Taya Swenson Schmid

Taya Swenson Schmid

BISMARCK - Taya Swenson Schmid, age 54, died of metastatic breast cancer at Abbott Northwestern Hospital on March 12, 2023.

Taya was born on December 2, 1968 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Dickinson, ND. After her family moved to Bismarck, ND, she attended Roosevelt Elementary School, Hughes Junior High School, and Bismarck High School, where she played the cello and sang in the concert choir. In addition, she played cello in the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Smith College in Northampton, MA and a Master of Science Education degree at Columbia University in New York, NY.

As a young woman, Taya spent summers as a counselor at Skogfjorden, a Norwegian language village, a part of The Concordia Language Villages. She studied in Sandane, Norway as she pursued all things Norwegian, and studied marine mammals in La Paz, Mexico, becoming proficient in Spanish. After college, she remained in New York City, where she worked for the TV show The Magic School Bus. She shared an apartment with her three sisters, where their Halloween parties were legendary.

Taya moved to Minneapolis in 1999 and joined the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney as a graphic designer, where she worked for the next 23 years.

In 2007, Taya married Len Schmid at the Minnesota Zoo in front of the dolphin tank.

Taya was excessively fond of cats. She drew, painted, sewed, beaded, knit and played the piano. She sailed regularly on Lakes Nokomis and Superior, and also made trips on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She loved ladybugs, the color red, and sushi. But most of all, Taya loved making people laugh.

Taya is survived by her husband Len Schmid; her parents Dr. Wayne and Lois Swenson; her siblings: Dr. Erik (Dr. Lubna Piracha) Swenson, Maren (Michael) Waxenberg, Britt (Laura Hundley) Swenson, and Kari (Dr. Gregory) Riely; her cat Yo-Yo; and a pile of wonderful nephews and nieces: Aaron, Amy, Anna, another Anna, Cora, Janet, Kaia, Matt, Natasha, Pamela, Siri, Talya, and Thomas; and numerous friends and relatives who will miss her terribly.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 26 at noon at The Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Norwegian Language Villages https://concordialanguagevillages.givingfuel.com/passportfund