Delores Schmuck

Delores Elsie Schmuck…

was born to William and Hedwig “Hattie” (Conrad) Raschke on April 21, 1925 in Trosky, Minnesota where she was baptized at St. John Lutheran Church. When she was a young girl, she moved with her family to a farm northwest of Jasper, Minnesota. She was raised near Jasper and attended country school. She then attended Jasper High School and graduated from there in 1942. While growing up in Jasper, she was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church where she was confirmed on May 28, 1939. Following high school, she was employed at Demaray Hardware Store in Pipestone. She later worked as a receptionist/nurse for Dr. Benjamin in Pipestone. On October 18, 1946, she was united in marriage to Herbert Schmuck at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jasper. Following their marriage, they lived in Luverne, Minnesota with Herb’s parents and Delores worked as a secretary for the law firm of Hanson and Engin. They then moved to a farmhouse west of Pipestone and she began working as a bookkeeper for Armours and later as a secretary/bookkeeper for Anderson Feed Company. She then became employed as the secretary at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pipestone where she worked for over 35 years until her retirement. Herb preceded her in death on December 27, 2004. After his death, Delores continued to live in Pipestone. In early May, 2012, she was diagnosed as having cancer. She recently became a patient at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where she died on Sunday, June 3, 2012, at the age of 87 years, one month and 12 days.

Delores was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where she was active in the Hannah Circle for many years and served as the circle topic leader. She had also served as president of St. Paul WGA. She was a member of the Michael Boock American Legion Post 6 Auxiliary where she had served as president, and secretary/treasurer. She also served as chairman of many of the 2nd District Legion Auxiliary committees and from 1997 to 1998 had served as the secretary /treasurer of the district. She was a working member of the Hiawatha Club for over 38 years and held the office of secretary and president of that women’s group. She enjoyed traveling and had been in every state but Alaska. She loved to play cards with friends. She also enjoyed dancing, bowling and playing a little golf. She always enjoyed going to Lange’s every Sunday after church. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family. She loved to cook, and her grandchildren always headed straight for the cookie jar to eat their favorite chocolate chip cookies.

She is lovingly remembered by her two daughters, Carol Farmer of Pipestone, Minnesota, and Rhonda Koch and her husband Roger of Plymouth, Minnesota; one son, Craig Schmuck and his wife Tammy of Ashby, Minnesota; 11 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; one sister-in-law, Vera Raschke of Pipestone, Minnesota; one niece; two nephews; and her special family friends, Larry and Diane Blahauvietz of Webster, Wisconsin. She was preceded in death by her husband; her infant daughter, Dianne; her parents; one sister, Erna Stueven; and two brothers, Elmer and Lester Raschke.