Richard Schnell

Richard L. Schnell, 69, Mandan, died Oct. 5, 2003, in a Mandan hospital. Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Christ the King Catholic Church, Mandan. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, with a full committal by the Mandan Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 707 and the American Legion Post 40.

Visitation will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan, with a parish vigil at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the services at the church.

Richard was born Jan. 4, 1934, in Grand Forks, N.D., the son of Roy and Ruth (Burgess) Schnell. He graduated from Grand Forks Central High School in 1952, and received his law degree from the UND School of Law in 1961.

Richard served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960. He worked for American Fore Insurance Companies as a claims counselor in western North Dakota from 1961 to 1967, and for Continental Insurance company in Duluth, Minn., from 1967 to 1968. In June 1968, he returned to Mandan as Morton County Assistant States Attorney under Lester J. Schirado. On Jan. 18, 1969, he married Fay Feldner at Donnybrook. He served two terms as Morton County States Attorney in Mandan. Richard had a private law practice from 1986 through 1993, when he retired because of poor health.

He enjoyed outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, boating and camping. Some of his favorite pastimes were reading and keeping up on world and national affairs. He also loved teaching his grandchildren board games.

He is survived by his wife, Fay, Mandan; two daughters and sons-in-law, Tana and Eric Sorgaard, Las Vegas, and Sandi and Matt Geiger, Mandan; two granddaughters, Whitney and Cierra Geiger, Mandan; and one brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Ellie Schnell, Grand Forks.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Ruth Schnell.