Murriel was born on May 14, 1939 at Mercer, ND. She was the daughter of Clifford and Adeline (Dahl) Calheim. The family moved to the Fessenden area where she attended school.

Murriel married Harold Richard Schmidt on November 15, 1956 at Fessenden, ND. They lived on a farm south of Martin. They moved to Glenwood, MN in 1960 and returned to the farm south of Martin in 1963. They resided on the farm or in Martin and raised two sons, Randie and Mark. Murriel assisted with the farming especially when her husband was away working on the railroad. Harold died on September 26, 2004. She continued living on the farm and had spent winter months in Arizona for the past several years.

Murriel was a member of the United Methodist Church in Martin and served as secretary for several years. She also was a member of the Wells Eagles Auxiliary in Harvey.

Her hobbies included working Sudoku and crossword puzzles, playing Tri-ominos, gardening and working in the yard.

Murriel is survived by her two sons, Randie of rural Martin, ND and Mark of Pick City, ND; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; brothers, Robert (Sharon) Calheim of Harvey, Milford Calheim of Retsil, Washington, Clifford Jr. (Marla) Calheim of Jamestown; numerous nieces and nephews.

Murriel was preceded in death by her parents, husband and a granddaughter, Shauna Schmidt.