Ruth Schmidt

Ruth Lorena Schmidt, 86, Bismarck, died May 15, 2005, at her home. Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 20, at Church of St. Anne, Bismarck, with the Rev. Ed Wehner officiating. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck, where a vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Ruth was born April 21, 1919, at Agar, S.D., to Godfred "Fritz" and Leontina (Haas) Gebhardt. Leontina died at age 26. In 1929, Godfred married Alice Matthiesen. Ruth was raised and educated in Bismarck, and graduated from Bismarck High School in 1938. She married John H. Schmidt Feb. 5, 1946, at Church of St. Mary, Bismarck.

Ruth's 44-year work career included N.P. Benson Optical, F.W. Woolworth Co., Broadway Drug Store, J.C. Penney Co and Lee's Store. She retired in 1986, after 23 1/2 years with the ND State Tax Dept.

Ruth was a proud and independent woman and an inspiration to her children and their spouses. She extended that inspiration to her nieces, nephews and grandchildren through her teasing and fun-loving personality. She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, crocheting, cross-stitch and spontaneous trips with her children. She bowled for many years with John and friends and then organized a woman's team, which included her daughters-in-law and other women friends. She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan and enjoyed watching many other types of sporting events on TV.

Ruth was deeply loved and will be dearly missed by her family and many good friends. She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Brenda Schmidt, and James and Rose Schmidt, all of Bismarck, and Richard and Rhonda Schmidt of Mesa, Ariz.; one daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Jo and Tony LaPlante, Golden Valley, Minn.; eight grandchildren, Jason Schmidt, Megan Melosi, Jenny Schmidt, Ruth Schmidt, Scott Schmidt, Sarah Schmidt, Christopher Stoner Schmidt, Ashlee Schmidt, Sabrina La Plante; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Joanne and Bob Nash of Park Rapids, Minn., Carol and Gene Hetland of Mililani, Hawaii, and Kathy Garrett, Mandan; three brothers and four sisters-in-law, Ralph Gebhardt, Irving, Texas, Glenn and Betty Gebhardt, Plentywood, Mont., Jack and Nancy Gebhardt of Brookfield, Ill., and Blanche Gebhardt and Linda Gebhardt, both of Bismarck; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John; her son, Anthony; four brothers, Roy, Bob, Dick, and Jim Gebhardt; and her sister, Alice Ann "Sis" Bronsak.

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