Rosemary E. (Paben) Schmitz

Rosemary E. Schmitz, age 78, of Plattsmouth, NE, passed away on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at the Bellevue Medical Center in Bellevue, NE.

Rosemary Elaine (Paben) Schmitz was born on May 15, 1944, in Nebraska City, NE; the daughter of William and Hilda (Kuessel) Paben.  She attended school at St. Benedict’s Elementary.  Her family later moved to Plattsmouth, NE, where she attended St. John's Elementary and Plattsmouth High School.

Rosemary also attended Bellevue College, and took art classes at a Bellevue studio. She worked for the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute (NPI) for some time before going to work at the Glenwood Resource Center in Glenwood, IA, as a programming tech working with clients on communication and daily living skill development for 17 years. After leaving full-time work, she worked part-time for Hallmark in Hawaii and Nebraska.

Rosemary was united in marriage to Richard “Dick” Schmitz on April 20th, 1996, at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Plattsmouth, NE.  

She was very involved with the Catholic Church and Catholic charities. She was a woman of deep faith and was always willing to help those in need. She was a member of various church women’s groups, such as the Catholic Daughters. She was a loyal contributor to Sienna Francis House in Omaha and taught CCD for many years. Outside of the church, she was a volunteer and organizer of community food pantries, clothing drives, and holiday food/gift box programs for those in need. She enjoyed genealogy and was a member of the Nebraska Genealogical Society. She researched and documented her family tree back multiple generations. She was a proud cancer survivor and a strong supporter of the American Cancer Society. Her greatest love was her family, and especially enjoyed the time she spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Schmitz of Plattsmouth, NE; two sons: Mark Ford (fiancé Mary Gunderson) of Council Bluffs, IA, and Craig Ford (Dawn) of Lincoln, NE; grandchildren:  Allie Paulson (Nick), Cassie Johansen (Tory), Jason Wilson, Trevor Wilson, Audrey Wilson (John Harrison), Courtney Clark, Shelby Lojo (Darren) and Gabriel Ford; three great-grandchildren:  Clyde Koca, Liam Paulson and Ella Paulson; and many extended family and friends.

Rosemary was preceded in death by her parents, William and Hilda Paben; daughter Jeanne Wilson and siblings: Leroy Paben, Laverne Koke and Karen Paben.

Memorials may be given in her name to the American Cancer Society or the Sienna Francis House in Omaha.

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