Merrilla “Boots” Schmidt of Grand Rapids passed away on March 21, 2026 surrounded by her four loving daughters. Boots was the middle of three girls born July 18, 1941 to Merrilla Nottingham in Detroit, Michigan. She was married to the love of her life Bob for 60 years before he passed in 2021, and they had four wonderful girls, the “Schmisters,” who love her very much.

As a supportive wife and mother, Boots ran an organized and tidy home but still made time to lead a Girl Scout Troop, sew clothing and make costumes for plays, work as a seamstress making alterations, join a ladies bowling league with friends, curate articles for the Sight Seer Radio Reading Service, start her own cleaning business, and work outside the home receiving telephone orders for the JC Penney Catalog. Boots began collecting decorative owls when they were in fashion in the 1970’s, and later found great joy in an impressive collection of Boyd’s Bears.

Boots embraced many creative endeavors over the years, such as macrame, Holly Hobby paper art, mandala coloring, card making and scrapbooking her family’s memories. Boots developed a passion for photography, and became quite proficient in the art over a fifteen year period. As an active member of the Grand Rapids Camera Club she won dozens of blue ribbons for both print work and slides in a variety of categories such as portraits, nature, and assigned subjects. Her photography was featured in publications such as “In Celebration of Grand Rapids” and she was hired to document events via candid photography through her business “Moments to Remember.” Trekking Michigan trails and cliffs to get the perfect shot of a lighthouse or waterfall was a favorite pastime, and she spent hours creating special slideshows set to music that were works of art in their own right. Her years in the Grand Rapids Camera Club earned her the highest recognition of Grand Master in 1995.

Boots was an avid lover of games and word puzzles. She took pride in keeping her mind sharp and keeping abreast of current culture. Boots’ Wordle stats were stellar, and she took great pleasure when the team of “olders” (Boots and her sister Sandy) would have more impressive scores than the “youngers” (her nephews Bob and Bill). She could beat nearly everyone at a rousing game of Rummikub, Shove It, or Chase the Ace and was considered naturally lucky. Luck served her particularly well when partaking in another favorite hobby, playing slot machines at the casino. With packets of money in tow, she would play specific slot machines in honor of a loved one… a shark-themed game for her daughter in Florida, or a dog-themed game for her animal-loving sister Pam. Since moving into a retirement community, her lucky number B7 was the key to winning many Friday afternoon bingo games. “B7 Boots” became her beloved nickname.

Boots is survived by four loving daughters Becky (Eric) Vetter, Bobbi (Leif) Simonsen, Bonnie (Nancy Houle) Schmidt and Trista (Mark) VanderVoord. She was Gammers to thirteen grandchildren and their spouses, and Great Gammers to eleven great-grandchildren. Her extended family also includes her sisters Sandy and Pam, brothers- and sisters-in-law and many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by husband Bob. Celebration of Life to be held in June.

Boots and her family are grateful to Faith Hospice for the excellent care she received before she passed. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions supporting organizations of great meaning to Boots can be made to In the Image SHOES Program (https://www.intheimage.org/) or The Sight Seer Radio Reading Service (https://www.thesightseer.xyz/).