Helen Schmitz, age 108, died March 29, 2007 at the Avera Brady Health and Rehab. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Monday at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell with burial in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-8 PM Sunday at Will Funeral Chapel with a prayer service at 7:30 PM. Helen Moran Schmitz, age 108 years and 354 days was born to Matthew and Mary Jane (Carr) Moran on April 9, 1898 in Woonsocket, SD. She attended St. Joseph School and graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1906. She started giving piano lessons at age 16 in Forestburg, Wessington Springs, Alpena and Woonsocket. She attended the University of South Dakota, Northern Normal and graduated with a masters degree from McPhails School of Music in Minneapolis. While attending college, she accompanied silent films for four years. She played the pipe organ at St. Wilfrids Catholic Church for thirteen years. Helen married John E. Schmitz in Woonsocket on August 23, 1927. They moved to Chamberlain and Howard where she taught school and gave music lessons. In 1935, they moved to Mitchell. Her husband died on January 1, 1943. She then taught music at Notre Dame and accompanied all the groups at Notre Dame and played for all the graduations for 25 years. She played the pipe organ at Holy Family Church for all masses, funerals and weddings for over 40 years. She also gave private piano lessons until she was 90. She was a lifetime member of Woonsocket Catholic Daughters, Altar Society, former member of ACT, Legion Auxiliary, TG Club, former member of the Music Guild, Century Club and the Democratic party. She is survived by her daughter, Kay Oster, Mitchell; son, Jerry Schmitz and wife, Marlys, Aberdeen, and son-in-law, Harry Hilton, Mitchell; a sister, Mary Tysdal and husband, Lloyd, of Mitchell; twenty grandchildren, twenty-nine great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, seven brothers and two sisters; one son, Tom, at age 23; her daughter, Mary Jane Hilton; an infant granddaughter, a grandson, and her son-in-law, John Oster. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Helens name.