"She was the best of us"

Mary Beth (Latenser) Schmidt was a mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and cousin to her family. To others, she was a friend, teacher, mentor, and trusted confidant.

Born June 19th 1951, the 2nd of 13 children of John and Barbara Ann (Marsee) Latenser. She died peacefully at her home April 15, 2026, after a yearlong struggle with ALS.

She was Baptized, received her early Sacraments at St. Mary Parish, later re-named, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kansas City, MO.

The parish was the center of her family life growing up. There were countless parish picnics, ice cream socials, Sunday breakfasts in the park along Brush Creek, (which doubled as the school playground - unless it was raining). She attended the eight room parish school guided by the firm hands of the Sisters of Charity – Leavenworth. A standout student, she graduated in 1965, and enrolled at Bishop Hogan High School

Growing up, Mary Beth was her mother’s able assistant. She helped pack multiple lunches for school, pressed uniforms and blouses, helped with homework, braided hair, and shined school shoes, just to name a few things. She performed these and other tasks with a smile, often with a handwritten note, and with the patience of a Saint. Family duties notwithstanding, she still had time to enjoy ’60’s music, keep up with the current fashions, and wear the popular hairdo ( aided by her cherished pink, 2 piece oversized, giant hair curlers which she still owned !). She was a thoroughly modern young woman… smart, talented, independent and always caring.

After graduating from Bishop Hogan High School in 1969, she attended Penn Valley Community College and worked on the school newspaper there. She went on to the University of Missouri at Columbia. After several semesters there she returned to Kansas City to work. She would later finish her Liberal Arts degree at UMKC in 1998.

Mary Beth worked various jobs as a young adult. She was a governess for a family with two children and enjoyed extensive travel with them. She managed two specialty gift shops, where her artistic touches, flair for matching colors and patterns, and eye for perfectly arranging displays, dazzled her customers. Her soft tone, gentle voice, calm demeaner, and great listening skills served her well in these and future jobs.

While working, she met her future husband, Barry Schmidt. She and Barry were married in 1975. Their first daughter, Abigail, was born the following year. Abby was the first of the forty Latenser grandchildren. Mary Beth had no shortage of eager babysitters in her ten sisters.

Her twins, Jessica and Christine, were born in 1979, and immediately were tagged as ‘Jessie’ and ‘Bean’. There is a true family story about the twins, as infants lying side by side, casually sucking each other’s thumb at afternoon nap time.

Emily was born in October of 1980 and Mary Beth’s family was complete. The fourth daughter and now seventh of what became forty Latenser grandchildren, Emily was a beautiful baby who, without even realizing it, stole the spotlight from her older sisters.

Mary Beth had little trouble managing four young girls in her house. She always had the wise, soft spoken counsel of her mother who knew a few things about raising girls. She shared her exceptional artistic, culinary, literary and other talents with her girls every day.

Mary Beth was fiercely determined that her girls receive the best possible education. She was intensely proud that each of her daughters received a private education - elementary school through college. Mary Beth was never intimidated by the countless FAFSA forms or frank conversations with a college business office. Like so often in her life, she accomplished what she knew had to be done for her family.

In 1987, she began a new journey that would be her life work for the next 33 years. Mary Beth became the Art Teacher at St Peter’s School. Her artistic talent, patient temperament, gentle wisdom, and an uncanny ability to challenge each student to be their best, were the gifts she shared with all who passed through her classroom. She shared her exceptional design and calligraphy skills on school and parish publications, school art fairs, and Santa’s Spree. Each year she published the school yearbook, spending long evenings and weekends to ensure it was as close to perfect as possible, knowing it was a lifetime keepsake for the students and their parents.

While raising her daughters, teaching more than full-time at St Peter’s parochial school, and continuing to be a big sister to her younger sisters, Mary Beth enjoyed a close circle of special friends too numerous to mention here.

Mary Beth’s circle of friends from St. Peter's were great support for her for many years, and particularly through several difficult times in her life. These friends, with her family, and with her deep faith, were the support that sustained Mary Beth through the tragic loss of her daughter, Jessica, in a car accident at age 27. Nothing would ever fill the hole in Mary Beth’s heart after losing Jessie. These friends provided the same comfort when her parents John and Barbara, brother Jim, and sister Meg died.

Mary Beth’s ten sisters; Marcy, Kathy, Barbara, Sharon, Laura, Janet, Judy, Jeannie, Amy, and Meg, were a daily constant in her life. They did exactly what close sisters do: laugh, cry, praise, criticize, support, fuss, compete, argue, agree, share, swipe, return. Anytime they were together, the talk was loud, the laughs were constant, the tears were tender and the love was always present.

Mary Beth’s talents as a seamstress are highlighted in many places, none more special than the family funeral pall which has the name of each deceased family member’s name beautifully stitched and artfully placed. Mary Beth, continued her Aunt Mary’s role, meticulously hand stitching those names for many years. Her calligraphy skills are seen on most all of her extended family’s wedding and funeral programs and thousands of St. Peter’s publications. Her baking skills were envied. Baked Alaska, pecan and cinnamon rolls, hot fudge sauce and bran rolls were several specialties that we all savored.

Her ALS diagnosis in 2025, was no match for her strong faith, positive spirit, and gritty determination to remain in and part of the lives of her daughters Abby, Christine, and Emily, her grandchildren, Emmy and Mikey. Beyond that, her brother and sisters, nieces, nephews and many close friends were her allies in the struggle.

Mary Beth is preceded in death by daughter Jessica Fox; her parents, John and Barbara Latenser; her brother Jim Latenser; sister Meg Latenser Nicely; niece Monica Lippold; nephew Ben Walter; and brother-in-law Jim Nelson.

Mary Beth is survived by her daughter Abby & partner Jamie Sturtewagen; daughter Christine Gross & son-in-law Evan Gross, grandchildren Emelia and Michael Gross; and daughter Emily & son-in-law Nathan Bovos. Along with her siblings: Marcy Nelson, John (Mary) Latenser, Kathy (Terence) Glynn, Barbara (Larry) Yoksh, Sharon (Mike) Madrigal, Laura (Tom) Walter, Janet (Joe) Sommerhauser, Judy Latenser, Jeannie (Tim) Latenser, and Amy Latenser, and sister-in-law, Ramona Latenser. As well as 35 nieces and nephews, 35 great nieces and nephews, and hundreds of her former students, who were treasured and gave great purpose to her life.

Memorial contributions are suggested to: Sister Servants of Mary, 800 N. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102, and/or St. Peter's Parish, 701 E. Meyer Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64131.