Kay Schwandt

Kay Marie Schwandt, 73, Bismarck, passed away December 22, 2017, at Sanford Medical Center, Bismarck, after a brief battle with lung cancer. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, at Church of Corpus Christi with the Rev. Paul Becker officiating. A private burial will be held at St. Bonaventure Cemetery, Underwood. Cremation has taken place and a gathering of family and friends will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, with a rosary at 7 p.m. Kay was born October 7, 1944, to William and Helen (Liebel) Schwandt in Underwood. She graduated from Underwood High School in 1962 and Bismarck Junior College (BJC) in 1963. She was a proud and devoted mother to her daughter, Suzanne. She worked for Deister, Ward and Witcher, an oil abstracting company, for 25 years until 1989. She then started a second career with Job Service of North Dakota where she held various positions, finishing there as a supervisor in the claims center, where she retired at the end of 2009. She came out of retirement several times after that to work during the winter months at Job Service. Kay was very kind and compassionate toward others throughout her life and always tried to help the less fortunate.  She volunteered her time at St. Vincent’s Nursing Home and Ministry on the Margins and donated platelets for over 20 years. In 2014 she traveled to Guatemala to build a home with the God’s Child Project for a local family to honor her beloved sister, Rosmary, who had died the previous year. Kay was a talented musician. Her intelligence and wit shined through in her love of reading, crossword puzzles and writing and telling stories. She loved to travel and try new things whenever she could. Those thankful to have shared her life include her daughter, Suzy (Rich) Schulz, Maple Grove, Minn.; her sister, Shirley Fetch, Bismarck, Shirley’s children, Casey (Scott) Schmidt, Diane Lind, Barb Bianco, Jennifer Johnson, Mick (Janette) Fetch and Coreen Ryan, all of Bismarck and Joe (Rhonda) Fetch of Rapid City, SD; Lester’s son, Charlie (Cecily) Schwandt, Jacksonville, Fla.; Ernie’s children, Rod Schwandt, Burlington, Mary Kay Schwandt, Bill (Cheryl) Schwandt, Andy (Renee) Schwandt and Bob (Shelly) Schwandt, all of Fargo; many great and great-great nieces and nephews and her faithful companion and rescue dog, Murphy. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Helen Schwandt; her sister, Rosmary Schwandt, brothers and sisters-in-law, Ernie and Doreen Schwandt and Lester and Nilla Schwandt; and nieces, Peggy Schwandt and Linda Schwandt.