Delores Lane Schmitt

Delores Lane Schmitt, age 89, passed away peacefully at her home in Colby on Thursday November 27, 2025, Thanksgiving Day.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 4th at Saint Mary Help of Christian Parish in Colby. Father Keith Kitzhaber will preside. Visitation will occur at the church beginning at 10:00 a.m. Thursday until the time of the service.
Delores was born on August 14, 1936, the daughter of Sylvan and Mable (Kennedy) Schreiner, in Townsend, MT. At the age of 5 her family moved from Montana to Washington. She graduated from Renton High School. Delores married Mark (Sparky) Schmitt on March 12, 1955, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Renton, WA. After their 4th child was born, Delores and Mark moved from the state of Washington to the family farm in Wisconsin.
Delores wore several hats throughout her life. She was a Bakery Manager, Bookkeeper, Tax Preparer, and worked in sales support as an IT troubleshooter for Tombstone Pizza. Delores learned bookkeeping in high school, handled the books and tax filing on the family farm and eventually she began doing taxes for relatives and neighbors which grew into her "side hustle", preparing taxes for many different clients which continued well after retirement from Tombstone Pizza. She finally ended this service after the 2022 tax year. Delores also offered her services to St. Mary's by playing organ at weekend masses, completing the bulletin each week, working rummage sales, church dinners and helping with the summer farmer's market.
Delores enjoyed multiple hobbies from playing piano to gardening, baking to needlework, bird watching to family and neighborhood gatherings. But most of all she cherished her children and grandchildren.
Delores is survived by two sons. Jeffrey, (Linda) of Greenwood, James of Colby; four daughters: Kimberly (Gene) Hull of Joliet MT, Linette Hastie of Abbotsford, Laurie Aichele (Charlie Kuehn) of Fall Creek and Pam Reynolds of Colby, One son-in-law: Dean Meyer, 18 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Nola (Bob) Rasmussen of Graham, WA and a brother Michael (Judy) Schreiner of Kent, WA, sisters-in-law: Germaine Redmann of Athens and Joan Schmitt of Wausau. brother-in-law: Tim (Suzie) Schmitt of Blenker.
Delores was preceded in death by her husband Mark, 2 daughters, Gwen Schmitt and Gail Meyer, 2 sons-in-law, Conrad Aichele, Douglas Hastie, her parents; her three brothers, Bill Schreiner, Tib (Connie) Schreiner, Johnny Schreiner. In-laws, Rita (Lawrence) Peterson, Maude (Elmer) Kocian, Carmen (Lee) Fosdick, Naomi (Harry) Kruse, Mercedes (Leo) Lang, Blanch (Angelo) Zera, Roman Schmitt, Emery (Rita) Schmitt, Mary Ann (Ted) Scanlon, Verjean (Lawrence) Kunze, Linus Schmitt, Pamela Schmitt and Fritz Redmann.
Delores's family would like to thank the staff at The Colonial Home in Colby, Marshfield Medical Center ICU for the excellent care she received as a resident/ patient and Hope Hospice of Medford. Without their guidance and assistance, we would not have been able to bring her home to live out her final days.