A memorial service for Beatrice A. Little “Bea” Schmucker, who passed away on March 29, 2022, will be held April 18 in Florida.

Mrs. Schmucker was born in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and moved to Palm Coast, Florida from Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1972. Since then, the Palm Coast Historical Society holds the Schmuckers as the longest living original residents at this 100,000 population.

She was a graduate of Boothbay Region High School, class of 1957 and a Women’s Army Corps (WAC) veteran serving from 1957 to 1959 as a dental technician; her highlight was having Elvis Presley in her dental chair.

She married her husband, Ron, then an Army Platoon Sergeant, at Fort Dix, New Jersey in December 1958 and when her husband was commissioned in June 1959, she was forced to resign from the WAC under the Army regulation that stated that enlisted persons and officers could not co-habitate, even though they were husband and wife. She had three children in less than four years and soon took over the difficult task of every service wife, packing and moving as your husband is assigned to 21 different duty stations and being both mother and father as he served in overseas stations. Unaccompanied by family, she had to reassure the children as Ron was twice sent to Vietnam as an infantryman and she had to make friends every six to 12 months.

She often spoke of enrolling her son, Jon, in Bunnell Junior High School, his 13th school in seven years. She watched him become an Army Airborne Infantry Ranger and Platoon Sergeant, watched his brother, Kurt, become a Navy Chief Petty Officer and retire from the Navy. Her daughter, Beth, became a Florida Park Ranger. Total military service of the family was 65 years.

She was notorious for spoiling her six grandchildren and 14 great-granchildren. She was an avid and talented woodcarver who continually turned down offers for her carvings, instead giving them away or setting them aside for family members. Her miniatures of U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard servicemen with U.S. and service flags are located in American Legion Post #1 in London, England.

One of 13 children, she is survived by her husband of 63 years, Ron; her half-sister, Mary Nolan; a close niece, Tamara Peters of Boothbay Harbor; sons, Jon of Palm Coast, Florida and Kurt and his wife Cathy of Gautieer, Mississippi; daughter Beth and husband William of Naples, Florida; six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post 8696, P.O. Box 351003, Palm Coast, FL 32135-1003.

Clymer Funeral Home in Palm Coast is in charge of arrangements. Burial will be at National Veterans Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida at a future date with full military honors. A portion of her ashes will be spread in the ocean off Ocean Point, Boothbay.

A luncheon, short service and celebration of her life will be held shortly after burial service at VFW Post 8696 in Palm Coast with the date to be announced.