Emma Louise (Schmidt) Blackstone Moore

Poland - Emma Louise Blackstone Moore, 98, passed away peacefully Wednesday evening, October 18, 2017 at St. Elizabeth Health Center surrounded by family.

Emma was born July 16, 1919 in Youngstown, a daughter of the late Paul and Emma Menning Schmidt. She was raised in Youngstown and later lived in Boardman. She was recently a resident of Shepherd of the Valley in Poland.

Emma attended South High School and was a floral designer for her family's business, Schmidt's Florist and Nursery on Market Street and later on South Ave. For more than 50 years, Emma was a volunteer aquatics instructor for the YMCA. She began helping youngsters learn to swim at the McDonald High School pool and later taught hundreds of children, including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, how to swim at numerous community pools through the Red Cross learn-to-swim programs. To many of her young students, Emma was affectionately known as "Aunt Em." At the YMCA she earned her water safety instructor's certificate and taught life-guarding and later led water exercise classes, taught synchronized swimming and swimming lessons to adults at the Y. Emma loved cooking, gardening and playing bridge with friends.

In 1997 the YMCA honored Emma for her 40 years of volunteer service as an aquatics instructor and at the annual Membership Campaign Kick-off Dinner she was honored with the Joe Check Award. Emma enjoyed hosting the annual swim class picnic and always held her YMCA family near and dear to her heart.

She was a faithful member of Good Hope Lutheran Church in Boardman.

Emma's first husband, John Edward Blackstone, whom she married on September 25, 1943 died on September 23, 1986. On June 13, 2007 Emma married Albert C. Moore, who died on September 3, 2011. She leaves one brother, Ted Schmidt of Las Vegas, NV; nieces and nephews, Cheryl May, Ted (Roxie) Schmidt, Larry (Judy) Schmidt, Vicki Lisotto, Jeff and Jay Blackstone, and Janet Blackstone Kessler; and her dear friends, whom Emma looked upon as her own children, Bill and Deb Arnaut.

In addition to her parents and husbands, Emma was preceded in death by her two brothers, Howard and Paul Schmidt.

A funeral service honoring her life will be held Thursday at 11:00 AM at the Good Hope Lutheran Church with Pastor Robert Quaintance officiating. Interment will follow at the Lake Park Cemetery, Youngstown, OH.

Friends will be received Wednesday from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM at the Davis-Becker Funeral Home in Boardman and Thursday from 10:00 AM until 10:45 AM at the church.

Contributions may be made to the Good Hope Lutheran Church, 98 Homestead, Boardman, OH 44512 or to the YMCA, 17 N. Champion Street, Youngstown, OH 44503.