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Ruth Schmidt Karisch Connett died Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at age 96. She was great-grandma, grandma, mom, sister, aunt and friend to the many people who loved and admired her.

Ruth was a native of Waller County and a longtime resident of Hempstead. She was born October 13, 1926, as one of nine children of John and Julia Schmidt of Monaville. She is survived by three siblings, Johnnie Haak of Georgetown, Patsy Dotson of Pattison and Stanley Schmidt of Lampasas.

Ruth attended Monaville High School and Blinn College.  At Blinn she met her husband, Carl William ("Bill") Karisch and was married in 1947. She lived and worked in Austin while Bill studied at the Business School and Law School at the University of Texas.  On his graduation in 1950, the couple moved to Hempstead.  There Bill practiced law and became county attorney. Ruth assisted him and ran her own successful tax preparation business.

Ruth and Bill had two sons, Charles Karisch of Hempstead and Glenn Karisch of Austin.  Charles has two daughters, Sara Armstrong and Samantha Karisch of Hempstead. Glenn has four children, Julia Jonas of Austin, Augustus Karisch of Minneapolis, Cooper Karisch of New York City and Jack Karisch of Houston.

After Bill's death in 1977, Ruth married Leslie Connett and became stepmother to Judy Bridges of College Station, Nancy Hutchins of New Braunfels and Nell Irvin of Houston and step grandmother to Cindy Burque of Circle Pines, Minnesota, Daniel McDuff of Houston, Leslie Laws of Wimberley, Chris Hutchins of the Bay Area and Blake Irvin of Sugarland. Leslie Connett died in 1993.

Ruth had 18 great-grandchildren, 4 great-greatgrandchildren and countless nieces and nephews.

Ruth was a lifelong Democrat who worked on her first campaign in 1932 when her father ran for county commissioner. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Hempstead since 1951, where she held most of the church lay leadership positions over the years.

Visitation will be at Canon Funeral Home from 5 to 7 on Friday, February 24. Services will be held at First United Methodist Church of Hempstead at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 25, with Pastor John Montgomery and Rev. Bonnie Osteen officiating. Interment will follow at Hempstead Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First United Methodist Church of Hempstead: fumchempsteadtx.org