Obituary of Florence Harrison Schiesser

Florence H. Schiesser  June 4, 1923-December 30, 2023

Florence H. Schiesser, 100, of Irmo, SC passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 30, 2023.  Born and raised in Gastonia, NC, she was the daughter of the late John DeBert and Sallie Pitts Harrison.

In 1944, she was introduced to the love of her life, Warren Schiesser.  They married in June of 1948 and Warren took his beautiful “Southern Belle” to live in his home state of New York.  There they raised their family of four children.  Florence always dreamed about going back south to live and in 1980, Warren made her dreams come true.  Upon his retirement, Warren and Flo moved to Hendersonville, NC, where they happily resided for 34 years.  In 2013, they moved to Irmo, SC to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Florence loved spending time in her garden, which flourished under her green thumb.  She always made sure that the birds that came to her yard were well fed and that the squirrels didn’t get “more than their fair share”.  She had a passion for reading, and would often be found in her favorite chair, book in hand.  She could zip through her crypto quote puzzles in no time at all.  And even though she would often tell people that the only reason she had a kitchen was because it came with the house, she would always make sure to have some homemade cookies on hand for all to enjoy. Her greatest enjoyment, however, came from spending time with her family.  That’s when Florence (Flo, Mom, Nana, Great Nana, GiGi) was her happiest.

Everyone who knew Florence was drawn to her kindness and her joy of living.  She was a woman of faith who lived by the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and raised her family to do the same. She never complained, or to hear her tell it, “I’m not complaining, I’m just explaining”.  Florence never met a stranger and always had words of wisdom for everyone she met: “Do the best you can with what you’ve got” and “It’s all good” were her favorites.   We were so blessed to have had her in our lives.

Florence leaves behind to cherish her memory her children; daughters, Jan Mitchell-Conner (Rick), Jill Atkinson (Tom), and Cathy Jansen (George) all of Irmo, SC; son, Robert Schiesser (Ellen) of Leesville, SC; son-in-law, Bernie Griffin of Irmo, SC;  grandchildren, Ryan Mitchell Horejsi (Jon), David Mitchell (Helen), Taylor Griffin, Hanna Griffin Pettway (Bo), Croft Griffin, Robert Jansen (Brittany), Jenny and Greg Jansen, and Katelyn Schiesser; sixteen great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

She was predeceased by her parents, her nine siblings, including her twin sister, Frances, her devoted husband, Warren Schiesser and her son-in-law, Gary Mitchell.

The family wishes to thank the caring professionals of Three Oaks Hospice, especially Soulin, Cheryl, and Cindy, who graciously provided for her comfort and care and a very special thanks to Von Knox for her exceptional care and loving devotion.

No formal services are planned.  A celebration of her life will be held in the spring (her favorite time of year), with family and friends.

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