Emma L. Schmerdtmann

Emma Louise Schmerdtmann, 96, died Wednesday, May 26 at Mother Hull Home in Kearney. Visitation will be on Friday, May 28 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and on Saturday from 3:00 until 5:00 P.M. at the All Faiths Funeral Home in Grand Island. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at St Mark’s Lutheran Church in Pender, Nebraska. Munderloh Funeral Home of Pender is in charge of the arrangements. Emma Schmerdtmann was born on January 17, 1914 to C. Herman and Mathilda (Ahlers) Hespe. On February 25, 1942, she married John Schmerdtmann. He preceded her in death on October 30, 1950. She lived in Pender until moving to Grand Island in October of 1978. In 2006 she moved to the Northridge Retirement Community in Kearney and to Mother Hull Home, October 2009. Emma enjoyed her family and many hobbies, including oil painting, writing, quilting, sewing, crafts, reading westerns and mysteries and watching baseball. She spent many hours at her sewing machine making quilts for Lutheran World Relief and other organizations both at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Pender and St. Paul’s Lutheran in Grand Island. She volunteered for the Red Cross in Hall County for 20 years. Survivors of the immediate family include four daughters and three son-in-laws, Nancy Schmerdtmann, Grand Island, Mary and Clay Parham, Seneca, South Carolina, Betty and Alan Young, Kearney and Aline and Jim Kitten, Grand Island. She is also survived by four granddaughters and seven great grandchildren, Erika (Kevin) Cada, Evan, Emma and Eli of Blair, Heather Young of Norfolk, Alise (Adam)Verhage, Hunter and Hallie of Geneva and Jami and P.J. Smith, Ava and Payton of Fairbury. She was preceded death by her parents, eight brothers and sisters and two nephews. Memorials suggested to: Mosaic, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran or donor’s choice.