Minnie Schmidtgall

Minnie Schilling Schmidtgall, 93 ½ years old, left this earth on the wings of angels riding on stardust on Wednesday evening, January 25, 2012 after suffering a massive stroke at the Oahe Manor in Gettysburg SD. Minnie has been a resident for only a short time at the Oahe Manor, but she couldn't have asked for a better ending to the last chapter of her life on earth. She enjoyed spending time with her cousin Lydia Bieber, and roommate Cyrilla Minnerath. She had renewed old friendships and was busy making new friends including the amazing and wonderful staff at Oahe Manor, playing bingo and cards, making crafts and doing embroidery work. She was the newest "resident historian" for the Selby/Lowry area, as her memory was sharp as could be. She loved to receive mail and talk on the phone, and as she recently reminded her grandson, Bryan "if you call and I'm not in, you better leave a message on the answering machine!" Minnie was born July 17, 1918 at rural Athboy, SD in Corson County. She was the daughter of German from Russia immigrants Christian and Mary Bauder Schilling, who had moved from the Lowry area to Corson County in the early 1900's. After the influenza of 1919 took the life of her oldest brother, William, the family returned to the Lowry area when Minnie was 8 months old. She grew up on the Schilling farm with her sister Caroline and brother Rueben north of Lowry, now pasture land owned by Lyle and Garnett Perman. She attended school in Lowry and country school north of Lowry and graduated from the 8th grade. She was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith at the Lowry Lutheran Church. Minnie worked very hard along her father farming and raising livestock during the very dry years, often with horse teams and threshing the crops with limited resources. Minnie met and fell in love with the very handsome Albert; they were married July 16, 1935 and had four children; John died in infancy in 1936, Gladys 1937, Patricia 1940 and Paulette 1957. They farmed in the area for a number of years before moving to Lowry in 1946 where Albert was a carpenter and worked at the Lowry Grain Elevator. Minnie enjoyed fishing, crocheting, and was a homemaker and amazing gardener, a talent she inherited from her mother and only shared with her eldest daughter, Gladys, as the other two daughters seem to lack that expertise. Her German cooking was fabulous. They moved to Selby in 1952 so the girls could continue their education. There she worked at Kost Motel, took in laundry, and eventually worked for the Good Samaritan Center for a number of years and still found time to have a beautiful flower garden. After Albert retired from the State DOT, they moved to Mobridge in 1978 and eventually to Bismarck in 1982 to be near family. Albert passed away on November 17, 1994 and Minnie continued to live in Bismarck until 1997 when she moved to Lincoln Apartments in Pierre, SD to be near family. She made many friends at Lincoln Apartments, including Martha, Debbie, Emma and Susie and many more, and continued to enjoy crafting and puzzling – for which her son in law, Emil, made countless puzzle frames for her many, many puzzles. Minnie could often be seen at Zesto's having a root beer float with her granddaughter Mallory, and she loved dinner at Pizza Ranch with family and friends. Minnie enjoyed the Schilling family reunions and accordion music, and we will always remember her 90th birthday "mystery trip" back to the Schilling home site and the hay wagon ride adventure with the Perman family. The huge cottonwood tree still stands strong in the pasture, and the foundation rocks to the buildings can still be found, just as her love will always be found strong in our hearts. She is survived by two daughters and three sons in law: Patricia Robert Fite of San Antonio, TX; Paulette Dan Petersen of Pierre, SD; and Emil Bonnie Sandmeier of Bismarck, ND. Minnie was very proud of her grandchildren: Debbie Kenner of Bismarck ND; Bryan Valeri Sandmeier of Maryville, TN; Donald Fite Pflugerville, TX; and Mallory Petersen and fiancé Chris Dekker of Newcastle Wy and Moscow, ID; and Nancy Sandmeier of Salina, KS. Her "bragging rights" were her six great grandchildren: James Lewis, Orlando, Florida; Brandon Sandmeier and fiancé Annie Wernsman of Hays, KS; Britney Joe Pantera of Salina, Kansas; Stephen Kenner of Fargo, ND; and Kailey and Tayler Kenner of Bismarck, ND. After years of waiting, she finally was blessed with one great great grandchild, Benjamin Pantera and his little sister on the way from Salina KS. She is also survived by one sister in law, Josephine Schmidtgall, of Mobridge SD and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Loving all of her family, she had a special bond with nephews Joe Kormendy and his family of Selby, Dean Schmidtgall and wife Jean of Gettysburg, and the late Harvey Goehring and family of Whidbey Island, WA. She is preceded in death by her father and mother in 1946 and 1957 respectively; infant son John 1936 and daughter Gladys 2005; two brothers William 1919 and Rueben 1991, sister Caroline Goehring 1973, and grandson in law Sgt. Steven Kenner 2011, and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service was be held at the Gettysburg Oahe Manor on Tuesday, January 31st at 10:30am. Minnie will be buried on Tuesday, July 17, at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Bismarck next to her husband, Albert, and daughter, Gladys.

Minnie Schmidtgall

July 17, 1918 - January 25, 2012