Mikelan 'Mickey' Schmitt

Mikelan Schmitt RACINE - Mikelan "Mickey" Schmitt, born June 6, 1938 was one of the ten children of Lionel B. and Mary (Petronek) Jacquart of Ironwood, MI. "The third nerd of the nerd herd", she liked to say. She attended St. Ambrose High School in Ironwood, and then the family headed south to Racine, WI where she graduated from Wm. Horlick High School. After a brief adventure living with her dear friend Yvonne Wilson in Denver, CO, Mickey moved back to Racine. She tried her hand at being a switchboard operator for Ma Bell, and then was hired at Oster Manufacturing, where she met Thomas Schmitt. He, realizing what a gem she was, quickly convinced her to marry him in 1958 and soon they had three darling daughters. (They were divorced in 1994. His loss! :-P) Mickey was active at Janes School when the girls were growing up, as a room mother, a chaperone for field trips and a Girl Scout leader. One of her greatest joys was being "Mrs. Book", youngsters would read to her and she rewarded them with one of her handmade bookmarks. She helped launch the "Helping Hand" program in Racine. When the girls got older Mickey returned to work. Some of her jobs included: bakery clerk at Lehmann's and Ostergaard's bakeries; cafeteria worker and resident cartoonist at the Industrial Building on 16th St. and clerk at Lange's/Osco/CVS Pharmacy as well as Haag's Pharmacy. From making the girls matching dresses when they were young to designing and stitching queen sized quilts in later years, a piece of cloth in Mickey's hands soon became something beautiful and useful. She played classical guitar and piano, was a creative cartoonist and talented writer. Not one to be alone, Mickey met widower Melvin Manty in 1995 and they soon were keeping house together on Apple Tree Circle, companions to the end. Left to cherish her memory are daughters: Laura Lee (David) Dominguese and Suzanne Lynn (Donald) Schmidt of Racine, and Kathryn Marie (Eric) Petersen of North Aurora, IL; grandchildren, Theresa, Daniel and Paul Schmidt, Dana and Carmen Petersen, Thomas Lakatos and Jeanette Lakatos Burlingame; domestic partner Melvin Manty; his children Gail (Greg) Griph, Mark Manty and Karen Manty; and his grandchildren Sarah (Alex) Doxtater, Erin and Jacob Griph; her sisters, Mary Jo (Thomas) Sandell, Geraldine (Richard Moore) Kroes, Loretta Debettignies, Nanette Jacquart Bush; her brothers, Daniel (Marlene) Jacquart, Thomas (Lynn) Jacquart and Frederick Jacquart, many nieces and nephews and her long-time friends, Elaine Van Voorhees and Helen Smukal. Mickey was preceded in death by her mother, father, stepmother, Vivian Rice Jacquart, brother, Richard Jacquart and sister, Lorraine Rosenberg. There will be a time for family and friends to meet at Sturino Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Mickey will be laid to rest at West Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers and in honor of her frequently expressed wish to feed the hungry on holidays, memorials to the Racine County Food Bank, 2000 DeKoven Ave. #2, Racine, WI 53403 will be appreciated. The family sincerely thanks the staff at Elizabeth Residence of Caledonia for their gentle loving care of Mickey during her battle with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

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Mikelan 'Mickey' Schmitt

June 6, 1938 - September 4, 2015