Owner, Sitters
CNA
Katheryn Schmidt is a caring person, which is why she excels in her line of work. She is a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and the owner of Sitters, both of which require a caring heart.
As the owner of Sitters, Katheryn has a very demanding job, but it is one she enjoys. When a family member’s elderly loved one is to the point of needing regular care or monitoring, her business provides the client with quality care. This care can be administered in the client’s home, assisted living center, or hospital. The company began in 2005 when Katheryn’s mother, Karen, saw a need here in Texarkana. Karen started the business to provide elderly care through companionship, personal care, transportation, light housekeeping, and more. They became fully trained to assist clients suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia, hospice patients, and other special needs issues. Karen retired a few years ago, and now Katheryn runs the Sitters business successfully. “I am the marketer, human resources, scheduler, and everything else. I meet with all our clients for assessments to truly understand their needs and personalities. I then schedule sitters that will work well with the client. Together, we monitor the progress of every client we serve to ensure they continue to lead healthy, meaningful, and well-rounded lives under our care,” Katheryn says.
Katheryn did not grow up with this career in mind. “I didn’t really pick this career – God chose this career for me. I went to school to be a special needs teacher. My grandparents became ill, and my mother needed to take care of them. She asked me to come run the business while she was away,” Katheryn says. She then worked in the business, and in 2019, she decided to obtain her CNA license. She worked in home health for a little over four years. “It’s been very rewarding but also very sad,” Katheryn explains. “I can relate to the hospice situation because I had a son who passed away from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. His name was Blake, and he was one month old. It helps the grieving process for me to relate to some of the patients because, eventually, Blake always comes up. God definitely has a way of working things out.”
Katheryn truly enjoys giving back to the Texarkana community. She is more of a silent worker and giver, working furiously behind the scenes. On Mondays, she joins forces with Teresa Rivers to assemble bags, including sandwiches, for over 200 homeless people. She is actively involved with HandsOn Texarkana, an organization supporting senior citizens and disabled adults. In 2024, she donated pantry items as well as sponsoring the annual Tapas and Wine event. Finally, she partners with Mrs. Kristi Kendrick at the Beverly Center. “If an event happens in Beverly, like when the tornado hit in July 2024, we go into the neighborhood and hand out food, water, and supplies. I like to get out in the community and physically walk it and help,” Katheryn says. “Charkeitha LaDawn (Cookie Lady), LaBrenna Morgan, Kristi, and I all come together and combine our resources, but in silence. We are not looking for a shout-out.”
Katheryn enjoys life with her partner of eight years, Nick Fertitta. She also loves her stepson, Brody, who is 16. Her future goals include opening another location for Sitters and trying to work less hard.
In the meantime, she really enjoys Texarkana. “It is a small town, and everyone knows everyone. I was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and moved to Texarkana when I was six years old. I love this town,” Katheryn says.
Tidbits about Katheryn:
She learned her work ethic from her father who is a surgeon and owns an extensive cattle company. Both parents instilled the value of working for everything you want in life.
Her hobbies include crafting, decorating, and organizing.
Her advice for families with loved ones in hospice is to remove your feelings and go by the patient’s wishes.
Katheryn is most proud to see the progress Sitters has made. They are celebrating their 20th year in business!
She would love to eat dinner with Reba McEntire and speak with her about her success in life.