Thank you to the Anderegg family for providing the information for this article on the Remembering Annie Schmidt Facebook page.
In late 2016, thousands of family, friends, and fans mourned the loss of Annie Schmidt, daughter of Jon Schmidt, a member of the popular musical act The Piano Guys.
Annie indicated she was going hiking on October 16, 2016, near her Oregon home. She was never heard from again. For weeks, rescue workers and volunteer searched for Annie. On November 12, the bittersweet news came that Annie’s remains had finally been found. Instrumental to the effort was a K9 Search and Rescue Teams. Yesterday, the rescue teams involved were honored by Utah legislators and the family.
The citation was brought forward by Utah State Senator, Jacob Anderegg, who also happens to be Annie’s uncle. An emotional Anderegg read the citation aloud in the Chambers of the Utah Senate and House of Representatives, to the team members who were able to attend, and to many of Annie’s family members, including her parents. As originally provided by the Utah State Legislature, you can watch the abbreviated clip focusing on the citation below.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed the citation. At the ceremony, Jon played “Can’t Help Falling in Love” on the piano.


Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.