Faye Schmidt

Faye E. (Chaney) Schmidt, 98, left Wapato (WA) on Dec. 2, 2018 for a huge family reunion in Heaven. Mom was born on Nov. 19, 1920 in the woods of Oregon, approx. 10 miles east of Myrtle Creek, to Jesse and Pearl (Potter) Chaney. Where she was raised with her 5 siblings. Where they walked a long way to a one room schoolhouse. They did not have a car so her father would walk the approx. 10 miles to Myrtle Creek for the family needs and walk all the way home again. Mom had many cherished memories of home. Going to grandpa Potter’s house was always special. First they had to cross the creek then climb to the top of the hill where he lived. Going Berry picking was another special memory, she and her siblings would go berry picking which was a great effort climbing the hills over large fallen logs through bramble bushes, always keeping their eyes peeled for bears and other wild beasts. When they spotted any, it was with great speed they hurled themselves over all those logs and through the bramble bushes, berries flying in every direction, to make it home safely. They could have won the Olympics. Poor grandma must have been pretty upset. She had to do so much with so little. They also spent many happy hours in the creek swimming and fishing with the crawdads, south of where they lived. “She could swim like a fish”. Around the age of 16 she left her beloved woods, and went to Harrah, WA, to live with her sister and husband. She earned money by working in the potato and hop fields. She eventually met John Schmidt from a German Harrah Pioneer family. John was bilingual, German and English. Then on a beautiful sunny day they married on Oct. 7, 1939, Yakima. They spent most of their married lives on rented farmland where they raised their three children, off S. Island Rd., S.W. of Harrah. Mom never really did get to used to this desert. So it was with great joy when she was told to pack the family picnic basket with their bean sandwiches before heading for the hills. WELL, at least we didn’t get food poisoning! Mom considered her first priority to take care of her family. Her daughters followed her excellent example. Bless you mom, good job! Mom was an excellent cook; her German fried potatoes were always a winner with us, although she was not German. The best we could figure she was Irish-Scottish. Us kids would arrive home from school to the delicious aroma of homemade bread slathered with homemade butter and jam. Mom also loved dad’s accordion music even to the end. Now she can see and hear him in person, and all the happy dancing going on, dad and mom spent 74 years together before he left us in 2014. Faye is survived by 2 daughters, Margaret Hagarty and her husband, Duane, who was Faye and Johns caregivers for 14 years, and Sharon O’Shea, son, Ron Schmidt: 9 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren, several great great grandchildren. Sister-in-laws, Alice Chaney and Pearl Schmidt, all their special nieces and nephews, and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings, sisters, Merle Martin Forman and Opal Steen and brothers, “Jack”, “Bill”, and Lyle Chaney. Son-in-law James O’Shea, grandsons, Theodore and Jeffrey O’Shea. She also cared greatly for all of John’s family. There will be a memorial service Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, 2 PM at Valley Hills Funeral Home located at 218 W 3rd Street in Wapato, WA. There will be a private burial at a later day. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Faye Schmidt, please visit our flower store.