CHASE — Shirley Evelyn Sutton Schmidt, 91, died June 26 at the Rice County District Hospital in Lyons. Born Oct. 10, 1919, in Hudson, she was the daughter of Lesley Edmon and Mettie Derr Sutton. On July 6, 1938, she married Edward "Ed" Carl Schmidt in Great Bend. He died on Nov. 7, 2001. A resident of Chase since 1938, formerly of Great Bend, she was a retired cook at the Rice County District Hospital in Lyons.

Mrs. Schmidt was a member of the Community Presbyterian Church, the United Presbyterian Women, Eastern Star and the Chase Senior Center, all of Chase, and was a Thrift Shop volunteer.

Survivors include two sons, Curtis N. Schmidt of Pratt and Dougles E. and Michele Schmidt of Holcomb; three daughters, Margaret and Byron Sndyer of Newton, and Debby and Larry Steffan and Denice and James Sledd Jr., both of Chase; a son-in-law, Jerry Kassin of Leawood; 27 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Martha "Marty" Kassin; two brothers, Ernest "Pete" Sutton and infant Virgil Sutton.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at the Community Presbyterian Church in Chase with the Revs. Jesse and Arlene Patrick and lay minister Byron Snyder officiating. Burial will be at the Lakin Commanche Cemetery in Ellinwood. Memorials are suggested to the Community Presbyterian Church, the Chase Senior Center or Hospice Care of Kansas, all in care of the funeral home,

Funeral arrangements provided by

Birzer Funeral Homes*

214 W. Ave. South

P.O. Box 89

Lyons, KS 67554

(620) 257-2211

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, June 28, 2011