Sheila Barbara Schafer

Sheila Barbara Schafer passed away early Wednesday, March 16, 2016. She was 90 years old. In sharp contrast to her center-stage personality and hurricane life-style, Sheila left us quietly and peacefully during the night. She lived a remarkable life and, like her husband, Harold, she truly believed that she was one of the most blessed people who ever lived. Sheila was the star at every gathering and the brightest light in every room. She had a unique ability to make people feel good simply because they met her. She was the person you wanted to sit next to, the person you wanted to talk to, and invariably she was the person you talked about after you left. Her life was defined by love of God, love of family, and love of North Dakota. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 19, at 10:00 AM at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Bismarck with Rev. Donna Dohrmann officiating. A prayer service will be held on Friday evening at 7:00 PM at Lutheran Church of the Cross. She was born on May 17, 1925, in Bismarck, the second of five daughters born to Hattie and Ralph “Doc” Chinn. Shortly thereafter the family moved to Fargo and then to Moorhead, Minnesota, where Doc operated the Crystal Ballroom in Fargo. There, Sheila was introduced to the glamorous world of music, dance, and theatre; influences that shaped the remainder of her life. Sheila grew up in Moorhead and on Broadwater Beach at Pelican Lake, Minnesota. She graduated from Moorhead High School in 1943; a year when the outcome of WW II still hung in the balance. After graduation, she went to Seattle hoping to earn enough money to allow her to go on to college. In Seattle, she found work in a restaurant, and at a civil service office. In the evenings, she made a few extra dollars sketching portraits of servicemen at a local USO club. The following year, she enrolled at the University of Minnesota where she majored in speech and theatre. Years later, when her fortunes had vastly improved, she often reminisced, not without some humor and a certain amount of pride, about the days when she had made ends-meet by working as a “wiener twister” at the Armour meat packing plant in St. Paul. With her insatiable quest for learning, Sheila went on to become the oldest graduate from Bismarck State College at the age of 85. In 1946, Sheila married Lyle A. Limond in Anoka, Minnesota. That marriage produced three children: Mark, Michelle, and Maureen. Although the children were all born in Minnesota, they were raised in Bismarck where Lyle was employed by the North Dakota Medical Association and by the State Board of Medical Examiners. In Bismarck, Sheila became very active in her church, in community theatre, and in Republican politics. She also became an avid golfer and eventually won seven championships at Apple Creek Country Club. Later, she became very involved in ND Junior Golf and today her name is memorialized at the Sheila Schafer Junior Golf Links in Bismarck. In 1965, Sheila married North Dakota businessman Harold Schafer. Harold brought his children Joanne, Dianne, Ed, and Pam to the marriage and together he and Sheila created one family out of two. They enthusiastically renewed their marriage vows 25 times at various exotic locations around the world. It was a very special union in which both of them delighted in each other’s unique personalities, but also they profited from the other’s talents; so much so, that as a couple “Harold and Sheila” became a North Dakota institution. Sheila was immensely proud of her large, blended family. One of her most prized possessions was a family photo taken in Medora on the occasion of her 80th birthday. She never tired of showing the picture to every visitor who came to her home, and even to the bewildered strangers who simply marched into her living room assuming the house was another Medora attraction. Without hesitation, Sheila would take these strangers on a tour of her home, making them feel as welcome as any invited guest. Then she would tell them the story of Medora (though some might say she was never overly burdened by the facts). Before her visitors were released, she would proudly pull out the old family photo and begin yet another round of stories. When she passed away on Wednesday that photo was at her side. It would be difficult to exaggerate the impact that Harold and Sheila had on North Dakota and particularly on Medora. They were married shortly after Harold first became involved in Medora and just as he was starting the Medora Musical. Sheila shared Harold’s love of Medora and his dream of what it could be. It was their special place and she played a large role in making their dream a reality, particularly in shaping the look and the content of the Medora Musical. It was her presence at the musical, however, that became a special event in itself. Her “whoops and yips” from seat #1 in row G electrified the performers night after night. Sheila’s commitment to creating a family friendly venue has made the Medora Musical the number one attraction in the state of North Dakota. Her special ability to make people feel good extended to everyone she met including foreigners visiting Medora for the first time, as well as Governors, Senators, and Congressmen. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Together, Sheila and Harold touched innumerable lives. The stories of their kindness and generosity are legion. Sheila is survived by her younger sister Dory of Lynden, Washington; by her son and daughter-in-law Mark and Polly Limond of El Cajon, California; by her son and daughter-in-law former Governor and first lady, Ed and Nancy Schafer of Fargo; by her daughters Michelle Limond Sletten of Pelican Lake, Minnesota, and Maureen Limond of Austin, Texas; by her daughters and sons-in-law Joanne and Jim Kack of Bozeman, Montana, Dianne Schafer and Eddie Walker of Fort Worth, Texas, and Dr. Pamela Schafer of Del Mar, California, and former son-in-law Rolf Sletten; as well as 21 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and innumerable friends. Sheila was preceded in death by her husband Harold; by her sisters Nellavon, Carol, and Sharon; and by her grandson Cody Minick. Harold and Sheila have both left us now, but their legacy lives on in the lives they touched and the places they influenced, especially Medora. Memorials can be directed to the TRMF Life Skills Center landscaping project or to the Lutheran Church of the Cross Building Fund.