Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

  • FWS-2025-NEW-September_728x90.png
  • NurseryGuide2024-728x90-1.png
  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • FWS-2025-NEW-September_728x90.png
  • Media-Kit-DM-com-banner-2025-728x90-1.png
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Digger
You are here: Home / Nursery News / Evelyn Schmidt, co-founder of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., passes away

Evelyn Schmidt, co-founder of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., passes away

By Curt Kipp — Posted July 12, 2017

The Oregon Association of Nurseries is saddened to report the passing of Evelyn Schmidt, the cofounder of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., a wholesale tree nursery based in Boring, Oregon. She died July 6, 2017 at the age of 96, with her children by her side.

Evelyn was born August 18, 1920 in Swissvale, Pennsylvania. As newlyweds, she and her husband, J. Frank Schmidt Jr., founded the nursery in 1946 following their honeymoon. It eventually expanded to 2,500 acres across multiple sites near Boring, in the Willamette Valley, and in Eastern Oregon. The company is well known throughout the industry for its signature tree introductions.

She was laid to rest July 7, 2017 at Douglass Pioneer Cemetery in Troutdale, Oregon, next to her husband, who died in 2004, and their eldest daughter, Joyce, who died in 1965. She is survived by daughters Jean Webster of Fresno, California and Jan Barkley of Boring, son J. Frank Schmidt III of Boring, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Evelyn’s 97th birthday, Friday, August 18, 2017, from 3–6 p.m. at the J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Arboretum, 9500 S.E. 327th Ave., Boring, Oregon. A 4 p.m. presentation will include stories, blessings and birthday cake. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances to Mt. Hood Hospice, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, or a favorite charity.

Below is her full obituary, courtesy of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.

Evelyn L. Schmidt

August 18, 1920 — July 6, 2017

Evelyn Louise Mantsch Schmidt died peacefully on July 6, with her children at her side. A resident of the Troutdale-Gresham-Boring area for more than 70 years, she was co-founder with her late husband, J. Frank Schmidt, Jr., of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., a wholesale tree nursery based in Boring. Having declared at the age of 10 that she wished to marry a farmer and have twins, she accomplished these and many other goals during her long life.

Born on August 18, 1920, in Swissvale, PA, Evelyn was the youngest of four children born to George and Sarah (Miller) Mantsch. She grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb during the Great Depression with siblings Hilda (Larson), Elsie (Hearn) and Bill Mantsch.

During frigid winter evenings, the family huddled for warmth by the kitchen stove. It was stoked with firewood from the nearby woods, gathered because they could not afford coal. Meals of cornmeal mush were supplemented by free milk distributed weekly at the local firehouse. Evelyn recalled never going to bed hungry or feeling as though they were poor, but had vivid memories of her family singing, playing cards and being together.

During her high school years, Evelyn taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. Her combination of singing ability and skating skills earned her a spot in the Ice Capades, a traveling ice skating show founded in Pittsburgh in 1940. She performed with the Kinder Sisters for two years, and spent two more years as a substitute skater and behind-the-scenes voice for several famous Ice Capades performers.

After paying off her parents’ mortgage with some of her $125 per week earnings, she left the show to visit her sister Hilda and family in Gresham. She was soon introduced to J. Frank Schmidt Jr., the farmer who was to become her husband and the father of four children including the twins she had dreamed of.

Married in her parents’ home on October 12, 1946, the newlyweds set off on a cross-country honeymoon to Oregon in their shiny new 1946 Studebaker. Upon arrival, they planted their first trees on five acres off Halsey Street near Troutdale. The nursery eventually expanded to more than 2,500 acres and is known around the world.

Evelyn was active in the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the American Association of Nurserymen and was a longtime member of Ascension Lutheran Church. She played tennis well into her 80s and loved dancing at the Gresham Senior Center and Gresham Elks Lodge, where she rarely missed Thursday bingo. She volunteered at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center and Gresham Historical Society, to which she donated her ice skates, dancing shoes and other memorabilia.

Evelyn was preceded in death in 2004 by her husband of 58 years, and by their eldest daughter Joyce in 1965. She is survived by twin daughters, Jean (Gordie) Webster of Fresno, CA, and Jan Barkley, and son J. Frank Schmidt III (Barbara) of Boring.

Nine grandchildren survive her: Julie Schmidt (David) Rasmussen, John and Carrie Schmidt; Gordy (Stephanie) Webster, Chad and Ashley Webster; Sarah Barkley (Paul) Fisher, Stephanie Barkley (Keven) Lehl and Sam (Natalie) Barkley, Jr.

Evelyn doted on her nine great-grandchildren: Laelie, Tirien, Emmalyn, Karielle, Bryn, Barrett, Everlee Joyce, Avery and Jay, and was looking forward to the birth of her tenth.

Evelyn is laid to rest beside Frank Jr. and Joyce at Douglass Pioneer Cemetery, Troutdale. A Celebration of Life will be held on her 97th birthday; Friday, August 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. A 4 p.m. presentation will include stories, blessings and birthday cake. It will take place at the J. Frank Schmidt, Jr., Arboretum, 9500 SE 327th Ave., Boring.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrances to Mt. Hood Hospice, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or a favorite charity.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket

Filed Under: Nursery News, OAN Members, Uncategorized

About Curt Kipp

Curt Kipp is the director of publications and communications at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and the editor of Digger magazine.

NURSERY NEWS

In Memoriam: Melvin John Steffenson

New USDA Census of Hort arriving in mailboxes this month

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

Eason Horticultural Resources is now employee-owned

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

Building trust is key to establishing clientele base for new nurseries

Five owners share their experiences on what it takes to start a nursery businesses

Bailey hires new CFO and chief HR officer

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

May 2025: Sustainability Issue

April 2025: The Tree Issue

March 2025: The Perennial Issue

February 2025: The Greenhouse Issue

January 2025: The Retail Issue

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

New tools in the battle against thrips

Aiming for precision in pest control

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

$250,000 shifted to P. austrocedri research

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Sense of excitement prevailed at Farwest as nursery industry ‘Meets the Future’ 

Farwest Show attendees select favorites for the Retailers’ Choice Awards

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins People’s Choice balloting at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Hopper Bros. wins Best in Show booth award at 2024 Farwest Show   

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins Judges’ Best in Show at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

Meet the leader: Sam Pohlschneider

OAN honors the industry’s best

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

More member stories

​

Updates to exisiting subscriptions can be sent to [email protected]

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • President’s Message
  • Digital Growth

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© 2025 Oregon Association of Nurseries

 

Loading Comments...