Dallas Marie Schmidt

    Dallas Marie Schmidt came into this natural life on June 7, 1922. She entered her Eternal life on April 3, 2009.

    She went home peacefully in her sleep, with a smile on her face, at the Highland Chatau Nursing Home in St. Paul, Minnesota of which she was a resident for 2 1/2 years.

    A memorial will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church. A graveside service will be in Calvary Cemetery.

    Dallas Marie is the daughter of Andrew and Louise Schmidt of St. James. She was raised in St. James and attended catholic grade school and St. James High School. She and her family were members of the St. James Catholic Church.

    Dallas graduated from St. James High School in 1940. In school she enjoyed and participated in drama, singing and cheerleading. Other activities she enjoyed were dancing, tennis and rollerskating with friends.

    After graduation, Dallas moved to the Twin Cities, where she worked in the secretarial field and retail sales. She also did some modeling for Gambles catalog and Sears for a short time.

    She married and raised four daughters and lived in Wisconsin and Iowa, as well as Minnesota. Before entering the nursing home in 2006, Dallas lived in the Highland Park neighborhood in St. Paul for about 25 years.

    After retiring, Dallas enjoyed traveling and visiting her daughters and their families out of state and taking little pleasure trips in and around the scenic areas of Minnesota as well as the Twin City area.

    She also enjoyed walking, biking, gardening and getting together with her friends for social times. She also was a committed person in doing charity work, as a volunteer in the community and church.

    Dallas was outgoing and loved to be out around people, enjoying everyone’s company and made friends quickly. She had an unusual enthusiasm and zeal for life.

    Dallas was confined while in the nursing home but she loved it there. One of her daughters, Mary, who also lived in St. Paul was with her each day, as her compassion and to occupy and fulfill her time. Her other daughters from out of town visited as often as they could.

    Dallas enjoyed watching the older movies. Some of her favorites were Shirley Temple movies, as a little girl. Patriotic singing and dancing such as, “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “The Sound of Music” and her favorite, “The Bells of St. Mary’s.”

    She loved a variety of music, but mostly the older songs from her generation. One of the songs she especially liked was, “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound of Music.” Another one which was her favorite was, “In the Land of Beginning Again,” sung by Bing Crosby in “The Bells of St. Mary’s.”

    Dallas kept a little journal with some prayers and a few of her favorite scriptures by her bed and would often refer to it in her quiet time during the night. One of those is in Psalm 119:50, “This is my comfort and consolation; in my affliction, your word has revived me and given me life.”

    Dallas Marie Schmidt is preceeded in death by a baby sister, Joanne, who died as an infant and a grandson, Joel who died in 1987. He is the son of her oldest daughter, Valoree. She is survived by an older sister, Annabelle Gruenig of Belle Vista, AR; four daughters, Valoree Rico of Minneapolis, MN, Mary Swenstad of St. Paul, MN, Michalene Kilstrom of Denver, CO and Patricia Lane of Temecula CA; five grandsons, Joel, Marcus, Cole, Zachary and Justin; one great-grandson, Steven Joel and one great-granddaughter, Korrin. Also a cousin, Pauline Schaffer of St. James, MN.

    In reflecting on her life, Dallas would often recall the words of the song she loved so much and really speaks to all of us:

    “There’s a land of beginning again, where skies are always blue. Though we’ve made mistakes, that’s true, Let’s forget the past and start life anew. Though we’ve wondered by a river of tears where sunshine can’t come through... Let’s find that paradise, where sorrows can’t live, And learn the teachings of forget and forgive. In the land of beginning again, where broken dreams come true.”

    Dallas Marie was a precious jewel and a treasure. Her name fits her so well because she had such a big heart; for people, her family and for life ... and God, who her gave her that life. She will always be dearly loved and cherished, remembered and greatly missed!

    Cards, gifts and donations are welcomed and warmly appreciated and can be made out to The Family of Dallas Marie Schmidt and sent to Mary Swenstad 180 Wayzata Boulevard Apt# 219 St. Paul, MN 55117.