October 1, 1982 — December 27, 2020
Poet · Artist · Free Spirit
Jeannette Marie Schimes — known to everyone who loved her as Nette — was born on October 1, 1982 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Ron and Donna Schimes. She graduated from Northrup High School in 2000 and spent her adult life as a talented chef, a devoted mother, and a tireless creator.
She was a woman of many gifts: she wrote poetry and music, sang, drew, painted, took photographs, worked with pottery, and crafted jewelry. Her family described her as having a natural aptitude for the arts — not one art, but all of them.
She passed away unexpectedly on December 27, 2020, at the age of 38, leaving behind three children who were her greatest pride and joy.
She poured her inner world onto the page, finding language for feelings others couldn't name.
She rendered the world in color and line, capturing moments that might otherwise go unseen.
Through a lens she froze the beautiful, fleeting moments that others walked past.
She shaped clay with her hands, finding something grounding in making things from the earth.
Above all else, Jeannette loved her three children — her pride and joy. She raised them with the same warmth and wonder she brought to everything she created.
"Most of all, she loved to make others feel heard, understood and accepted."
More than her art, more than her cooking, more than any single talent — what Jeannette gave most freely was her presence. She had a rare gift for making the people around her feel truly seen.
Jeannette was preceded in death by her father, Ronald Schimes; her mother, Donna Bercot-Schimes; her grandparents John and Marge; and her uncles Larry, Raymond, and Dan.