Wanda Vanita Schmidt of Gering was born August 9, 1938 in Gering, Nebraska, the daughter of Maurice and Anna Orr. She lived in Gering all her life. She went to McKinley Elementary School, Junior High and graduated from Gering High School in 1956. She had taken college classes that following summer while working at the local telephone company until 1959. She then went to work for Gering National Bank. Wanda was united in marriage to Clarence Schmidt on August 20, 1961 at the First United Methodist Church in Gering.
Wanda worked for Dr. Glandt D.D.S. and for the Gering Public Schools. She also worked part-time for Labcorp. She was a member of the Benevolent Patriotic Order of DOEs starting in 1965, becoming the conductor from 1984-1988. She was asked to perform at a National Convention in New Jersey. She was a volunteer for the First United Methodist Church in Gering and served in many capacities. She served as a volunteer for the Scottsbluff Hospital during the 1960s and remained a member of the Hospital Auxiliary of the Regional West Medical Center until the early 2000s.
Wanda enjoyed bowling, golfing, knitting, quilting, ceramics, playing cards and line dancing. She was a huge Husker football and women’s volleyball fan.
Survivors include her son, Darvin; sister, Mary Ann Plummer of Twin Falls, Idaho; sister, Donna Keller of Scottsbluff; sister, Keitha Bartlett of Greeley, Colorado; brother, Dick Orr; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clarence; four brothers: Don, Norman (“Bud”), Dean, and Lyle; and two sons, Corey and Rick.
A celebration of life service will be Friday, February 25th, 2022, at 2pm at the Gering Methodist Church with Pastor Seth Leypoldt officiating and music by Tim Hebbert. Inurnment will be at West Lawn Cemetery. A memorial fund is established to the First United Methodist Church of Gering and to the United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska, 11930 Arbor Street Suite 202, Omaha, NE 68144.
Gering Memorial Chapel is assisting the family, and fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.geringchapel.com for the Schmidt family.
