Katherine Estelle (Hetzel) Schmidt, 94, of League City, Texas, passed from this life to everlasting life with Jesus on Monday, July 24, 2017, with her children by her side. Katherine was born in Houston, Texas, on December 11, 1922, to Edwin Frederik Hetzel Sr. and Rosie Lee (Rodgers) Gates Hetzel Hebert. She graduated from Webster High School. She was married to Cecil Carl Schmidt on September 11, 1941, at his family home in Kemah. Together they welcomed four children to the union.
Katherine and Cecil lived the majority of their lives in Kemah and relocated to League City, Texas, in 1985. Katherine loved being active in 4H, sewing for friends, making various crafts, gardening, family reunions and Sunday family picnics. She was a homemaker most of her life and family was always foremost. She was also a wonderful cook and together with her daughter, Bonnie, and son, Cecil, Jr., traveled for over 25 years competing in chili cook-offs all over the state. Her chili was known as “Mama’s Best,” and that it was! She won numerous contests and was a favorite among many. Her crowning achievement was tying for first place in the World Chili Cookoff in Terlingua, Texas. Though she enjoyed cooking chili, she loved traveling to competitions even more, and spending time with chili friends who became like family, especially her good friend Nancy Thomas of Sugar Land, Texas. Her biggest regret in life was never learning how to drive a car. Early on she tried once and when was made fun of, quit, and never tried again. She was a great seamstress and made clothes for everyone including beautifully hand-smocked dresses for her granddaughter, and Clear Creek Cavaliers drill team uniforms back when the girls had to pay for their own. Always staying up late and making very little money. She never charged what she should have for her hard work ever. Later she became an avid knitter and made wonderful scarves for all of her family and friends. Katherine would travel often with her son, Cecil, to Gulf Greyhound Park and made numerous friends that lasted for life. She knitted over 35 scarves for employees and dear friends she had made through those years. She continued knitting the best she could even into her last years.
There were several close calls on her life. Once she fell in the family pool and almost drowned when in her 70’s. She had to be pulled out and given CPR. Later, she went through major surgery at age 89 and spent seven weeks in the hospital with doctors saying she is not going to see 90. She proved them wrong for 4-1/2 years. She had an amazing will to live. We will always remember the things she would say and do, but most of all, we will remember her love for us all!
Katherine is preceded in death by her parents Edwin and Rosie Lee Hetzel; husband Cecil Carl Schmidt, Sr.; son-in-law Lindsay Carleton; son-in-law Grenville Mosley; step grandson Anthony Mosley; sisters Willie Mae Stifflemire and June Rose Scrofne; and brother Joseph Hebert.
She is survived by daughters Cathy Schmidt Carleton and Bonnie Schmidt Mosley, both of League City; sons Cecil Carl Schmidt, Jr. and Chris Alan Schmidt (wife Deborah), of League City. She also leaves behind her grandchildren Bryan Patrick Carleton and wife Marcia of League City; Stephen Michael Carleton and companion Justin Jones of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Jessica Leigh (Schmidt) Sowyrda and husband J.B. of Kingwood, Texas; Christopher Michael Schmidt and wife Angela of Austin, Texas; step-grandsons Donald and Steven Mosley of New Zealand; step-granddaughter Debbie Twining, and husband Jim, of Canada; Kim Eckersley Mosley, wife of late step-grandson Anthony Mosley, of Canada; great-grandchildren Bryce, Riley, Garrett, Liam, Cecilia, Brantley, Bradyn and Beckett; three step great grandchildren in Canada; sisters Hallie Bennett, Dorothy Thigpen, Melba Faye Wolf; brother Edwin Hetzel Jr., and wife Carolyn; sisters-in-law Sylvia Hebert and Nancy Hebert. She was also loved by many nephews and nieces, and a host of family and friends.
The family would like to express a special thank you to Katherine’s niece, Carolyn Schmidt, for the daily phone calls of love that meant so much. A special thank you goes to Marcia Carleton, for care and medical support to Katherine and the family over the years. Also thank you to those who helped care for Katherine over the years – Joyce, Gracie, Vera, Lynne, Suzanne and Cyndi.
Visitation will be held Thursday, July 27, at 11 am at Crowder Funeral Home of Dickinson. Funeral services will be held at 12:30 pm, followed by burial at Forest Park Cemetery in League City.
Pallbearers include Doug Bennett, Stephen Carleton, Logan Goodson, Bryan Carleton, Christopher Schmidt, and Jonathon Sowyrda.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Diabetes Association in Katherine’s honor.