Wilma Jean Schmitt died on Monday, September 21, 2009 at 4:38 a.m. at Adventist Medical Center in Portland. She was 69.
A Memorial service will be held at Sandy Funeral Home on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
Wilma was born in Richmond, Virginia on March 30, 1940 to Raynold and Beulah (Farmer) Cochran. She was raised in North Carolina by her mom and step-father Clarence Sykes. When Wilma was 17 she moved out west to Portland where she lived with her sister Bonnie and worked at the Blue Bell Potato Chip Plant. Later she moved out on her own. She met Carl Schmitt and they were married in 1959. They lived in the Portland area and started their family. Over the next 10 years they had 3 children. As the children grew and entered school Wilma found that she needed a way to fill her daytime emptiness. She took a job working for the Sandy School District and ended up driving school bus for over 30 years. She received many awards over the years and was loved by school employees as well as the students that rode her bus.
Wilma always believed that family came first. Her favorite pastime was making memories with her children, grandchildren and family friends. She also enjoyed spending time at the beach watching the waves roll in and taking a few chances at the casino, reading, fishing, camping with her family, playing cards and board games, watching movies and listening to music. Her hands down favorite was Elvis.
She is survived by her 3 children and grandchildren.
Wilma’s children appreciate all the family members and friends that stopped by during Wilma’s last hours in the hospital. It was nice for her to hold your hands and help her fill her bucket list. Wilma was loved so very much and will be missed by all.