Pauline (Polly) Schmitz

Polly (Pauline) Schmitz, 103, Bismarck, passed away Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck, ND. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 PM, Saturday, March 5 at Ascension Church with Father Jerry Kautzman officiating, and Monsignor James Braaten and Father Marvin Klemmer concelebrating. Burial will be 11:00 AM MST Monday, March 7 at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Dickinson, ND. Visitation will be Friday, March 4 at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 East Divide Avenue, Bismarck from 5:00 – 8 PM with a prayer service at 7:00 PM; additional visitation will be one hour prior to funeral services at Ascension Church. Polly (Pauline) Schmitz was born January 3, 1913, in Dickinson, ND, to Frank P. Heck and Monica “Mandy” (Metz) Heck. She received her education at a rural school Dover Consolidated, St. Joseph’s Elementary, Dickinson and Dickinson Model High School. After working as a nanny in Buffalo, New York, she then worked as a waitress at The Cozy Cafe in Beach, North Dakota. While living in Beach, she met Clarence Schmitz, and they were married at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Amidon, North Dakota on February 22, 1943. Following their marriage, she and Clarence farmed at Golva, North Dakota, and from 1957-1977 they owned and operated Schmitz Grocery, a neighborhood grocery store in south Dickinson. After Clarence died in 1993, Polly continued to make Dickinson her home until she moved to Bismarck in 2001. She lived at Marillac Manor and Valley View Heights until the summer of 2015 when she moved to Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center. In Dickinson she was a member of Catholic Daughters, St. Joseph’s Hospital Auxiliary, and the Elks. Polly is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law: Jan (Ben Jr.) Sitter of Bismarck, ND, Ethel (Ron) Keeley of Port St. Lucie, FL, Lynne (Tom) Christen of Williston ND; 11 grandchildren: Clarence Sitter, Michelle Hanson, Maria Buckmiller, Kathryn Sitter, Patrick Keeley, Ryan Keeley, Janine McCormick, Michael Christen, Julie Christen, Paul Christen, and Timothy Christen; 13 great-grandchildren; a brother Herb; sisters-in-law Shirley Heck, Dorothy Thiel, and Dorothy Schmitz. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Clarence; and 6 brothers: Joe, Leo, Mike, Edward, Clifford, and Don.