Martha “Tootie” Schmidt

October 19, 1936 – October 19, 2022

Martha “Tootie” Schmidt, 86, passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours on October 19, 2022.  Martha was born on October 19, 1936, in Chicago, IL, the second of 13 children, to Louis and Lorine (Dillard) Emlund.  She married Glenn Schmidt on October 10, 1964, and they shared 58 years and 9 days of laughter, tears, joy, spontaneous adventures and life’s simple pleasures.  Martha and Glenn had 3 children, Gerald, Susan, and Timothy.  She lived the majority of her life in the Chicagoland area where she enjoyed being a wife, mother, aunt, and sister.  She worked as a baker at D.D. Eisenhower High School for 12 years until Glenn’s retirement and moved to Mesa, AZ, in 2000.  Among her wonderful qualities, she had a witty, yet an unpretentious sense of humor.  Friends of her children called her Mom or Martha as they always felt comfortable around her, telling jokes, sharing stories, playing cards, or just talking.  She spoke her mind and was feisty in all the best ways.  She enjoyed music, baking, gardening, and drawing.  She had a love for animals and was a skilled bingo and poker player.  She was also a loving grandmother to Luke and John (Jerry, Loren Schmidt) and Alyssa and Taylyr (Richard, Susan Manzo).  She adored them and they her.  She is survived by her husband, Glenn, their 3 children, 4 grandchildren, siblings: James, Donald, Joan, Laura, David, Linda, Paul, Debbie, Carol, Mark, brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Carole Bernhardt, many nieces, nephews & cousins.  She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Louis and sister Marlene.  A Remembrance Service will be held at the Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, 7900 E Main St, Mesa, AZ on Tuesday, Oct 25, 2022, 2:00 to 5:00pm.  Celebration of Life event in Chicago, IL to be announced.  Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.