William "Bill" Herman Schmees' Obituary
William “Bill” Herman Schmees, 89 years old, from Broken Arrow, OK died peacefully at Clarehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20, 2026 surrounded by his family.
Bill was born on July 3, 1936 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Herman William Schmees and Dorothy Lorenza Schmees. He was married to the love of his life, Harriett Moffett Schmees (Gannaway) on May 29, 1959, celebrating their 67th anniversary of marriage just one month prior. They met while attending the University of Oklahoma, receiving a Bachelors Degree in Business. After their marriage, he immediately began to work with Traveler’s Insurance as an adjustor, which took him and his young family from Oklahoma City, to Enid Oklahoma, to New Orleans, Louisiana and to finally settle down in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
In 1978, Bill borrowed and invested $10,000 into starting All Season’s Rental and Supply Inc, building this company from renting in a strip mall on the east side of Tulsa to being a successful and profitable company in just a few short years. He worked hard for many years providing for his family, and he built his own building to establish his business for the future. With this success, Bill and Harriett decided to retire early at 55 years old in 1988, with the goal to travel overseas and in the RV they would soon purchase. Escaping the hot Oklahoma summers was their goal, so they RV’d each May to September around Lake City and Salida, Colorado. They fell in love with 4-wheeling across remote mountain passes, fly fishing in the clear, Colorado rivers, and meeting old and new friends in their camp sites each summer. These trips became the highlight of their year. Ironically, in 2016, Bill developed what doctors’ thought was HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edima), which quickly ended their trips to Colorado and sent Bill and Harriett through the difficult adjustment with what was later diagnosed as Pulmonary Fibrosis. He amazingly survived 10 years with this disease, when a normal life expectancy is 5-6 years! His most recent pulmonologist, Dr. Goterer, even called Bill his “hero” for surviving so long.
Bill was known for being funny, always ready with a joke or funny story to brighten anyone’s day. He was always kind and generous and described as being such a sweet man. Bill was also a man of great and deep faith, being a lifelong Catholic and longtime parishioner at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus and a Saturday men’s group from church; for the last 15 years he was active with a senior’s aerobics group which turned into walking for the men and aerobics for the women followed by a social hour at Panera Bread. This group has turned into a meaningful and supportive group for all who attend.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Herman Schmees and Dorothy Schmees, and his sister, Margaret (Schmees) Ierisi. He is survived by his wife, Harriett (Gannaway) Schmees, his siblings, Dorothy (Schmees) Carey of Houston, Texas, Cathey (Schmees) Bishop of Irving, Texas, David Schmees and wife, Liz, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Therese (Schmees) Becker and husband, James, of Columbus, Texas; his children, Stephen Schmees and wife Carmen, of Lauf, Germany, Anne (Schmees) Cunningham and husband, Brad, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; his grandchildren, Lindsey Cunningham and William Cunningham of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Kristin Gruber and husband, Fabian, of Lauf, Germany; great grandchildren, Robin Gruber and Tommi Gruber of Lauf, Germany, plus numerous nieces and nephews across the U.S.
Services are scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 11 a.m. with a Mass of Resurrection at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 301 S. 9th Street, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 74012. Lunch will be provided after the service in the parish hall. A private family burial will be held in the afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, the families wish is that you please consider a donation to: Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Clarehouse (Hospice House in Tulsa Oklahoma) or St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Bill lived a full and long life, just shy of his 90th birthday on July 3, he was always eager to shoot off or watch fireworks as a part of his birthday celebration. This year, remember Bill with your 4th of July celebrations. He would have loved to know you too honored and celebrated well.
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