Maria Schmidt
December 17th, 1931 - June 10th, 2025
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Maria's Obituary
Maria Priebe Schmidt, born Dec. 17, 1931 to Natalie (Luther) and Adolf Priebe, in the village of Karolinowka, near Chelm, Poland, died Tuesday – June 10, 2025 at the Hanson Hospice Center in Stevensville, MI. Arrangements have been entrusted with Starks & Menchinger Chapel – 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI.
Maria loved to tell stories of her childhood and all she and her family went through during the war in Europe even though it was a very difficult time. She learned to sew at an early age by making dolls from scraps of material. She continued sewing for her daughter Gisela when she was born and began sewing for others when they saw what a wonderful job she did.
In Dec. 1959 she came to America with her husband, Gerhard Krajewski, and daughter Gisela. They settled in Benton Harbor, MI, where her parents had immigrated three years earlier. Although she couldn’t speak English yet, she got a job at The Petite Shoppe in Benton Harbor doing alterations. When some of the clients asked her to make alterations on clothes they had bought elsewhere, she quit her job and started working from home, which she did for over 60 years. Some of those clients became lifelong friends of hers and she treasured their friendship. She later married Hugo Schmidt with whom she spent many wonderful years traveling to Europe, Canada and the USA before he died.
Maria is survived by her daughter, Gisela Holtz; grandsons, Michael and Christopher Holtz; great-grandchildren Oliviah and Luke Holtz; sister, Mia (Erwin) Justus; niece, Inge (John) Fletcher; nephews, Bruno and Wolfgang Schneider and Rich (Sandy) Frey; along with best friends Ilda, Elizabeth and Eva.
Per Maria’s request, there will be no funeral service. There will be an open house Celebration of Life Memorial Service at her home on Saturday – June 28, 2025 from 12:00-3:00pm and a gravesite service for the family at Spring Run Cemetery on June 30, 2025. Please RSVP if you plan on attending the luncheon. She is happy to be home with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hanson Hospice Center
Maria loved to tell stories of her childhood and all she and her family went through during the war in Europe even though it was a very difficult time. She learned to sew at an early age by making dolls from scraps of material. She continued sewing for her daughter Gisela when she was born and began sewing for others when they saw what a wonderful job she did.
In Dec. 1959 she came to America with her husband, Gerhard Krajewski, and daughter Gisela. They settled in Benton Harbor, MI, where her parents had immigrated three years earlier. Although she couldn’t speak English yet, she got a job at The Petite Shoppe in Benton Harbor doing alterations. When some of the clients asked her to make alterations on clothes they had bought elsewhere, she quit her job and started working from home, which she did for over 60 years. Some of those clients became lifelong friends of hers and she treasured their friendship. She later married Hugo Schmidt with whom she spent many wonderful years traveling to Europe, Canada and the USA before he died.
Maria is survived by her daughter, Gisela Holtz; grandsons, Michael and Christopher Holtz; great-grandchildren Oliviah and Luke Holtz; sister, Mia (Erwin) Justus; niece, Inge (John) Fletcher; nephews, Bruno and Wolfgang Schneider and Rich (Sandy) Frey; along with best friends Ilda, Elizabeth and Eva.
Per Maria’s request, there will be no funeral service. There will be an open house Celebration of Life Memorial Service at her home on Saturday – June 28, 2025 from 12:00-3:00pm and a gravesite service for the family at Spring Run Cemetery on June 30, 2025. Please RSVP if you plan on attending the luncheon. She is happy to be home with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hanson Hospice Center
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