Dianne "Margie" Smith

Dianne “Margie” Smith, 67, Bismarck, passed away September 21, 2016, at CHI St. Alexius Health. She was the wife of Donald Smith. They shared nearly 48 years of marriage together. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am Tuesday, September 27, at Evangel Church, 3225 N 14th St, Bismarck, with Pastor Winston Titus officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Monday, September 26, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 pm Tuesday, September 27, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Dianne Marjorie Schiermeister was born December 17, 1948, in Linton, ND, the 14th of 15 children born to Jake and Johanna (Schmidt) Schiermeister. She graduated from Linton High School in 1966 and attended Bismarck Junior College. She moved to Lake Tahoe, California in 1967 to join her sisters working as a bookkeeper at Harrah’s Club in Reno, Nevada. There she met and married Donald Smith on October 13, 1968. Their first child, Jeffrey, was born there in 1970. The small family moved to Rosemead, California in 1971, where they lived for 4 years before moving back to North Dakota. Margie and family settled in Stanton, ND, where Don worked for Basin Electric. For 34 years she lived there, raising her 3 children and operating Smith’s Greenhouse for 8 years. Margie and Don moved to Bismarck in 2009 to enjoy their retirement years closer to their grandchildren. Margie was a founding member of the Lighthouse Assembly of God church in Stanton, where she was a song leader for 15 years. She loved God and shared her very personal faith often. She also loved to sing, especially with her sisters. She enjoyed all things at home- gardening and canning, cooking and sewing, but most of all kids. Her house was a hub for kids and friends who enjoyed her home baked goodies and no-nonsense advice. She endured hunting trips with Don and her sons and drove a mean get-away car. Margie loved to laugh and was known for her ornery sense of humor and quick wit. Many a practical joke was played on neighbors. She was a hard worker and could find a silver lining in every cloud. Margie spent much of her time in Bismarck with her grandchildren and especially enjoyed having all of them here in the last year. She also served at the Welcome Booth at Evangel where she loved meeting new people and helping them to feel at home. Margie could get a life story out of anyone she met. She will be missed by all who knew her. Margie is survived by her husband, Donald Smith, children; Jeffrey Smith, Cheryl (Justin) Pleinis, and Richard (Mimi) Smith, all of Bismarck; five grandchildren, Barret, Brooklyn and Braden Smith and Lucas and Annalise Pleinis; her sisters, Edna (Henry) Serr, Bertha (Robert) Bradford, Vi (John) Kizis, Hilda (Jim) Houseman, LiAnn Hathaway, Dorinda (Albert) Weisbeck, sisters-in-law, Whitey Schiermeister and Diane Schiermeister, numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great-grand-nieces and great-grand nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jake and Johanna Schiermeister; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Martha (Emanual) Walther, Marie (Alfred) Haas, Eleanor Schiermeister; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ray (Lena) Schiermeister, Ervin (Joan) Schiermeister, Robert Schiermeister, Kenny Schiermeister, one infant brother and brothers-in-law, Joe Massullo Sr., and Glen Hathaway.