MONTEZUMA- Evalena Unruh Schmidt, mother of one child, Victoria Schmidt Paige, was born to Benjamin and Eva Unruh on October 13, 1922 in Montezuma. She died January 22, 2014 at the Mohall Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Mohall, North Dakota, reaching the age of 91 years.

She spent her childhood on a farm two and a half miles west of Montezuma. Her parents died when she was a very young girl, leaving her siblings to raise her. Evalena attended school Montezuma where she graduated from Montezuma High School.

My mother was full of adventure in her early years. She worked in Oregon and California with her sister and in 1943, enlisted in the US Navy during the war days. When the war ended in 1945, she returned to Montezuma to work on the farm with the family. On May 1, 1949, she married Harvey Schmidt. Evalena took great pride in making a home for my Dad and in December of 1950, their only child, Victoria Arleen Schmidt, was born. When I became school age, mama got a job at the Montezuma School as Cafeteria Supervisor. They only served lunch in those days. She was the head cook there for 20 years, including the town of Ingalls. She greatly enjoyed being around the school children. Evalena would always tell great stories about those wonderful school years and how she could make the students laugh with glee. She was forever thrilled in causing others to smile and it would cause her eyes to twinkle when she could.

In 1970, both of my parents gave public testimony to accepting Christ into their lives and both were baptized together at the Bible Baptist Church in Dodge City. Following their journey of faith and grace, they later attended the Nazarene Church. A few years later, Evalena and Harvey went to McCall, Idaho where they originally lived when they were first married. They both worked there for several years until retirement when they settled in Denver, Colorado to assist Evalena's sisters. My Dad passed away suddenly in 1988 and mama returned back to Montezuma. She helped her sisters, Agnes and Suzy, as their caregivers for 15 years. Both of my parents were World War II Veterans.

After turning 80 years old, with a large town birthday celebration, she elected to be closer to her daughter and her family and moved into an apartment in Belleville. True to her adventurous heart, she wanted to go with Vicky and Dick when they moved to North Dakota in 2007. She lived with us in our new home for a few years where I learned to delight in my mother in ways I never knew before. When she had a stroke, she became a resident of the Mohall Good Samaritan Nursing Home. Our four children and us and nine close years with her, where we rejoiced together with mama and grandma in our lives. Her stories and laughter were infectious. She spoke her German Dutch language until the day she died. Her cooking recipes are guarded treasures.

The name Evalena means "Full of Life". Hebrews 12 records, "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles; and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Mama understood the race of life. What more of a visual image could there ever be than the thunderous rejoicing, of those who have gone on before, cheering on mama as she finished her race to victory. She now stands with that cloud of witnessed that welcomed her home. I can hear her say it again..."Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar!" We hear you mama and we'll see you again, soon, never more to part.

Evalena is survived by daughter Victoria Paige and husband Dick; two grandsons, Jeremiah Paige and wife Sara and Joshua Paige all of Fairbury, Nebraska; two granddaughters, Jubilee Paige of Phoenix, Arizona and Jenna Paige of Olathe; and two great granddaughters, Annika and MacKenzie Paige; and countless friends.She is preceded in death by her husband, Harvey Schmidt; her parents; and all nine of her brothers and sisters.

Funeral service will be held at Montezuma Mennonite Church on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. with Ministers Charles Schmidt and Edwin Classen presiding. Burial will follow at Montezuma Mennonite Cemetery. There will be no public visitation. Memorials are suggested to Donor's Choice in care of Swaim Funeral Chapel, Montezuma. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.