Betty Jo Schmitz

Betty Jo (Reinhardt) Schmitz, age 93, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, passed away on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Heritage Estates surrounded by her loving family. A Rosary will be recited beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 1:30 p.m., on Friday, September 12, 2025, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Scottsbluff with Fr. Rayappa Konka as Celebrant. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Scottsbluff. Guests are invited to join the family for a reception in the St. Agnes Garden Room after the graveside committal. Memorials in Betty’s honor may be made to the St. Agnes School Foundation, 2314 3rd Ave, Scottsbluff, NE 69361. The service will be livestreamed and recorded on Betty’s obituary page viewable at www.reverencefuneralparlor.com.

Betty was born in Great Bend, Kansas, to Albert Fredrick and Audrey Gillies (Clouston) Reinhardt on September 27, 1931. Betty’s younger years were spent in Kansas before moving with her parents to Greeley, Colorado, in 1939. They later moved to Fort Collins where she graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1949. She was a Lambkin at heart! She attended and graduated from St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Denver, where she met the love of her life, surgical resident Dr. Gerhard W. Schmitz. They were married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Collins on Valentine’s Day in 1953. After Ger was inducted into the Navy, they spent seven months at Camp Pendleton, California, where their son, Doug, was born. Betty and Doug spent time in Los Altos, California while Ger served on a ship during the Korean War. Following Gerhard’s service in the Navy, they returned to Denver where their daughter, Debbie, and son, Danny, were born. In 1959, they moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where they welcomed their daughter, Diane. They lived the remainder of their lives in Scottsbluff.

Betty recounted many stories of the devastating dust storms in Kansas that affected her family’s farming business. As an infant, she was placed in a dresser drawer to be protected from the incredible dust. As a young girl, Betty loved to dance. She spent many years dancing, teaching, and sharing her art. During her high school years, she was involved in many activities, and her dance card was always full. She and her friends loved to chase the college boys and hiked up the hill one year to help them paint the Colorado State “A” for the Aggies! Betty was a hostess at the Northern Hotel in Fort Collins during her high school years.

Betty worked as a registered nurse off and on while raising her family. She was involved in all of her children’s activities including teaching Debbie’s Bluebird class how to tap dance. As an active member of St. Agnes Catholic Church, she generously volunteered her time for church and school functions. She was instrumental in initiating Valley Christian Neighbors in Need, which continues as an active community outreach today, helping serve those in need by providing food and clothing. Her whole life was spent caring for others and offering help and kindness. Betty was the last living member of her bridge club and in her gentle manner, she made sure that as the others aged, they were well cared for. Christmas was Betty’s favorite time of year. She loved the joy of the season and the gathering of family and friends, partly due to the fact that she was an only child. She would often invite others to join in family celebrations so they were not alone. Every one of Betty’s ten grandchildren adored her. She made a relationship with each of them, taught them how to play a mean game of Chinese Checkers, and supported them any way that she could. She was an excellent cook and some of the family’s favorites included chicken with cream, Kase noodle, popcorn balls, and Christmas cookies.

Survivors include her children, Doug Schmitz (Joann Childress), Debbie (Scott) Van Noy, Danny (Jackie) Schmitz, and Diane (Greg) Behm; her grandchildren, Danny (Melissa) Schmitz, Jennifer (Andrew) Dykshorn, Jill Van Noy, Jacob (Katy) Van Noy, Julie (Brandon) Gilbreath, Steve Schmitz, Kyle Schmitz, Erik Schmitz, Margaret Behm, and John Behm; her great grandchildren, Parker and Emmet Schmitz, Reagan and Brody Dykshorn, Jackson and Josie Van Noy, Hallie, Grace, and Will Gilbreath, Grant and Audrey Schmitz, and Sawyer Schmitz; and her special cousin, Jan Eckels.

Preceding Betty in death were her husband, Ger; her parents, Albert and Audrey Reinhardt; her in-laws, Henry and Anna Schmitz; and her brother-and-sister-in law, Bill and Betty Schmitz.

The family would like to thank the staffs of Home Instead, Heritage Estates, and Brookstone Hospice for providing such wonderful care in Betty’s later years. Thanks, also, to Reverence Funeral Parlor for their loving after-care.