Anne Julia Schmidt

Anne Julia Schmidt, age 87, of Appleton, passed away Saturday, November 12, 2022, in Ortonville Area Health Services-Hospital.  Visitation will be 9:30-11:00 a.m., followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at St. John's Catholic Church in Appleton.  Fr. Jeremy Kucera will officiate.

Anne “Annie” Novak was born August 3, 1935, in Odessa Township, Odessa, Minnesota to John and Mary (nee Rudnick) Novak. She was the youngest of six children and was taught the value of hard work and an education at an early age. From thirteen-years old through her high school graduation, she lived with various families where she took care of children and cleaned homes.

Anne graduated from Odessa High School in 1953 with the goal of becoming a teacher. To earn money to go to college, she worked as a Telephone Operator at the Odessa Telephone Exchange from January of 1953 through August of 1954. Since she did not have enough money saved to attend a four-year college, she attended Teacher’s Training at Staples, MN; this allowed Anne to be a teacher in country schools after nine-months of training.

Anne began teaching at District 47 Country School in Otrey Township, north of Odessa, MN in 1955. She taught there for two years before deciding to attend Moorhead State College, in Moorhead, MN. She worked as a live-in nanny and maid to fund her college education. In 1958, she graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She taught in Canby, Benson, Morris and Clontarf, MN.

Anne met Harold Ascheman of Holloway, MN, and after a six-year relationship, they were married on June 26, 1965 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Ortonville, MN. Anne and Harold greatly enjoyed attending dances at towns in the area. Anne continued teaching until the birth of their first child, Randy, in 1968. Their daughter, Lynette was born in 1974 followed by Bonnie in 1975. Harold and Anne farmed in rural Holloway, and Anne was a bookkeeper for the farm and Ascheman Gravel.

On January 12, 1979, Harold passed away from a terminal illness. Anne moved her family to Morris, MN. She was a substitute teacher, and in the summer, made frequent trips to the farm to tend her extensive vegetable gardens. Anne loved the farm life and stayed very involved in it throughout her life.

On June 5, 1982, Anne married Lloyd Schmidt of rural Appleton, MN at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris, MN. Anne was a substitute teacher for two years in Appleton, and for thirteen years, the Appleton Elementary School Library Aide. Anne and Lloyd enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. on bus trips and for Lloyd’s Air Force reunions. Anne and a friend visited Ireland where her goal was to have a beer in a pub, which was very uncharacteristic of her! Lloyd passed away in 2016.

Anne was an extremely hard worker and a very strong person through the trying times she experienced in her life. Her Catholic faith was very important to her. She was very interested in crop prices and the weather and would record both on a calendar in her kitchen. One of her favorite hobbies was exhibiting her vegetables, flowers, canning, needlecrafts, and antiques at local county fairs. The rare times she would sit down and relax usually involved reading newspapers, playing cards, putting puzzles together and later doing all these activities on her computer.

Anne is proceeded in death by her parents, John and Mary; her first husband, Harold Ascheman; her second husband, Lloyd Schmidt; her brothers, Bill Novak and Harry Novak; and her sisters, Agnes Edison, Delores Mueller and Sophie Malone. She is survived by her three children, Randy (Patty) Ascheman of Appleton, MN; Lynette (Bruce) Wellendorf of Ortonville, MN; and Bonnie (Rick) Helwig of Independence, WI; her grandchildren, Jared (Kayla) Kelm (their children Trevor, Emily, Cameron and Ryan), Nathan Kelm, Melissa Wellendorf, Kristina Wellendorf and Jaiden Helwig; and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

Special thanks to the Fairway View Neighborhoods staff for the loving care received. Blessed be her memory.