Hilda Christine Schmidt Smith

One-time Cheney resident Hilda Christine Schmidt Smith, 93, died Oct. 20, 2014, at Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, Ala.

She was born in Manchester, Iowa, June 19, 1921. She was a second-generation German-American, born into and instructed in the Lutheran faith. Immigrating to the U.S. from Germany in the mid-1800s, her grandparents settled in rural Iowa.

Hilda was one of nine children born to John August Carl Schmidt and Matilda Catherine Eiben. Her father, John, died of scarlet fever when Hilda was 8 years old. After attending Earlville High School, Hilda moved to Chicago at age 18.

On Oct. 14, 1941, Hilda married Donald Edwin Haag of Monona, Iowa. Shortly after their wedding, Donald served aboard the USS Jacob Jones where he died at sea on Feb. 28, 1942.

Hilda remarried Christmas Eve in 1943 to Gordon Merton “Red” Smith of Port Jervis, N.Y. and the couple had seven children. Hilda and Red lived throughout the country. Red was a U.S. Air Force veteran serving in World War II and the Korean War. After Red retired, he and Hilda lived in Cheney for several years before they moved back to Dothan in 1988 “to escape the snow.”

Hilda is survived by two daughters, Cheryl Breckenridge (Larry) of Dothan, Kathy Dymalski (Richard) of Phoenix, Ariz. and three sons, Craig Smith of Pendleton, Ore., Mark Smith of Tacoma, Wash. and John Smith (Jeannie) of Dothan.

Other survivors include 17 grandchildren: Stacey Ezell, Debbie Breckenridge, Larry Breckenridge, Jr., Michael Breckenridge, Shanna Kleinsmith, Lindsey Smith, Anthony Smith, Katie Perry, Courtney Perry, Senior Airman USAF Stephen Dymalski, Lanette Smith-Danburg, Crystal Rediske, Cherrie Smith, Christina Smith, Mikaela Smith, Leah Smith and Beth Kirkland; 11 great-grandchildren; and her sister Velma Burke of Earlville, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gordon, two children Deborah Perry and Michael Smith, granddaughter Michelle Dymalski-Mabry, five brothers and one sister.

Hilda was a survivor of the Great Depression, the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, and the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.

Funeral services took place Oct. 23, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dothan. Byrd Funeral Home, http://www.byrdfuneralhome.com, is in charge of arrangements.