Christy Sue Schmidt Sovereign, 55

Christy Sue Schmidt Sovereign, of Coeur d’Alene, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, surrounded by her family. She is safely in the hands of God.

Christy was born Dec. 18, 1964, in Amarillo, Texas; she was one of four children of Fred and Glenda Schmidt. The Schmidt family moved to Albuquerque, N.M., in 1973, and she graduated from Eldorado High School in 1983.

Christy attended college in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, and held a Master’s Degree in Education from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Over the next 25 years she was an educator at every level: daycare, elementary, middle school, high school and college. Third grade was, by far, her favorite. She was currently a third-grade teacher at Sheridan Elementary School in Spokane, Wash.

Christy married John Sovereign in Albuquerque on May 9, 1987, and their “Gypsy tour” began. They lived and worked in Albuquerque and Farmington, N.M., Beaumont and Wichita Falls, Texas and Bozeman, Mont., before landing in Coeur d’Alene in 2013.

There were four centers in Christy’s world – her family, her faith, her teaching community and her students. Christy volunteered wherever she was needed. She thrived in what she often called “organized chaos.” Her door was always open and her freely-given wisdom and passion for life were inspirations to everyone who sought her out.

She was a magnet for hundreds of school children, and she had an especially soft heart for kids in need. No one who came to the Sovereign doorstep was ever turned away. Christy and John's door was always open. There are many “adopted kids” who call her “Momma.”

As the only girl in a family with three brothers, Christy learned early how to hold her own. She was fierce in a humorous way that was admired by everyone who knew her. Her faith in God and Jesus Christ was contagious. To know her was to know and appreciate the small things in life that matter most.

Amidst a life of giving, Christy occasionally made a bit of time for herself. She loved gardening and her flowers – especially bleeding hearts and bluebonnets. She was an avid reader and loved to write.

Christy is survived by her husband, John; four adult children: Scott, Troy and Rachael Sovereign and Stacy Wood and her husband, Steven; three grandchildren that she adored; her father, Fred Schmidt and her three brothers: Bill, Bob (Tricia) and Brian (Jennifer) Schmidt.

Christy’s memorial service is at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, at Prairie Avenue Community Church, 3639 W. Prairie Ave., Hayden, Idaho.

Please consider a contribution to GoFundMe “Support for the Sovereign Family”