Marilyn Ann Schmit

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the loss of Marilyn Ann (Hardy) Schmit on February 17, 2026, due to complications from a bone marrow transplant. 

She is survived by her husband, Steve Schmit, her two children Sara Patterson (John) and Michael Schmit (Leah), three beautiful grandchildren (Tyler Schmit, Zoey Schmit, and Jack Patterson), and her loving brothers and sisters (Rick, Jayne, Bob, Gary, and Keely). She is preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Patricia Hardy, along with her brother Dan.

Marilyn’s presence was a gift to everyone who knew her. She was a caregiver to all, choosing a career as a nurse and caring for her family and friends with love and empathy. She was incredibly creative and crafty, creating a magical childhood for her kids and grandkids by making their Halloween costumes, baby blankets, and lots of delicious frosted sugar cookies and other treats. She loved to spend time with her family, she loved hiking and being outside, and she loved decorating and creating welcoming spaces for family and friends to gather. Her laughter was infectious and plentiful. 

She had a great sense of humor and brought levity to even the most difficult times. She was an amazing gardener and had a true green thumb. Many people in her life have plants she grew and cultivated. One of her former neighbors said that she still thinks of Marilyn when her four-o-clocks bloom. And both of her kids have Christmas cacti that she grew for them.

Marilyn grew up in Beach, North Dakota, in a large farming family. Born December 12, 1953, in Glendive, Montana, she was the second oldest of seven siblings. Her youngest sibling was born when she was 20 years old, giving her an early start to caregiving as she helped care for her young siblings. She married her high school sweetheart after completing nursing school at Dickinson State University, and they moved to Sisseton, South Dakota, to start a family and build their careers. They had Sara in Sisseton and then moved to Watertown, South Dakota, where they had Mike. Shortly after Mike’s birth, they moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where they raised their kids. As their kids grew up, Marilyn and Steve moved to Texas, Illinois, and Arizona before they settled in Reno, Nevada. Reno was their true home where they lived in the mountains and enjoyed fishing, hiking, and being in nature. They loved to host family and friends at the beautiful home they built, and being at their house was like being at a mountain retreat. They were often visited by bears, elk, deer, and lots of chipmunks. They lived in Reno for more than 15 years and then spent a short amount of time in Spring Creek, Nevada. 

They moved to Georgia in 2021 when Marilyn was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia so she could receive treatment at Emory University Hospital. Being close to Sara’s family brought Marilyn lots of joy, despite several years of health challenges. Marilyn was a nurse for more than 45 years, working in small rural hospitals, large hospital systems, and many other settings. She taught and mentored new nurses and continued to build her skills and abilities as she moved from intensive care to emergency to catheterization labs to long-term intensive care settings. Even when she was in the hospital for her transplant, she and the other nurses would talk about her nursing career and about their experiences. She loved being a nurse and made so many friends along the way at places like Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha and Tahoe Pacific Hospital in Reno.

While Marilyn died too soon and 72 years wasn’t nearly enough, her family and friends remember her as exuding goodness, light, sweetness, and beauty (both inside and out). She created a beautiful environment for her kids and grandkids to grow up in, and she welcomed everyone into her home with graciousness and kindness. She is loved and missed immensely, and the world is less bright without her in it.

A funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. May 23, 2026, at St. John’s the Baptist Catholic Church in Beach, North Dakota. A vigil will be held at 7:00 p.m. May 22, 2026 at the same location. Donations in her honor can be made to Emory Winship Cancer Center, where she received treatment, or the National Audubon Society, due to her love of hummingbirds and nature.