SUZANNE ELAINE ‘SUZIE’ SCHMIDT

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Suzanne Elaine ‘Suzie’ Schmidt, 75, passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the University of Iowa.

A funeral service for Suzie Schmidt will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home, with Pastor Susan Bantz officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Firefighters Association of Muscatine. Online condolences may be shared at http://www.wittichfuneralhome.com.

Suzie was born on January 31, 1950, in Centerville, Iowa, the daughter of Benard and Shirley (Hohl) Johnson. She married Richard Staats and later divorced. She then married Robert L. Schmidt and later divorced.

Suzie spent 36 years working at Heinz, where she was known for her reliability, attention to detail, and the many lasting friendships she built along the way. She took pride in a job well done and had a work ethic few could match.

Outside of work, Suzie filled her time with things that kept her active and connected. She enjoyed bowling, sewing, quilting, and gardening. She liked a good shopping trip with her daughter and granddaughters and never turned down a visit to the casino with her son. Exercise was part of her daily rhythm, and she could often be found watching for cardinals out her window; a simple pleasure she never tired of. Some of her favorite days were those spent taking her grandchildren to the swimming pool and watching them play.

Strong, independent, and straightforward, Suzie lived life on her own terms. She valued hard work, self-sufficiency, and doing things the right way. Her loyal dog, Ginger, was always close by, a quiet companion through it all.

Suzie is survived by her children, Rick Staats and Sherry Wolf (Darin); six grandchildren, Aaron Staats (Kaley), Ryan Staats, Danielle BrownWolf (Brandon), Dylan Wolf (Emily), Brittany Hamer (Alex), and Brandon Wolf (Taylor); and three great-grandchildren, Levi Wolf, Addison BrownWolf, and Peyton BrownWolf.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Gary Johnson.