Obituary of Rose M. Schmidt Kerzman

Rose (Schmidt) Kerzman, 99, Bismarck, died June 30, 2010 at Baptist Home in Bismarck, North Dakota. Rose was born on April 24, 1911 to Michael and Wilhemena (Emineth) Walter. She was raised and educated in Rosebud, ND. After marrying Chris Schmidt of Center, ND on October 15, 1929, Rose and Chris stayed farmed in the Center area until 1961. In November of 1961, they moved to Tacoma, Washington to be with family; Chris died in 1971. Rose moved back to North Dakota and married Anthony Kerzman of Garrison on July 23, 1983. A hardworking wife and mother, Rose took excellent care of both her home and family. She took great pride in cooking her favorite German dishes, especially kasenip. She was also well known by many to make the best caramel rolls. Generous and caring, she will be remembered for her exquisite hospitality to visitors. She would often invite priests over for dinner and entertainment, where she got to know them very well. Rose loved company, and would always kindly remind you to come visit her by asking "When are you coming to see me?" She enjoyed getting to know people and having everyone enjoy themselves while they visited. She would also never let you forget that she loved you but frequently saying "I love you" to those closest to her. Quilting and crocheting were things Rose always enjoyed doing. She made sure that every child, grandchild, great grandchild, and great, great grandchild had their very own quilt made by her. Left with many memories are her husband, Anthony, Garrison, ND; four daughters, Hildegard (Steven) Bachmeier and Donna Mae Olson, both of Mandan, ND, Lorraine (Bill) Stutzman, Hanover, IL, and Connie (Doug) Livengood, Mt. Carroll, IL; four sons, George (Roberta) Schmidt, Sumner, WA, Leonard Schmidt, Elma, WA, Daniel (Marlene) Schmidt, Tacoma, WA, and Jerald Schmidt, Mandan, ND; daughter-in-law, Kathy Schmidt, Shannon, IL; step children, Myron Kerzman, Bernadine (Larry) Ellwein, Phyllis (Craig) Cumings, Robert (Selma) Kerzman, Charles (Becky) Kerzman, Tom (Nancy) Kerzman, 43 grandchildren, 107 great grandchildren, 73 great-great-grandchildren, 17 step grandchildren, 26 step great grandchildren with one on the way, step great great grandchild one on the way. Rose was preceded in death by her first husband, Chris Schmidt who died in 1971; her parents; son, Edward Schmidt; three sisters, Monica Messer, Frances Klein, Katie Schmidt; three brothers, Sebastian, John, and Steve Walter; daughter-in-law, Christine Schmidt; sons-in-law, Clem Yantzer, Jack Barth, Gordon Olson, Harland Bates; six grandchildren, Diane Yantzer, Douglas, Edwin, Chris, David, and Terry Schmidt. Tacoma, Washington service: Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am on Friday, July 9, 2010 at Visitation Catholic Church, Tacoma, with Fr. Nicholas Wichert as celebrant. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma, Washington. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, July 8, 2010 at Piper-Morley-Mellinger Funeral Home, Tacoma, with a Rosary / Vigil beginning at 7:30 pm. North Dakota service: Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mandan, with Rev. Patrick Schumacher as celebrant. Visitation will be held from 12 to 8 pm on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan, with a Parish Rosary / Vigil beginning at 6:30 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Eulogy for Rose Schmidt Kerzman In our culture the rose is a symbol of beauty, strength and powerful love. Its colors represent the many facets of our lives. The red rose has long symbolized beauty and perfection. Pink portrays grace and elegance. The yellow rose represents true friendship while orange often symbolizes passion and excitement. The lavender rose is traditionally used to express feeling of love at first sight and white embodies innocence and purity. Rose, such a fitting name for a woman whose life exemplified all these characteristics. A woman whose journey would spread over 99 years and bring her 9 children, 40 grandchildren, 107 great grandchildren, 73 great-great grandchildren, 6 step children, 17 step grandchildren and 26 step great grandchildren. Joy! Much joy! Her joy for life is carried within each one of those children. Many say that the measure of one's life is what they leave behind. Rose was a very prosperous woman. Born April 24, 1911, the third of seven children to Michael and Willamina Walter. Both of Rose's parents were settlers in America from Germany, they kept their heritage alive and very much a part of Rose's upbringing. Even in her final days, Rose prayed throughout the nights in fluent German. Rose was schooled up to the sixth grade in a one-room schoolhouse that was typical of those times. She was raised to work the family farm south of Center, North Dakota along with her sisters and brothers. Hard work and commitment were virtues instilled in Rose at a young age. This would serve her well in her life to come. Rose was always creative, full of laughter and deeply devoted to her Catholic faith. At age 18, Rose married Christ Schmidt and began a family. Family… There is a big difference between having a family and raising a family. Rose did the later. Rose raised a family in which closeness and commitment to each other were key. Not closeness in proximity but in unity. Pray together, laugh together, cry together, dance with each other and always, always be there for one another! While raising her nine children, Rose worked beside her husband, Christ, on the farm. When they had the threshing crews in, she cooked for all the men. This was no easy task with no electric stoves, no microwaves, no ready-made meals to pick up at the market. All pies and hearty food were made on the stove stoked by fire. In the early 1940's, Christ began his venture in the coal industry with his eldest son, George. Schmidt Coal Company was founded, leaving Rose and the other older children to tend the farm. No problem, she had been doing this since she was a young girl and with the help of Donna Mae, Hildegard, Lorraine and