Sara Ann Schmidt

  The world was blessed with the radiant spirit of Sara Ann (Hurst) Schmidt, the daughter of Philip and Cheryl (Beck) Hurst, on July 10,1980 in Spencer, IA. After a courageous two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, Sara was called home by the Lord on January 12, 2025, where she was reunited with her cherished family in Heaven. 

 Sara grew up in Spencer, IA where she attended school and graduated from Spencer High School in 1998. Throughout high school she took great pride in being the best wrestling manager to date. After graduation she attended UNI for Early Childhood Education before switching to Surgical Technology. She was hired at Spencer Hospital in Same Day Surgery where she pursued her nursing degree while working with some of her longest standing friends. She looked forward to their holiday parties every year as she was still considered one of them after she moved to her dream job as Spencer’s High School Nurse. Sara had the pleasure of working with her mom before her passing and they loved to have lunch, take breaks, be goofy, and enjoy the same schedule. Sara not only loved working with her mom, but she truly loved the students. They made her smile every day, taught her new, cool things, and showed her so much love every day. 

 Sara’s love for helping others came to her easily as she had the best role models. Her parents showed her how to love, to give, and to have the most unwavering faith. She lived by these three things every single day and made sure everyone knew how important they were and how much God loves them. Sara was admired by family and friends alike for her strong values, unconditional love and kindness. She truly had a gift for making everyone feel loved and seen. She never missed an opportunity to tell those around her how much she loved them. Everyone wanted to be around Sara as she was the life of the party and knew how to have fun. It wasn’t just adults that Sara’s vibe attracted, it was all kids. She loved going along with their fun and crazy ideas, which made her much more popular than their parents. 

 Sara met the love of her life, Dave Schmidt, in 2009. Their first date was at the SPAM Museum where Dave won her over with the best canned meat. Sara was always up to having fun so when she called everyone on April 1st, 2010, to tell them her and Dave got married on vacation in Florida, nobody believed them. Sara’s favorite thing was being a mom to her two boys Sam and Kael. She was the best boy mom as she was all about getting dirty, playing sports, doing experiments, and saying “yes!”. She loved unconditionally and showed not only her boys, but anyone who she met what this meant as well as what it meant to have faith. She wanted everyone to know Jesus loved them and to believe in Him. 

 Adventures and full of life; Sara cherished experiences big and small. One of her best memories was going to the World of Poker Series in Las Vegas with her brother, John, in which she had never played before. She ended up being the leading female chip holder, which was far better than her brother. John was so proud of her. She also loved to travel with her family and experience new places. Some of her favorite places were Alaska and most recently, Gatlinburg, TN, where she was one of three parade judges for their famous Christmas Parade. Being a parade judge fit her perfectly as she was the Flagfest Parade Marshal this past summer and loved seeing everyone along the streets as she threw them candy. The town of Spencer held a very special place in Sara’s heart from the Flagfest Parade to the Greatest County Fair. She fell in love with the fair when her dad became the manager. She would spend fair week attending everyday trying all the food, watching her favorite people show, watching the free acts, checking out the concerts, riding around on the golf cart and talking to all the people who loved the fair as much as she did. 

 Sara is survived by her devoted husband, Dave, of Spencer, IA; her two sons Sam Brandt, of Spencer, IA; Kael Schmidt of Spencer, IA; her mother and father-in-law Pete and Barb Schmidt of Spooner, WI; her sister-in law, Jacqueline Olson (Chris), and son Dylan of Black River Falls, WI; Regina Hurst and daughter Hazel of San Antonio, TX, and her three fur babies: McClane, Goose, and Creed; her aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and many friends. 

 Sara is preceded in death by her parents, Philip and Cheryl Hurst, her brother, John Hurst, her maternal grandparents, Rudy and Lois Ann Beck, and paternal grandparents, Albert and Helen Hurst; along with other loved ones. 

 Sara’s faith, love, and zest for life will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. She was a beacon of hope, a source of comfort, and a reminder of God’s infinite love. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Sara's name.