Laverne Ardelle Schmitt

LaVerne Ardelle Schmitt, 90, of West Fargo, ND, was welcomed into the kingdom of Heaven on Sunday, June 9, 2019.

LaVerne was born July 15, 1928, to Harold and Lena (Wold) Bolme in rural Gully, Minnesota. After graduating from Fosston High School in 1945, she attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN – graduating in June of 1949 with a major in English and minors in German and French.

She married Otto W. Schmitt on August 28, 1949, and they moved to Dubuque, IA, where he entered Wartburg Theological Seminary. Always his partner in ministry, together they served parishes in Richardton, Gackle, Max, and Cando, ND; rural Northwood (Silver Lake) in Iowa, and Walcott, Colfax, and Fargo, ND. LaVerne taught high school English in Max and high school German and English in Cando. Sharing her gift of music, she served as organist in Cando Lutheran, Silver Lake Lutheran, and Our Savior’s Lutheran in Colfax. Many children learned to play the piano under her tutelage, including several of her own.

LaVerne loved playing the piano, gardening, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, many types of needlework, reading, and playing cards. Through the years, she was active in WELCA, BSF, women’s Bible study groups, and church quilting and bake sales. Above all, she lived her faith.

She is survived by her husband, Otto; eight children: Terri (Roger) Olson, Timothy (Sherry) Schmitt, Thomas (Linda) Schmitt, Rebecca (Kevin) Leidal, Miriam (Scott) Hildre, Heidi (Jeffrey) Vansteenburg, Sonja (Kent) Casperson, and Margaret (Jon) Young; 24 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren with two more on the way. She is also survived by sisters, Beverly (Harold) Bale and Sharon (Entrip) Syverson; and sisters-in-law, Ida Schmitt, Beverly Ann (DeWayne) Bolme, and Marge (Donald) Bolme.
LaVerne was preceded in death by her parents, sister Kathleen, and brothers DeWayne and Donald Bolme.

“Well done, good and faithful servant!”