The Pioneer Woman’s Parents: Inside Ree Drummond’s Close Bond with Her Mom and Dad
From sweet NYC birthday trips to Friday night football games, Ree Drummond's parents are adorable!
Key Takeaways
- Ree Drummond’s mother, Gerre Schwert, recently celebrated her 84th birthday with a girls' trip.
- Her father, Bill Smith, is a retired surgeon who remains a close part of her family’s life.
- Ree is grateful both parents live nearby to attend her children's football games
Ree Drummond may be best known as The Pioneer Woman—a devoted mom, wife and the heart of the Drummond family—but long before that, she was a daughter. And over the years, she has shared glimpses of her close relationship with her parents, a bond that continues to shape her life today. And recently, one of them even celebrated a milestone birthday with a trip to New York City.
Here’s a closer look at Ree’s mom and dad—and the family connection that remains at the center of it all.
Get to know Ree Drummond’s mom
Ree’s mother, Gerre Schwert, keeps a relatively low profile, but the Pioneer Woman occasionally shares sweet glimpses of her on social media. Last October, the two enjoyed that memorable girls’ trip to New York City to celebrate Gerre’s birthday. They were joined by Ree’s daughters Alex and Paige, her sister Betsy and baby granddaughter Sofia.
“My mom is 84 today!! Our trip to NYC this week put all her awesomeness on full, sparkly display,” the Pioneer Woman wrote on Facebook. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness… she’s brimming with all the good stuff. Happy birthday, Mom!!”
Along with Ree, Gerre has two other kids: Betsy and Michael Smith, the former of whom passed away back in 2021.
“It isn’t possible to sum up the life of someone as perfectly wonderful as my brother Michael, so right now I won’t try. He was 17 months older than me, my first friend and buddy and I’m so grateful for over 50 years of photos and memories,” Ree said at the time of his death. “Please pray for my parents, whose devotion to Mike was boundless, and who will feel this loss most acutely. Michael Smith, you were everything.”
Gerre is currently married to Doug Schwert, and is often seen hanging out with her daughter and granddaughter Sofia.
Get to know Ree Drummond’s dad and stepmom
Ree’s dad is William “Bill” Douglas Smith. He’s a retired surgeon and was married to Gerre until 1996. Reports claim that they got divorced after she reportedly left him for Doug, but the family has never confirmed that.
“Gerre and Doug would go to different committees and meetings together,” a source told InTouch back in 2018. “They would end up at the same place. They were thrown together on different occasions.”
Another source said that “Ree was crushed. She kept begging [her mother and father] to stay together.”
Following their split, Bill and Gerre continued to co-parent Ree, Betsy and Michael. Bill also eventually got remarried to a woman named Patsy, who is often found at a variety of Pioneer Women events. Patsy also attends her grandkids’ football games, something that Ree has talked about quite a bit.
“My dad and his wife Patsy still live in our hometown and have been able to attend games for the past four years, and now that my mom and Doug have moved back to Oklahoma, Todd’s [Ree’s son] fan section has consistently grown,” Ree wrote in a blog post back in 2021. “I’m so glad to have both my parents close so they can see Todd’s games. Football is all we are thinking about these days, obviously (since it’s fall in Oklahoma), and it’s fun to have an occasion every week to see the parental units.”
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