Audrey Schmitz

Audrey Schmitz, 71, of Reinbeck, Iowa, passed away on February 27, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Born Audrey Marie Redmond in Skowhegan, Maine, to Andrew and Normande (Loubier) Redmond, she grew up with deep roots in the outdoors — skiing on snow and water, competitive horseback riding, competing in every sport she could find, and spending cherished summers at the family cabin. She left Maine the same way she lived her whole life: unafraid of the unknown and ready for whatever came next.

That spirit took her to Yankton College in South Dakota, where she played basketball, volleyball, and softball, and earned her degree in 1976. In the early 1980s she settled in Sioux City, Iowa, where she started her family and discovered a joy in caring for others. Working full time, she enrolled in nursing school and earned her RN, specializing in gerontology. That alone would define most people. But Audrey was also at every basketball game, every swim meet, every soccer match, football game, wrestling meet, recital, and whatever else her children were involved in.

In the late 1990s, Audrey accepted a Director of Nursing position in Webster City, Iowa, and her sense of adventure only deepened from there. She became a traveling nurse, a path that took her to many places — including Australia, where she lived for several years. When she returned stateside in 2004 and settled in Webster City she could not have known that selling her car would lead her to Phil Strohbehn, who would become her devoted partner and the love of her life. Together for 22 years, Audrey and Phil filled their time boating, travelling, and motorcycle rides. In 2019, Phil brought her home to Reinbeck. With a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's Disease threatening to define her final chapter, Audrey met it the same way she met everything — with courage and her favorite mantra: "Life is good."

At home, Audrey kept angels in nearly every room — small ceramic figures, a metal one on a stone monument, pins she wore on her coat. A token of faith woven into her life rather than worn on her sleeve.

She was a woman of hidden depths. Calm and reserved on the surface, she chose her words carefully and meant every one of them. Beneath that stillness lived a serious reader — War and Peace, Peter Jennings' The Century, books on Peak Oil — a fierce competitor, and a lover of garage sales, where she had an unerring eye for a bargain. Clothing, shoes, the occasional piece of furniture — many of those finds are still around, now cherished by the people she loved.

Audrey was generous her entire life. As a teenager, she cared tenderly for her Aunt Marie during a time of illness — a quiet act of compassion that those who witnessed it never forgot. It was not an exception. It was simply who she was.

She is survived by her devoted partner, Phil Strohbehn of Reinbeck; her three children: Heather Kortan (Grayson Smith) of Seattle, Washington; Louis Schmitz (Collin Winkowski) of Seattle, Washington; and Michelle Schmitz of Marion, Iowa; and her three beloved grandchildren, Kenny, Khloe, and Kassidy Schmitz. She is also survived by her siblings: Bill (Julie) Redmond, Lillian (Tom) Matthews, and Mark (Beth) Redmond, all of Maine; and Pierre Redmond and Charles Redmond of California. She was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew and Normande Redmond.

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers at Reinbeck Nursing Home for the compassionate care they provided Audrey in her final years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 10:30 AM at St. Gabriel Church, 21275 U Avenue, Reinbeck, Iowa, followed by burial at Reinbeck Cemetery. A catered noon meal will follow at the church. All are welcome.

Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Gabriel Church, 21275 U Avenue, Reinbeck, IA 50669, or to Reinbeck Active Living Community, 201 Valley Dr., Reinbeck, IA 50669, a 501C3 that includes Parkview Manor nursing home.