Edward the farm thrived. After her first five children had married and were on their own, the family moved to town and purchased a service station and café across the street. Rose was never idle, she kept up the books for the businesses, handled the day-to-day operation of the café, kept up her home and lovingly raised the last four of her children, Leonard, Dan, Connie and Gerald. In 1961, Rose and Christ moved to Tacoma, Washington and bought a home near her sister Katie and brother-in-law Adam. The home was across the street from Visitation Church. Perfect for Rose, as her heart was always close to the church. The priests there were Fr. Fox and Fr. Valeriene. She became good friends with them and even took Fr. Valeriene's mother in to live with her family. Rose loved entertaining the clergy and they felt very comfortable in her home. Sunday brunches and pinochle tournaments with as many as three or four tables became common. Rose's love of cards and dice is something she has passed down to the generations. If the family gathers, cards are not far from someone's fingertips…Speed Demon Anyone? Or how about a rousing game of Shanghai? Their life in Washington was full, her children grown, marrying and bestowing her many grandchildren. Rose and Christ traveled back to North Dakota as much as possible and were delighted each time family paid them a visit in Washington. The miles never kept this family apart in their hearts. Christ suddenly passed in 1971. Her children traveled from all parts of the country to comfort their mother. In the nights that followed, the children took turns sleeping with Rose. It was the family's closeness and Rose's quick wit that always brought her through even the toughest times. The night it was Donna Mae's turn to sleep with mom, Rose went to the doorway of the living room where her children were gathered and said, "Donna Mae, did you bring your birth control with you?" Not that Rose believed in birth control - the more mouths to feed the better! While in Washington, Rose was still cooking and planning menus. First at a nursing home then at St. Joseph's hospital she ran the kitchen. And, she never neglected to cook at home. Rose loved having her family around her and feeding them all. Even the grandchildren and great grandchildren still have visions of Kase Knappf and Easter Bread dancing in their heads. She adored holding all those new babies as they came along. And there were lots of them! She would holding them in her lap until they were just too big. Often, More than one at a time, the more the merrier. She would sing to the babies and young grand children in German. As they grew, they still loved to hear her German rhymes. Perhaps it was her jovial voice and smile that always made them giggle. Rose always strived to make her grand children laugh and smile, no matter how old they got. At a family gathering in 2000, (now keep in mind, this puts her at the age of 89) Rose and her daughters were teaching some of the grand daughters how to make a family's traditional German Cuisine. While there was much laughter, a certain sadness hung in the air as it was a few days after the funeral of Rose's daughter-in-law, Christine. Several of the grand children were gathered on the porch with smokes and drinks in hand. As usual, Rose was in the kitchen. Seeing what was brewing on the porch, Rose grabbed a baseball cap, put it on, turned to the others in the kitchen and said, "Give me a drink." She proceeded to snap up a cigarette that someone then lit for her and she march out onto the porch amidst her shocked grandchildren. A laughter erupted that could only happen when a family gathers to cry together, laugh together and be there for one another. For those of you who cannot picture Rose with a drink and a smoke or if you just don't believe it. Proof, in the form of pictures do exist. While cooking was one of her favorite pastimes with her daughters, it was dancing with her sons. She loved to dance with those boys! If they were paying attention, any of them can teach you how to Polka. She kept all her children close to her whether near or far. If she could not cook and dance with them then letters and cards it was. Her love and humor always came through. When Rose's son Gerald was stationed in a remote site in Alaska, letters from family and friends were such a welcome treat that often the guys would read each other their letters. No surprise, Rose's was the favorite. They were always about half a page long and funny. From thousands of miles away she was entertaining people she never met. Rose's letters became common for her children and grandchildren in Washington after 1983 when Rose remarried and took Tony Kerzman for her husband and moved back to North Dakota. Tony's family became an extension of her own. It was good to have her feet back in North Dakota soil and wonderful to be near her other children. Those in Washington had enjoyed her for so long, it was time to share. Rose and Tony shared those golden years full of more grandchildren, more card games and lots of church activities. Sending letters and cards to family is something Rose continued over the decades and right through her 90's. When she could not write so much, she made pictures from calendars, cards and stickers. She was constantly sending them out; always, something to remind her family of her love. Many collections of Grandma's wares exist across the country as Rose was very crafty. Sewing and crocheting was her forte. All her grands, great-grands and great-great-grands have wrapped themselves in blankets made by her hands. When Rose was 95 she was asked if she would turn 100. She was very positive about being 99. When pushed to say she would be 100, she hesitated and said, "Ninety-nine okay, but 100, I don't think so." And so, as with the rest of Rose's journey, her confidence, her courage, her love, and her faith, brought Rose to where she said her part of the journey would end and yet begin again. While she now walks with God and all his angels, her journey continues in each one of us.