Ingrid Schneider

1934 - 2025

Ingrid Kaethe Schneider, 90, of Marysville, passed away peacefully on June 19, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona, with her family by her side.

Ingrid (Inge) Nitschke was born on October 1, 1934, in Militsch, Silesia, Germany (today Milicz, Poland). From the writings of her older brother, Hans, and her mother, Kaethe, we've learned about her early years. She and her siblings had an idyllic early childhood in the country, swimming, ice skating, and skiing. But her family gradually began to feel the effects of the war. Since her father owned a trucking company, he was often away once the war started, managing trucking and freight companies. The local elementary school was converted to a military hospital, and a cousin came to live with them after fleeing a bombed-out Berlin.

On January 19, 1945, during heavy snow and frigid temperatures, mothers and children were ordered to leave Militsch. Dressed in three layers of clothing because of the cold, her family, as well as aunts, cousins and friends, piled food and their belongings into a tractor trailer and fled. Three days later, Russian tanks drove into the town, and it became occupied by the Red Army.

The refugees traveled for many months through cities which were piles of rubble, sleeping where they could - a town hall, empty but cold apartments, a school auditorium, a meat factory. In June 1945, they arrived in Herzebrock, where Inge's family eventually built a house.

After elementary and secondary schools, Inge began an apprenticeship as a travel agent at a travel agency in Bielefeld in 1952. She later moved to a travel agency in Cologne (near the famous and beautiful Cologne Cathedral) and traveled extensively for her job.

At the travel agency in Bielefeld, she had a good friend named Rosmarie (Rosel). Rosel married Peter Schneider and moved to America. Ingrid visited Rosel, Peter, and their three children several times, including once on her way back from Hawaii. During that trip, Peter pulled her aside. Rosel had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and Peter asked if Inge would come and stay with his family once the inevitable happened. Inge agreed.

When Rosel died, Inge flew to America. The following are words from Peter's memoir: "Inge had never married and had no experience with three children, a house, and all this in a foreign country to boot. I gave her the key to the house and my paycheck, and she ran everything like she had done this all her life. She made breakfast for the children and me, cooked, washed our clothes, cleaned the house, went shopping and so much more." Inge was 34 years old.

On October 1, 1969, Inge and Peter were married, and Peter wrote that it was the best decision he ever made.

In 1979, Inge and Peter moved with their teenage children to the Seattle area, where they worked as apartment managers in Lynnwood, Bellevue, and Federal Way. In 1985, with their children grown, the couple moved to Alaska. Although Alaska had always been Peter's dream, Inge thrived in her role as apartment manager in the complex where they worked in Fairbanks. They were both active members of the community and members of the German Club.

Inge and Peter retired in 2003 and settled in Marysville. They were members of the Historical Society and volunteered at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center. Inge in particular loved her time there, where she could fulfill two of her passions: travel and talking to people. In their retirement, they traveled to Tahiti, New Guinea, Mexico, Peru, as well as to Germany to visit family.

Inge was predeceased by her husband, Peter, and her brother, Dietmar Nitschke. She is survived by her children, Krimhild (Daniel) Berard of Cobleskill, NY, Kirk (Michelle) Schneider of Tucson, AZ, Monica (Steven) Pascuzzi of Fairport, NY; her grandchildren, Monica, Nicholas, Kari, Alexander, Sophia, Spencer, and Olivia; as well as a great-grandson, Colin.

She is also survived by her siblings, Hans (Doris) Nitschke, Brigitte (Bernd) Hielle, and Albrecht (Christine) Nitschke, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins, all of Germany.

To her children, she was always Mama. It never occurred to us that she was our stepmother. After we all had kids, she became Oma. She loved to enjoy life. Whether it was eating great food, drinking a "Stah-buck la-tay", shopping, or watching sports. Sharing any and all of those things with her was a joy. She loved slap stick humor - Abbot and Costello, The Three Stooges, Home Alone and Elf. She loved to socialize, and if she liked you enough, she would knit you a lovely scarf.

It wasn't a birthday for any of us unless there was a phone call with the Happy Birthday song sung to us as only she could. She was bright, stylish, loving, loyal, independent, smart, organized, stubborn and funny.

And to the three little children who called her Mama, she was a saint. Because, most importantly: She stayed.

Funeral arrangements will be private.

Her children are grateful to her friends in the Marysville area, especially those who cared for her when she could no longer make sound decisions, and when the independence she struggled to keep became impossible. We know they all wanted the best for her. We are also grateful to the Marysville community, which she loved so much. For more than 20 years, she regularly visited dozens of local businesses, where she spread her warmth and charm. Your kind words after she passed meant the world to us.