Anna M. Schmidt, age 94, of Dubuque, passed away at 11:11 a.m., on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at Stonehill Health Center. To honor Anna’s life, family and friends may visit from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., on Friday, September 8, 2023, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, where there will be a parish scripture wake service held at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at Holy Spirit Parish, Sacred Heart Church, 2215 Windsor Avenue. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

Anna was born on November 4, 1928, daughter of Clarence and Elizabeth (Pothoff) Bleile. She was born at home in Balltown, Iowa. Back then, the doctor came to the home to deliver babies. Instead of a bassinet, her mother would put her in a dresser drawer to sleep when she was an infant.
She aquired polio at the age of 4. The vaccine had not been invented until the 1950s. She spent 6 months of her life crawling and had to learn how to walk again. The polio led to a lifetime of back challenges for her.
Anna’s first language was German. Her children fondly remember that when Mom yelled at them in German, she meant business.

Anna had to learn English when she went to kindergarten at St. Joseph School in Balltown. She actually did walk 4 miles to school (uphill) every day. She and her siblings would sometimes sneak throught the fields to take a short cut when they could get away with it. She completed the 6th grade and then stopped school to help on the family farm. Anna was united in marriage to Leonard Schmidt on October 22, 1947, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Balltown, Iowa. Leonard passed away on August 18, 2015. During her life she lived in Balltown, North Buena Vista and Bellevue, eventually moving to Dubuque in 1984. She was a talented gardner and the food she prepared for her family came from the garden or from the animals that were raised on the farm. Anna was a devoted mother who was always ready and willing to help her family and friends. She loved to prepare meals for her family. She served 3 meals a day, everyday. No one would ever leave her home hungry. We will cherish the fond memories of her soups, famous goulash and smells of her freshly baked bread which she continued to do weekly until her health would no longer allow. She loved the times with her family, especially the babies. She always made sure every baby would be wearing an undershirt so they wouldn’t get cold. Anna loved her family and watching her grandchildren brought her great joy. Her faith was an important part of her daily life, even when she could no longer attend Mass at Holy Ghost Church due to health issues. She enjoyed going to Bingo at Holy Ghost, playing Euchre and especially Yatzee. She enjoyed watching WWE wrestling every Monday on TV. She would argue with anyone who told her it wasn’t real. Anna has faced some challenging health issues these past years, but has handled them with extraordinary grace. She will be greatly missed.

Those left to cherish Anna’s memory include

6 children,
Robert (Donna) Schmidt, Durango, IA,
Vern Schmidt, Dubuque, IA,
Bonnie (Jeff) Avenarius, Dubuque, IA,
Daryl (Fran) Schmidt, Oelwein, IA,
Kim (Sam) Runde, Hazel Green, WI
and Rose (Steve Zmuda) Wallace, Bettendorf, IA;

17 grandchildren,
Barb (Dan) Hess, Carla (Randy) Hess, Peggy (Brick Jones) Ostrander, Tom (Kim O’Kada) Schmidt, Pat (Ashley) Schmidt, Lisa Jelliff, Jason Schmidt, Kristy Forcucci, Cory Avenarius, Jennifer Moris, Rick (Arica) Schmidt, Joe (Bri) Runde, Nick (Melissa Carter) Vondran, Jessica Runde, Jamie Runde, Emily (Jake) Henneman and Adam Wallace;

39 great-grandchildren and 23 great great-grandchildren;

her sister,
Irene Strief, Lancaster, WI,

a sister-in-law,
Mary Bleile, Dubuque, IA.

Anna was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Leonard Schmidt; a daughter, Judith Schmidt in infancy; a great-granddaughter, Molly Schmidt; a great-grandson, Preston Jelliff; a foster son, Robert O’Hern; 2 daughters-in-law, Cherie Schmidt and Angie Schmidt; her siblings, Donald Bleile in infancy, Lucille (Herbert) Dean, Elmer Bleile and Irvin Bleile; and a brother-in-law, Harold Strief.

Anna’s family would like to thank the outstanding staff at Stonehill and Hospice of Dubuque for their attentiveness, kindness and all of the wonderful care they have provided for Anna over the last 10 years.

The family will thankfully receive your support through greeting cards and memorials in Anna’s memory which may be mailed to Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, Attn. Anna Schmidt Family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.behrfuneralhome.com