Ija Schmit - reposed Sept 22, 2018 - member of TOC

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Barbara
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Ija Schmit - reposed Sept 22, 2018 - member of TOC

Post by Barbara »

I started a biography in another thread, but for now, I wanted to post this much fuller one, though it's by the Rocor-MP All Saints of Russia parish, which held a lunch to commemorate her as a school teacher in that Burlingame parish. It is good she was remembered. She and her husband left Rocor after the 2007 union with the MP and became prominent members and organizers of the South San Francisco TOC parish, St John of San Francisco, which changed jurisdictions a few times.

[ I am going to add more details, too, over time. ]

Parents and
students of
the Parish Russian
School held a Memorial
Luncheon
on October 21 to
remember their
beloved teacher of
40 years, Iya Dimitrievna
Schmit, who
reposed on September
22, 2018. The
lunch was organized
by Svetlana
Olegovna Avdeeva Vasilieva
with lots of help from teachers, parents and friends.

Iya Dimitrievna (nee Podmoshenskaya) was born in Riga, Latvia.
She lost her father to the Communist camps. When the German
army occupied Latvia during World War II, she fled with her mother
and older brother to Germany. The family immigrated to the
United States when young Iya was 12 years old and reunited with
the grandmother, who had been an accomplished ballet dancer.
The brother, Gleb Podmoshensky, grew up to become a monk
named Father Herman. Along with Father Seraphim Rose,
they founded the Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina,
California. Father Herman also started the publication, The
Orthodox Word,
and renewed the
pre-revolution
Russian language
journal, Russky
Palomnik (Russian
Pilgrim).
Father Herman
reposed in 2000.

At the luncheon,
Iya Dimitrievna
was remembered
for her
deep love for
her students as she taught them Zakon Bozhii (The Law of God),
as well as the Russian language, literature and culture. Speakers
included Father Stefan, A.N. Miroshnichenko, Andrei Roudenko,
Irina Irklienko, Svetlana Avdeeva, Anya Derugina, and Natasha
Lytneva. They recalled how she presented the children with icons
and prayer books on their Saints’ Days, and how she organized
summer gatherings at her house where the students listened to
her spiritual talks and played old Russian games. After Nativity,
the Schmits welcomed the entire school to their home for a Yolka
party and gifted the children with small bags of homemade gingerbread
cookies
and other
sweets. When
the Schmits
traveled
abroad, Iya
Dimitrievna
always brought
back postcards
or European
candies for
each child.
She constantly
thought about
the children.

Iya Dimitrievna organized a charitable organization with a group
of Russian ladies called the Society Honoring Russian Nobility.
They would prepare a luncheon in the Church Hall and with the
proceeds, send parcels of dry food, clothes, and medications to
elderly Russians and needy families with and without children.
In 1996, Iya Dimitrievna commissioned an iconographer to create
an icon of Tsar Nicholas II in memory of her mother and with
the hope of the future glorification of the Romanov tsar in Russia.
Printed copies of various sizes were made and sold to fund the
Society Honoring Russian
Nobility. In God’s Providence,
one of the printed
copies in Russia started
streaming myrrh and is now
traveling from church to
church in Russia and abroad.
It has been venerated by
thousands of people. The
copy in our church hangs on
the wall near Saint Nicholas
the Wonderworker. A video
of the Tsar Nicholas II icon
visiting village churches was
presented at the luncheon.

Also honored at the luncheon
was Iya Dimitrievna’s
husband, Harvey (Foma
Petrovich). The American convert, who learned to speak Russian
fluently, always supported his wife in all her pious endeavors. On
behalf of their daughter, Nina, and son-in-law Daniel Shultz,
Harvey thanked everyone in the Russian School for all the kind
words that were said and all the love they gave to Iya Dimitrievna.
The beloved teacher is now buried next to her brother, Father
Herman, at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Sebastopol, California"

http://www.allrussiansaintsburlingame.o ... ec2018.pdf

IXOYE
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Re: Ija Schmit - reposed Sept 22, 2018 - member of TOC

Post by IXOYE »

Lord, have mercy!

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Barbara
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Re: Ija Schmit - reposed Sept 22, 2018 - member of TOC

Post by Barbara »

From the same source as above, but the May/June 2019 newsletter, comes this accolade for Ija Dimitrievna :

"Dantia Egorov is the daughter of Vladimir Egorov and Gillian Kosharek. She started attending the Burlingame Church Russian School in the Fall of 2010.

Dantia says the school taught her how to be a lady with proper posture, proper handwriting, and proper behavior. It also helped her with memorization.

She gives credit to her favorite teacher, the late Iya Schmit, who gave her a Russian identity and an appreciation for her culture."


Sounds like a really rare teacher at a rare school, forming young women in such useful areas as ladylike behavior. Where can one find such valuable -- and such BADLY NEEDED -- instruction now ??
Ija Dmitrievna's contribution to her students was clearly immense.

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Barbara
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Re: Ija Schmit - reposed Sept 22, 2018 - member of TOC

Post by Barbara »

I was rereading the earlier report and thought that 2000 sounded way too early for Ija Dmitrievna's brother's repose. Checking it, I saw that June 30, 2019 will be 5 years since Fr Herman's repose in 2014.

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