Genevieve R. Schmidt, 87, of Hustisford, passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. She was born in Hartford on April 15, 1925, the daughter of Paul and Catherine (nee Lischka) Zingsheim.

Genevieve, along with her friends, would hide behind school during recess to speak German. Speaking anything other than English was not allowed in school during that time. To this day, she still greeted her family and friends with “Wie geht’s?” and when things weren’t going her way, she would say “Ach du lieben!” Like many children during this time, Genevieve had to leave school early to help at home and to work outside the home to raise money for her family. She began working outside the home at 13 years old. Genevieve cooked, cleaned, nannied and cared for the elderly. It was during this time in her life that she found her passion, cooking.

She met Wilfred Schmidt and married him on May 7, 1949. Together they raised eight children. In 1968, they moved to Hustisford and Genevieve opened Schmidt’s Village Pantry. This was a woman with an eighth-grade education, eight children to raise, and she opened her own business! For the next 20 years, she worked endlessly to provide great German cooking and customer service to thousands of customers over the years.

Genevieve loved spending time with family and friends. She enjoyed many family reunions and fishing trips. Genevieve was always surrounded by her children, siblings, nieces, nephews and grandchildren, and was always friendly, kind, happy, positive and grateful. She was also an avid card player, playing sheepshead, canasta, pinochle, cribbage and solitaire. In her retirement, she would have played more than 30,000 games of solitaire! She played even more hands of sheepshead!

Most importantly, Genevieve was very devout. She probably burned as many religious candles to pray for others as she played hands of solitaire. Genevieve prayed the Rosary twice a day every day. She always put God first and was devoted to our Blessed Virgin Mary.

She is preceded in death by her husband Wilfred Schmidt in 2001, her daughter Brenda, infant granddaughter, her sister Veronica Ewert, her brothers Eugene, Phillip and Daniel Zingsheim, her brothers-in-law Herman Schulteis and William Kenealy, and her sons-in-law Michael Engerson and Gordon Skalitzky Sr.

Genevieve is survived by her children Mark Schmidt of Hustisford, Fern (Dan) Turner of Reeseville, Julie Engerson of Hustisford, John Schmidt of Reeseville, Bruce (Cecelia) Schmidt of Hartford, Gail Schmidt of Oshkosh and Mary Ellen (Brian) Bauerschmidt of Pleasant Prairie, 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, her sisters Rita Schulteis of Germantown, Pauline Kenealy of Theresa, her brother Fred (Dianne) Zingsheim of Theresa, her sister-in-law Marilyn Zingsheim of Theresa, her brother- in-law Roy Ewert of Hartford, and her son-in-law Wesley Braunschweig of Neosho. She is further survived by many many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, from 10 a.m.-noon at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Neosho. Funeral service will follow at noon at the church. The Rev. Alois Van Beek will officiate. Interment will be at Hustisford Cemetery.

The Berndt-Ledesma Funeral Home is serving the family.

www.berndt-ledesma.com.