Stella Louise Torkelson Schmit obituary submitted - MN
Stella Louise Schmit was born on March 25, 1921, in Iona, Minnesota, the daughter of Chris and Adeline (Niemetz) Torkelson. Stella was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Iona. She attended Murray County Public Schools. On October 2, 1940 she was united in marriage to Bill Schmit. After marriage Bill and Stella farmed near Westbrook, while Bill was farming Stella worked for the Westbrook Egg Company, and then for the Westbrook Nursing Home as an aide. Later Stella went to work for Campbell’s Soup, where she worked for 30 years before retiring. In 1967, after retirement, Bill and Stella moved to Fulda, where they lived until Bill’s death in 1995. Stella remained in Fulda until she moved to The Pines in 2004. In 2006 Stella moved to Doman-Rose in Lakefield until she became a resident at The Jackson Good Samaritan Center in 2008. Stella passed away on Sunday April 27, 2008 at the Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD at the age of 87 years, one month, and two days.
Stella was a member of the Ladies Aide at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fulda for over 35 years, where she enjoyed quilting and helping at funerals. Stella also enjoyed BINGO, working in her vegetable garden, knitting, crocheting, camping with family and friends at Round Lake and fishing. Stella was also quite the storyteller and enjoyed playing a prank or two on good humored friends and family. Family was the most important thing in Stella’s life.
Stella is survived by her daughter Janice (Larry) Hansen of Jackson, MN; her son LeRoy (Marilyn) Schmit, of Marysville, WA; five grandchildren, Mark (Teresa) Hansen of Cumming, GA; Paul (Tara) Hansen of Jackson, MN; Steven Hansen of Mankato, MN; Dawn (Bill) Dunagan of Kent, WA and Kim Anderson of Sumner, WA; and six great-grandchildren, Tailyr, Faith and Lane Hansen of Jackson, Minnesota, and Brian Dunagan and Sonya and Justin Anderson all from Washington. Stella is also survived by two of her brothers, Donald (Fran) Torkelson, of Howard, SD and Ray (Tiny) Torkelson of Tracy, MN.
Stella was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years Bill, her parents, Chris and Adeline, a sister Dorothy, a brother Lester, a baby brother Elmer and a baby sister Betty.