Winifred F. (Fett) Schmuck passed away August 1, 2024 at Help for Health Hospice Home in Riverton, Wyoming. A graveside memorial will be held Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 11:00 am at Mountain View Cemetery in Riverton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Help for Health Hospice.
Winifred was born March 4, 1924 on the family farm near Bluffton, Ohio to Fame and Elmer Fett. She was raised on the farm and attended a one room school through high school.
Following high school World War ll broke out, she and her cousin decided to head to California and join the war effort building airplanes in Pasadena. Because she was very petite Winifred was assigned the job of riveting the tail section of the P-51 Mustang fighter plane – that is where she became a real life ‘Rosie the Riveter’!
After California, she returned to Ohio and obtained a Sociology degree from Bluffton College. She worked a short while as a children's social worker, but did not feel it was the career she wanted to pursue. Culinary school interested her so she obtained a culinary certificate at a school in New York City. Being a chef did not seem like the right fit as she wanted to live and work in the country; she went back to Bluffton College to get an Elementary Education certification. She wanted to teach in a rural school and found a 'teacher wanted' ad for Crowheart, Wyoming. It was the career she had dreamed of.
She taught at Crowheart, Morton, and Pavillion schools as a full-time and a substitute teacher. At the Pavillion Methodist Church she met a handsome young farmer and they were married on May 29, 1955. Walter and Winifred bought a farm on 8 Mile Road where they raised their children Becky and Kevin along with crops and sheep.
Winifred was a member of the O.A.O Homemakers Club, the Methodist Church, the VFW Auxilliary, and was a 4-H cooking leader.
Winifred is survived by her daughter, Becky Bappe (Mark); son, Kevin Schmuck (Dolly); along with her five grandchildren, Bethany Drury (Ben), Luke Bappe, Jeffery Hodges, Nathan Hodges, Donte Medina (Kiki); and one great grandchild, Poppy Medina.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter; her brother, Elmer Fett Jr. (Mary Ruth); and her sister, Harriette Shilling (Paul).
On-line condolences may be made at TheDavisFuneralHome.com
Services under the direction of Davis Funeral Home, Crematory, and Monuments.