Marie A. Scheiter

Marie A. Scheiter, 77, of Washington, passed away March 18, 2023. Most people who knew her would describe her as a good friend, a loving wife, a passionate teacher, a trusted mentor, and an amazing mother. All of this is true. And yet none of it quite captures the incredible woman she was. To understand the enormity of the loss you had to have the privilege of knowing her.

Marie was born April 10, 1945 in St. Louis to Anna Marie Petsch (née Stichling) and George Henry Oldham. Marie-la, as her mother called her, was the absolute pride and joy of her beloved mother and adoptive father, Carl Petsch. Marie received her education from Hazelwood School District, Central Methodist University (’67), and completed her MA in Education from Maryville University (’91). On April 20, 1968, she was united in marriage to David Ernest Scheiter at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in St. Louis.

For twenty-eight years Marie enjoyed teaching for the Washington School District. Her family never tired of hearing people ask “Are you Marie Scheiter’s daughter/son/husband?” as they would go on to say what a wonderful teacher she was and how she changed their lives. Just as she had done with her own children, she let her students set their own standards and helped them reach their goals. Whether a student received straight As or struggled to earn a C, Marie effortlessly saw and celebrated what each student had to offer and coaxed the best out of them. When asked about her favorite students she would smile and say “I always had a soft spot for the so-called troublemakers. They just had so much personality.” Even outside of the classroom Marie made every room she was in brighter. She was kind, incredibly funny, open-minded, and open-hearted. People loved to be around her. She made everyone feel special. She was never judgmental and always encouraging. Her favorite piece of advice was “A job half done is never appreciated—unless it’s the last half.”

All through her life she struggled with health issues. From early on she suffered from kidney disease and was told she would probably not survive into adulthood. But she was not one to be told what to do. She went on to beat breast cancer twice and received a kidney from her daughter in 2008. The hardest thing about the surgery they both would say was trying not to make each other laugh as they recovered. They failed miserably. Despite numerous hardships, Marie lived a life full of joy, love, and excitement. She used to say that going through difficult times connects you to other people in ways you could never have imagined. Suddenly you understand something really intimate about those who have also suffered and it makes you kinder, gentler, and more human.

Marie was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority where she made lifelong friendships. She was a member of the Page Turner Book Club and played in two different Bridge Clubs. One of her absolute joys was to spend time with her dear friends, the YaYa’s. She loved books and was an avid supporter of the Washington Public Library. After she retired from teaching, she enjoyed traveling with her husband, David, both abroad and within the USA. Some of her favorite moments were spending time with her son and his family and going on adventures with her daughter and son-in-law.

Among her survivors are her husband, David Scheiter of Washington; daughter, Krisanna Scheiter and husband Ulysses Chen of Schenectady, New York; son, Jonathan Scheiter and significant other, Stacy Lurtz of Springfield, MO; three grandchildren, Adaline, Jackson, and Maximus Scheiter; loved ones and friends. Marie was preceded in death by her mother and father, Anna and Carl Petsch; George Oldham; and her uncle and aunt, civil rights activists, Charles and Marian (née O’Fallon) Oldham. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations can be made in her name to The National Kidney Foundation (https://www.kidney.org/) or WINGS Washington School District Educational Foundation (https://www.washington.k12.mo.us/community/wings).

Arrangements in care of Nieburg-Vitt, Miller Funeral Home, Washington.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Marie A. Scheiter, please visit our floral store.