- Date Of Birth: May 7, 1919
- Date Of Death: January 9, 2015
- State: Montana
DeFon Schmitt, 95 of Great Falls, passed away January 9, 2015 of natural causes.
DeFon was born May 7, 1919 in Coffee Creek, MT. She was one of 13 children born to Edward and Minnie (Lenling) Haker. She attended grade school in Denton and attended high school in Lewistown. During the Cold War DeFon was an airplane observer for Civil Air Defense.
On February 3, 1937 she was married to Russell “Rusty” Schmitt in Great Falls. She said she married him because he had a hot car and Scottie dog named Jonesy. They first lived in a house near Coffee Creek, which had a dirt floor, and she must have swept that floor every day. She ranched with Rusty in the Judith Basin on their own Little Fawn Ranch, where DeFon raised huge vegetable gardens. Every Saturday they sold produce in Stanford out of the rumble seat of the car.
DeFon sang in Stanford Presbyterian Church Choir for many years and taught Sunday School. She enjoyed working with her kids and their 4-H steers and lambs. She always had time for her kids, from making hollyhock dolls and playing house to swinging in the rope swing. Some of her favorite pastimes were to go hunting for Indian artifacts, have coffee with friends, and spend time with her dogs. She loved her wire-hair terriers and schnauzers.
DeFon was known for her cooking skills, especially her fried chicken, gravy, pot roasts and coffee cakes. She had a great sense of humor and quick wit.
Her 12 siblings have preceded her in death, as well as her husband, Russell; grandson, Russell Bucko; sons-in-law, Randall Bucko and Lee Roy Hall.
She is survived by her son, Larry (Deborah) Schmitt of Hardy AR; daughters, Gail Bucko and Rosalie Hall, both of Great Falls; granddaughters, Brook (Sam) Marie DeFon Costantino of Great Falls, Capt. Tammy (Kirk) Sloulin of Killeen TX, Talana (Harold) Baker of Blaine WA; great-grandchildren, Loren Bucko, Keely Dirkson, both of Monarch, Hans, Michael and Heidi Sloulin, all of Killeen TX, Selena Baker of Blaine WA, and Jake Newman of Great Falls.
The last words Mom uttered was the name of Jesus four times. These were her last words to ever be spoken. This is comforting to her family as it is recorded in Acts, chapter 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
