[7][8] On November 27, 1939, she married Simon Goldfield, whom she had met while attending Schenley High,[9] and had one child, Betty Schmitt Culley, a niece whom they adopted.
[13] Employed from 1942 to 1972 at Carnegie-Mellon University, she rose to the rank of professor of English and fine arts.
[18][19] By 1961, she had produced six novels,[20] including Rembrandt, which was published by Random House on June 26 of that year.
[21] During their later years, Schmitt and her husband resided in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
[23][24][25] Her funeral was held at H. Samson, Inc. in Oakland on October 5, 1972; she was interred at St. Peter's Lutheran Cemetery in Belmar.