Betty Schneider

Betty Jean (Walz) Schneider, age 86, of Sauk Centre, died peacefully at her home on August 6, 2018 from Alzheimer's.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, August 10 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Sauk Centre with Rev. Jim Maderak officiating. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at the church in Sauk Centre. Parish prayers will be at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Christian Mothers at 6 p.m. Thursday evening at the funeral home.

Betty Jean Walz was born on January 24, 1932 to Frank and Elizabeth (Schwegman) Walz on their farm in rural Waubun, MN, the youngest of seven children. Betty attended the one-room Adam's Schoolhouse near their farm through eighth grade, skipping a grade along the way, then attended high school at Waubun High School, graduating at the age of 17.

She met her future husband, Edward Jack Schneider, at the Flowing Well at a dance she attended with her older brothers. Betty and Ed married on October 15, 1956 at St. Ann's Catholic Church in Waubun. They spent the first years of married life traveling and living around the country as Ed worked as an Ironworker building missile silos, bridges, observation towers and other large projects, while Betty cared for the children and made every place that they lived "home". They eventually settled in Sauk Centre and bought a beverage business, so they would be in one place once their oldest child started school. She did the bookkeeping for Schneider Beverage and later took a job at Fleet Supply as the bookkeeper for a number of years. Not having the opportunity to further her own education after high school, she always stressed to her own children the importance of an education and was proud that all of her children graduated from college. Betty was an excellent seamstress, and for years made many of her and her daughters' clothes.

She was a member of St. Paul's Christian Mother's Society and Paul F. Donart VFW Post 2853 Auxiliary. She also volunteered her time helping seniors play Bingo at the nursing home.

Betty is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, Ed Schneider; children Cindy (Mike) Karasch of Grey Eagle, Janet (Paul) Tillman of Ellicott City, MD, Barb (Brad) Davis of Fountain Valley, CA, and Steve (Lynn) Schneider of Rosemount, MN; grandchildren Paula (Shawn) Bromenshenkel of Sauk Centre, Missy (Eric) Greene of St. Cloud, MN, Greg (Lacey) Thieschafer of Hatton, ND, Michael Tillman of Minneapolis, Sarah Tillman of Newark, DE, Trisha Davis of Oakland, CA, Erica Davis of Chico, CA, Emma Schneider and Ryan Schneider of Rosemount; 7 great-grandchildren; sister, Lillian Winter of Moorhead, MN; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Harold, Lanwald ("Lindy"), Merrill and Ralph Walz; sister Alvira ("Marie") Ommodt; and granddaughter Christine "Chrissy" Thieschafer.

Serving as casket bearers will be Paula Bromenshenkel, Missy Greene, Greg Thieschafer, Michael Tillman, Ryan Schneider, Trisha Davis, and Erica Davis. Cross bearer will be Sarah Tillman and scripture bearer will be Emma Schneider. Readers will be Paul Tillman and Brad Davis. Petitions will be read by Lynn Schneider. Gift bearers will be Emily Bromenshenkel, Addison Bromenshenkel, Maggie Bromenshenkel, Jaxson Thieschafer, and Hudson Greene. Eucharistic Ministers will be Mike and Cindy Karasch.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Holy Family School in Sauk Centre.