Mary Ellen Smith

Mary Ellen Smith (née Schillinger), 98, of Fort Atkinson, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2025, at Aurora Medical Center Summit in Oconomowoc.

Mary was born on June 30, 1926, in Madison, Wisconsin. On September 28, 1946, she married the love of her life, Donald Frederick Smith of Reedsburg. Together they made their home in Fort Atkinson, where Mary spent most of her life nurturing a loving family and sharing her gifts with the community.

Her home was a warm reflection of her creativity and care. She dedicated many of her days gardening, baking, painting, sketching, quilting various items, and collaborating on home improvement projects.

She deeply valued family, nurturing relationships with attentiveness and grace.

Mary found great joy in the simple pleasures of life—sharing childhood stories, playing canasta with family and friends, cheering for the Badgers and Packers every season, vacationing with her grandchildren at Devil’s Lake, and spending tranquil days in Door County, where she loved taking in the scenic beauty and peaceful surroundings.

Mary is survived by her son Scott Smith; her sister Caryl Jean Eliot; her grandchildren: Ben, Adam, Chad, Nate (Ashley), Matt, Nick (Sarah), and Samantha; her beloved nieces and nephews: Lise (Bill), Brian, Daniel (Meng), and Bruce (Denise) Eliot; and several great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Helen (Vogel) and John Schillinger; her husband, Donald Frederick Smith; her sister Julia Mae Schillinger; her son Mark Smith; and her brother-in-law Allen E. Eliot

A public memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Grace Lutheran Church on Skogen Rd in Cambridge. Interment will follow at a later date at Greenwood Cemetery in Reedsburg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the National Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family