Ardella Schmitz

Loving daughter, sister, cousin, wife, mother, grandmother, friend and neighbor, Ardella Ruth (Stone) Schmitz, passed away September 9, 2024, in Owens Cross Roads, AL, at the age of 91.

Ardella, an enrolled member of Three Affiliated Tribes/MHA Nation (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara) a child of the Prairie Chicken Clan, was raised in the Twin Buttes area on Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in ND. Her Native name is Sakakawea (Bird Woman). 

The locations of Ardella’s early life can no longer be found on today’s maps. On the day she was born, March 4, 1933, her parents – John and Hazel Stone – left the ranch, situated five miles from Elbowoods along the Missouri River, and started for the hospital in Dickinson. A major blizzard changed their plans, and as mom liked to say, “my dad had to dig the old jalopy out of the snowbank,” and they drove to Hazel’s parents near Werner. Ardella’s grandmother, Ida Rowe, helped deliver her into the world. Ardella, Cleo and Joan were the first of the children on their parents’ cattle ranch in the bottomlands of the Missouri River; younger brother John arrived after the move to the ranch near Twin Buttes.

The grade school in Elbowoods was five miles from their house. Because gas was so expensive at 25 cents per gallon and everyone so poor, the school gave all the lessons to Ardella’s mom to save the twice daily round trips (20 miles total) to take her to and from school, and Ardella was homeschooled for 1st grade. When Ardella was 7, the family moved to the ranch near Twin Buttes. 

At Elbowoods High Ardella was on the cheer team and played clarinet in the band. During her senior year she lived with a family in Elbowoods, taking their little girl to and from school. In 1951 she enrolled at the University of North Dakota pledging Delta Zeta, where she met Emmett at a sorority function. In 1955 she earned a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics, married Emmett, and moved to Casper, WY. There their three children – Erin, Mark and Kelly – were born. Later, they would live in Lakewood, CO and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

As a young mom, she chose to invest time in raising her three children. After moving to Lakewood, she earned her teaching license and was a substitute teacher in Denver Public Schools (all during the notorious school-based race riots) until their move to Canada.

Ardella was active in church choir and volunteered in the public school as a homeroom mom. She was also involved in numerous civic organizations including PEO and served as President of her chapter. She loved hosting dinner-bridge parties, playing duplicate bridge, reading, and gardening her beloved flower beds.

Ardella was preceded in death by her spouse of 65 years Emmett, parents Hazel and John Stone Sr., and cherished younger sister Joan Estes. She is survived by children Erin (Jon) Schneider - FL, Mark (Debbie) Schmitz - AL, and Kelly (Clark) Mapes – CO; grandchildren Lindsay Brady, Michael (Dennine) Brady, Ethan (Ela) Mapes, Evan (Julia) Mapes, Erin Mapes, Peter (Samantha) Schmitz, Megan Schmitz, and six great grandchildren; sister Cleo Charging of White Shield, and brother John (Connie) Stone of Twin Buttes, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM, Friday, Oct. 25, at Eastgate funeral service, 2302 E Divide Ave, Bismarck. 

Ardella’s ashes will be interred with Emmett at his final resting place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.