Arlene J. Schmitz, 78, of Seneca, passed away Monday, March 3, 2014 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.

She was born September 6, 1935, on a farm southeast of Kelly, the daughter of Henry and Josephine Sextro Boeckman. She graduated from St. Bede’s Grade School and was in the graduating Class of 1953 from Kelly High School. She then helped on the family farm.

After she graduated from high school, she went to Marymount College, graduating in 1956 with a nursing degree. After graduating she went to work for St. Mary’s Hospital in Manhattan, where she worked until 1959.

Arlene married Richard J. Schmitz on January 2, 1957 at St. Bede’s Catholic Church in Kelly. The couple lived in Manhattan until 1959 when they moved back to Baileyville to farm. She was employed by Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca from 1959 till she retired in 2001. In 2005, Arlene and Richard built a new home in Seneca and moved off the farm that was their home for 46 years.

Arlene enjoyed fishing, canning, flower gardens, cards, cooking and softball. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, St. Ann’s Altar Society, the Nemaha County on Aging for 4o years, Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Guild and the Nemaha County Retired Nursing Association.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Richard of the home; sons, Greg Schmitz of Axtell, Alan (Shirley) Schmitz of Baileyville, Kenneth (Diane) Schmitz of Baileyville, Jim Schmitz of Seneca, and Dale (Amy) Schmitz of Petersburg, Indiana; a daughter, Misty Blume of Seneca; a sister, Mary Ann (Ambrose) Schmitz of Seneca; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild on the way and will be here in July;

She was preceded in death by a son, Gerard Schmitz; a grandson, Holden Schmitz, her parents; a daughter-in-law, Sharon Schmitz; brothers, Lawrence, Clarence, Raymond and Alvin Boeckman; and sisters, Clara Segenhagen, Rosalia Deters, Dorothy Henry, Augusta Hutfles and Frances Wichman.

Rosaries will be prayed on Friday, March 7th at 2 & 7 at the Lauer Funeral Home. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Fr. Ed Oen C.P.P.S. on March 8, 2014 at 10:30AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Benedict. Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Cemetery in St. Benedict.

Memorials are to be designated at a later date.