Lyle Oliver Schultz

On May 11, 2020, our father, Lyle Oliver Schultz, entered the kingdom of heaven. His tired heart had given everything it had into serving others, and the Lord said it was time for a well-deserved rest.

Dad was born on May 24, 1929 to Earl and Pearl (Otteson) Schultz. He was raised in Bismarck with two older sisters, Agnes and Elsie. This city has always been his home and he was honored to be an unofficial greeter to all he came into contact with! He married our mom, Mabel Hanson, on July 26, 1952. My sister and I were adopted from Lutheran Social Services and were brought home to the most wonderful parents any child could ever be blessed with. We always felt special because they chose us to be in their lives and gave us a life filled with love and laughter. Dad lost mom on January 16, 1972 – he lost the love of his life and we are so glad they are reunited once again after nearly 50 years. He has waited a long time to see her again.

Dad served in the National Guard for six years and was employed at Midwest Motor Express until his retirement in 1992. Before his retirement he was a world traveler, travelling to China, Japan, South America, Norway, Greece, Australia and many other countries. He always loved to travel and bake with neighbors, friends, and shut-ins getting his delicious goodies.

He was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he was very involved. He taught Sunday School for 17 years, was an usher and greeter, and after retiring was always willing to stuff bulletins. He always liked visiting with the staff whenever he was there. He was a proud member of the Sons of Norway, where he was one of their gifted folk dancers. He loved taking his grandchildren to all of the club’s events and they really got into grandpa’s culture. A couple of grandchildren loved it so much he sent them to Minnesota for the Norwegian Foreign Language Camp. We all loved the lefse, but the lutefisk he loved to eat was definitely not popular with the family!

His mom was a big influence on his life and between her and the Lord he found himself leaning to a life of service to others after his retirement. We wanted to share some of these with you because the people he met and served were so very important in his life. He helped out at Jeanette Myhre and Pioneer for many years as a grandfather/aide to third graders. He would help them with reading and spelling as well as giving some big hugs! The teachers he encountered were just as special to him as the children, he remained friends with many of them. Dad loved to shop and couldn’t go through Kirkwood Mall without running into numerous teachers and friends of his. He mentored troubled youth at the States Youth Correctional Center, was a volunteer greeter at the information desk at the Heritage Center, provided victims of Alzheimer’s compassion and exercise, and helped out at the Manchester House. He was on the board at MLSCC and the M50 Club. One of his favorite activities was going to visit in the nursing homes and entertaining shut-ins. He enjoyed taking his grandchildren with so they could hang out with him and the residents. He was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army and worked in the Christmas Joy Shop for over 20 years. On Sundays after church, he volunteered at the AmVets as a service to his fellow veterans by bussing tables after their breakfast. Dad was a hospice volunteer for many years also. He loved being able to help those nearing end of life in any way he could, sometimes just sitting and holding their hand for a few hours. In turn, he was blessed by CHI hospice at the end of his life. They were absolutely amazing during his last five days of life. We will never be able to express our gratitude for everything they did for not only him, but us as a family. The hospice nurses and the telemetry nurses at CHI were absolutely the very best and loved him to pieces. Dr Matt Hamar, Dr. Hoyt and all of their nurses were like Dad’s best buddies. We are eternally grateful to all of you.

His final years were spent as a CHI volunteer as a greeter at the Medical Arts building, a job he took seriously every morning. He fell in love with everyone who worked there and was so eager to go back after this COVID-19 pandemic. He proudly volunteered at Heaven’s Helpers Soup Café. This organization and all it stands for was so important to him. He loved being in the kitchen and just hanging with everyone. He wanted to be there more often, but his 90-year-old body only gave him a limited number of hours there. That was okay though, he just loved being there and helping. In 2007 we were so very proud of him when he was presented the Sertoma Club Service to Mankind award. What an awesome tribute to his life of service.

Dad leaves behind those of us who loved him: two daughters, Pearlene Boelter and Paulette (Dennis) Engel, both of Bismarck; five grandchildren, Zac Boelter, Kansas, Mikaila (Ryan) Hinman and their children, Max and Aria, Minnesota, Erica (Ryan) Fugere, and their children, Avery and Callie, Bismarck, Jeremy (Taylor) Engel, and their children, Emory and Olive, Texas, and Ryan Engel, Bismarck. The twins, Emory and Olive (named for great-grandpa) were born on May 7, the day great-grandpa went home with hospice. We are so grateful he was able to FaceTime them and see his identical great-granddaughters welcomed into this world. I think he felt his life was complete after they were born. Dad leaves many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews who all meant the world to him. He always knew he was well loved by all of them and he loved them right back. He was also blessed with the best neighbors in town, Donna and Blaine, and his neighbor, Gary. Thank you for always watching out for him! Dad was also lucky enough to have the best friend any guy could ever ask for, Dan Senger. He was like a son to him and the two of them forged a friendship to last the ages! Thank you to all of you that at one time enriched the life of this dear, sweet man who lived to make everyone else’s life better. Some people are just there for you always – and that was his mission in life.

Due to recent CDC regulations on COVID-19, a private family memorial service was held. As always, he was one step ahead of the game and he had his funeral paid for, along with all the songs and verses. That’s just how he rolled! We wish we could have met all of you that were so important in his life. We thank you for all of your love you bestowed on him. Family and friendships were his life. If anyone would like to honor his life, he would love for your memorials to go to the Heaven’s Helpers Soup Café. If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever, Dad!

Lyle's family encourages friends and other family members to go to https://www.gatheringus.com/memorial/lyle-oliver-schultz/3540 to share memories and post pictures of Lyle.