Merry Schaller

Merry Carroll (Burckhard) Schaller of Mina, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on September, 11, 2025.

She was born on January 1, 1950, in Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Robert and Carroll (Wilson) Burckhard and was one of 12 children.

Merry graduated from Central High School in 1968 and earned a BS degree in Dental Hygiene from the University of South Dakota. Following graduation, she began a long and successful career as a dental hygienist in California. She was Vice President of Los Angeles California Dental Hygienist Association. She traveled to China with a group as a dental hygienist good will ambassador.

Merry will be remembered for her generous spirit and willingness to help those in need. She was a very giving soul. She loved welcoming family and friends to her home in California. Merry delighted in helping create special memories for those visiting her in California and when it came time to decorate for a celebration, she held nothing back. Throughout her life, she enjoyed many hobbies, from China painting to backpacking the High Sierra and most recently, loved helping sell flowers at the Aberdeen Farmers Market. Another great passion of Merry's was anything and everything to do with the Burckhard family history. She wore many hats.

In 2021, Merry and Dennis returned to South Dakota, settling in Mina, on Lake Parmley, where Merry spent her childhood summers.

She loved her nieces and nephews. When her brother, Bum, started to call Merry "ChaCha", the name forever stuck.

Merry is survived by Dennis Schaller and their loving dog Sweet Pea, siblings, Dawn (Randy) Jones of Corvallis, OR, Peter (Marolyn) Burckhard of Aberdeen, SD, Maggie (Darrel) Becker of Port Orchard, WA, Scott (Bobbi) Kervin of Holiday Island, AR, Mary Beth (Jeff) Prouty of Eden Prairie, MN, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding Merry in death are her parents, Robert and Carroll Burckhard and siblings, Wally Burckhard, Joel Kervin, Bobby June (Burckhard) Hintz, John (Bum) Burckhard, Kelly Burckhard, and Mark Kervin.

There will be no services at this time.