thou Art” while her Dad sang along.   Janette was the first “Miss Rural Traverse County”.  Later in life, she bowled on the mixed doubles and Wednesday Night Owls bowling leagues.  Janette loved to sew.  Her mom taught her to sew at a very young age, and she was sewing doll clothes before she was 8 years old.  She enjoyed sewing clothes for herself and Robbie and Tara, when they were young and was always more than happy to “repair” anything her children or grandchildren needed fixed.  Janette continued to enter projects in the open class for sewing and photography at the Traverse County Fair until just a couple of years ago. 

Janette had a love for cars, and she owned many during her life.  One of her favorites was her 2010 Synergy Green Camaro –a limited addition.  She also owned an Inferno Orange convertible which she traded off for a new silver convertible Camaro in 2017.  The last few years, Lee and Janette were members of the Convertible Club, which they enjoyed very much.  Spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, shopping and having dinner dates with the “Dames” and other special family and friends were other things Janette loved.  Every 4th of July, Lee and Janette enjoyed hosting a family picnic at their cabin on Pelican Lake by Ashby.

Janette prided herself on always dressing to impress and will be remembered as being many things – loving, kind, strong and brave.  Even during her toughest battles, she always put others before herself, often sending cards and well-wishes to others who had been recently diagnosed with cancer.  She was loved by so many and will be missed dearly.

Janette is survived by her husband, Lee; son, Robbie (Jaylene) Schmidt and daughter, Tara (James) Stotesbery; grandchildren: Taylin and Carver Schmidt; Parker, Dru, Carsyn and Gibson Stotesbery; mother-in-law, Ione Schmidt; sister-in-law, Lynae (Gene) Berger; many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Ruth Wahl; sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Kenneth Bock; father-in-law, Milton Schmidt; sister-in-law, Sherilyn Martinek; brother-in-law, Lonnie Schmidt; and special friend, Jonelle Fell.