Susan Schmidt

Susan Jane (Peet) Schmidt, 82, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, formerly of Martelle, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at The Gardens of Cedar Rapids. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2021, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mount Vernon. Funeral Services: 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, Iowa, with additional visitation at 10 a.m. Burial: Norwich Cemetery, Martelle. Those unable to attend are invited to watch the service via livestream. Please find the livestream link on Susan's Tribute Wall and share your love and memories with her family at www.stewartbaxter.com under Obituaries. Susan Jane Peet was born January 9, 1940, at Mercy Hospital, Anamosa to Robert W. Peet and Pauline Kyle Peet of Martelle. Susan started First Grade at the Martelle Consolidated School in 1945 and graduated in 1957. She was very active in music in high school, playing her baritone sax in the band and being in choir all four years of high school as well as singing solos at state contests. She also accompanied many band and vocal solos at contests. She attended Cedar Rapids Business College for one year and was secretary for a Cedar Rapids lawyer the summer of 1958. She then attended Drake University in Des Moines where she graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a teaching minor in Business Education. She participated in many music activities at Drake: University Chorus, Drake Choir, and the Drake Band. She also worked for the Dean of Education. On August 12, 1961, she and James Baird Schmidt were married at the Martelle Methodist Church. They have resided on the same farm since their wedding. (Susan has had a Martelle mailing address for her whole life). They were the parents of three children; Amy Schmidt Mann, Debra Schmidt Judge, and Eric James Schmidt Susan followed in her mother's footsteps and played piano (later also the organ) at the Martelle Methodist church beginning when she was 13. She also worked and sang�� with the adult choir and the children of the Sunday School for the Christmas Programs and VBS in the summer. She sang many solos beginning when she was four years old. She also taught fourth grade Sunday School. After she and Jim were married, she became a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon, where she was already working with the Adult Choir and playing the organ for services, Christmas Programs, Weddings, and Funerals. Over the years, she directed the Adult Choir, children's choirs and did the music for many VBS's. She retired from playing the organ in 2011 after 50 years. She played for many funerals and weddings at churches in Martelle, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Mechanicsville, Manassas, Virginia, Neola, Iowa, and Cedar Rapids. She and Jim sang "Beyond the Sunset" at many funerals. Susan sang in the Anamosa Community Chorus, Cornell's Messi, and she had a singing part in Anamosa's Starlighter's presentation of "Mame". She also was the Matchmaker in Mount Vernon's Community Theater's presentation of "Fiddler on the Roof'. You could say, 'music was her life'. Susan gave piano and voice lessons in her home beginning in 1963. She gave many students their start in music. In later years, she went to the student's homes and gave the lessons which worked very well. She taught for 26 years In 1982, she helped organize the St. Paul Lutheran Preschool in Mount Vernon. She was Lead Teacher and also did all the bookwork for the preschool. She really loved those three to five year-olds. and retired in 1993, when the preschool closed Susan was a member of the Greenfield Lucky Lassies 4-H Club of Martelle for nine years and served in all of the offices. She developed her love of sewing and cooking there. Susan was a 4-H leader when her daughters we in the same 4-H Club. The highlight of the year was always The Great Jones County Fair. Susan sewed most of the clothes for her daughters and later made Debra's wedding dress. She sewed prom dresses for several of the neighbor girls. She sewed all of her family's clothing for the Martelle Centennial in 1972. Susan was a member of the Martelle Century Club (a Federated Women's Club which her mother had helped organize in 1947). She held offices at the local, district and state level. She took her mother-in-law's place as Greenfield Township's Republican Committeewoman in 1968, and served 45 years She also sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Regional Republican Convention in Anamosa in the 1980's. Susan preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Pauline Kyle Peet and an infant son, Michael in January 4, 1963. Survivors include her husband, James Schmidt; her daughters, Amy Mann (Joel), and Debra Judge (Mike); son, Eric Schmidt (Hilary); and seven grandchildren, Miranda and Alex Schweer, Joey and Jerzey Judge, and Andrew, Matthew, and Lucas Galloro. She is also survived by her brother, R Douglas Peet; her sister, Ellen Aakre; and two nieces and three nephews. The family extends a sincere thank you to The Gardens of Cedar Rapids for the excellent care Susan received the last four and a half years. Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church for the music ministry and organ fund.