Annie Davis

Annie (Schmidt) Davis, 75, died from a heart attack, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City, Okla.

She was born July 10, 1938, on the farm of Emil A. and Eva (Teske) Schmidt near Lustre, Mont. She was the last of 10 children that spanned a generation of 21 years. She grew up in a family where spiritual priorities, discipline and personal contribution were woven into the fabric of every day of life. As a child she loved to play dolls with her cousins and was often found close by her mother.

She and her family attended the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church of Lustre. She attended school in Lustre, came to Christ as a child and was baptized in Wolf Creek.

She attended Lustre Christian High School and graduated in 1956. She then attended Briercrest Bible School in Saskatchewan, Canada, for a time.

During her high school years, she was awarded a No. 1 rating out of 15 schools in an area musical voice competition highlighting her interest and skill in singing. Her son, Dana, can remember many times as a child hearing her sing hymns and other songs as she worked and took care of her children.

Soon after, she started her first job as a presser at Dassinger's Cleaners in Wolf Point. She taught her son how to iron a shirt and he still does it the same way to this day, but only when absolutely necessary.

She met Lawrence Davis, an Air Force veteran of the Korean War in Wolf Point. They were married on Dec. 3, 1961. Over the next three years they had three children, Mari, Dana and Brenda, and then moved to Corn, Okla., in 1964. She was a proud mom and poured herself into raising her children and caring for them and her husband. They lived a stone's throw from Grandma Schmidt's house and would often visit and hold each other up in support.

She taught her children many things over the years. As children, they were taught to carry their share of the load and take part in family life. While they didn't chore chickens or milk cows, they did mop, dust and wash dishes as part of their daily routine. Discipline was also an integral part of their lives. Dana remembers getting a little careless with his words, and finding out what a bar of soap tasted like.

She loved to sew, garden and spend time with her family.

She held a job at the Kellwood Textile Plant in Clinton, Okla., for some years. In the '70s and '80s, she and Lawrence worked side by side at the Cherokee Restaurant outside of Clinton. They were a team on and off the clock. They met hardship together, and when one was down, the other was there to keep things going. They faced many challenges in their marriage, but nothing makes Dana prouder than to say they stayed together through thick and thin until his father's passing in 1990.

After his passing, she found focus and purpose by joining the VFW Ladies Auxiliary to support veterans and their families. She spoke often of her role in that organization and served in several different roles from 2002 to 2009. She reluctantly reduced her involvement due to declining health.

In 2003, she met Col. Chandis Boyle, a veteran of post Korean War and the Vietnam War. They cared for each other and stood by each other's side through the remaining years of her life.

Earlier this year she suffered pneumonia and fought to spend the last few months of her life in her home. She died with her three children and Chandis by her side.

What a joy it is for her family to know that she is present with God in her true spiritual form, visiting with Him and those she loves.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; four brothers, Jacob Schmidt, Peter Schmidt, Andrew Schmidt and Paul Schmidt; two sisters, Clara Schmidt and Pauline (Schmidt) Harms; two grandchildren, Aleasha Williams and Zachary James Thompson; and two sons-in-law, Mark Holman and Hugh Towler.

Survivors include one son, Dana Davis, and his wife, Debbie, of Long Beach, Calif.; two daughters, Mari Frieben and her husband, Anthony, of Weatherford, Okla., and Brenda Towler of Bethany Okla.; two brothers, George Schmidt and Emil Schmidt; one sister, Carolyn (Schmidt) Fauth of Glasgow; eight grandchildren; one great-grandson; and her companion, Chandis Boyle, of Corn, Okla.

Funeral services were Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. at the Corn Mennonite Brethren Church in Corn, Okla., with Rev. Emil Schmidt officiating. Interment was in the Corn Mennonite Brethren Cemetery in Corn.

Pallbearers were Ron Schmidt, Tim Schmidt, Wesley Schmidt, Jonathan Davis, Marco Williams, Dominick Williams and Joshua Lancaster.

Lockstone Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.