Carol Louise (Benzel) Schmidt was born loving chocolate, Feb. 23, 1937 in Hardin, Montana. She went to be with her Lord and Savior, January 27, 2023, just shy of her 86th birthday, in Stanwood, WA. Her parents were Hilda (Schafer) and Fred Benzel Jr. She grew up on a farm north of Hardin with 3 siblings and attended the Community School. The family then moved to Vale, South Dakota in 1951 where they continued to farm. A hail storm caused them to move to Idaho, where Carol graduated from Rupert High School in May 1954. The following fall she attended college at Twin Falls Business College and in January 1955, she transferred to Billings Business College in Montana.

Meeting her husband, Roy G. Schmidt, they married Aug. 28, 1955 and lived at Hardin until moving to Washington state for Roy's health in 1957. Carol had been employed at Big Horn County State Bank in Hardin, and continued her banking career at Peoples Bank in Everett until 1958 when she began her most important career—motherhood.

The family moved to Marysville in 1958, and then to Stanwood in 1962. Raising calves and a big garden enabled Carol to teach her children the rural way of life, where the family eventually began a Holstein dairy farm. While expecting her fifth child, Carol decided to complete her college degree, earning her diploma in Creative Writing in 1969 after a three- year course. This led to a 45 year career at the Stanwood-Camano News, where she wrote the humorous weekly column "Happiness Is…" and was the only one in the history of the paper to hold the title of Family & Friends editor. During this time she wrote and published two inspirational romance novels and won numerous state newspaper awards.

Carol retired in 2017 at the age of 80 years plus. She continued to write a history column for the paper for a few more years, and wrote a number of children's books about farm life in the 1940's - 1950's for her great-grandchildren. She was very active in the community which included, but not limited to, volunteering for her children's school events, fundraisers and field trips, teaching Sunday School from 1970 - 2003, and playing the organ for both Freeborn Lutheran church and Victoria Chapel for over 30 years. She attended Warm Beach Free Methodist church in her later years where she continued to volunteer her time by washing dishes after events.

Loves of her life included worship of her Lord Jesus Christ, her family, her German ancestry, genealogy, laughter, the color blue, cats, roses, chocolate, miniatures, music and square dancing. She was a multifaceted woman with many hobbies such as painting, card making, crocheting and crafting. She played several instruments, piano and the accordion being her main passions, and she always encouraged her children and grandchildren to learn an instrument.

Carol's last wish is that all her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren would take Jesus as their Lord and Savior, to meet her in heaven. She is survived by 5 children: Keith (Darlene), Kevin (Bonnie), Kerry (Missy) and Kenneth (Charlotte) Schmidt and Athena (Michael) Willard,  14 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren, a brother, Donnie & Barbara Benzel of Nampa, Idaho, and a host of extended family and friends. She was blessed to have 48 first cousins, and remembered many of them on their birthdays every year with cards featuring Holstein cows, another of her passions. Also surviving Carol is her best friend since age 3, Shirley Pitsch Margheim of Hardin Montana; brother-in-law, Dick Kroll of Bremerton, Wash., sister-in-law Marilyn Benzel of Milton, Florida; nieces Chanda (Tyler) Chen of Bremerton and Karen Schwayne of Hagerman, Idaho; nephews Mike Benzel (Kelly) of Mackoville, Kansas, Paul Benzel (Heather) of Nampa and Trent Kroll (Darla) of Hood River, Oregon.

A funeral service will be held at 11am, February 10, 2023 in Hardin, MT at Christ E & R Church with graveside services following at Fairview Cemetary where Carol will be buried near her parents and grandparents, Mary and Frederich Benzel Sr. Luncheon to follow in the fellowship hall of Christ E & R Church.

Celebration of Life service will be at the Warm Beach Free Methodist Church in Stanwood, WA, Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 1:30pm, light refreshments to follow. Flowers can be sent to Warm Beach Free Methodist Church in Stanwood, WA or

memorials may be given to the Big Horn County Historical Society (1163 3rd St. E., Hardin, MT 59034) earmarked for upkeep of the original E&R Church where Carol was baptized, confirmed and married.