Lorraine Iona Schnartz

Lorraine (Bergman) Schnartz, died unexpectedly and peacefully from unknown causes on July 22, 2010 at Heritage House in Milaca where she had resided for four and a half years. She was born on January 13, 1935 to Edith (Strom) and Wallace Bergman of Borgholm Township, growing up on her maternal grandparents farm. She attended O’Neill School, District 49, as well as Burnhelm School when her family rented and moved to the Ricka Peterson farm. She enjoyed an idyllic childhood in that sociable and cooperative farming community together with her siblings. She graduated from Milaca High School in 1953, on the same day her mother was buried following a long struggle with cancer. Following graduation, she worked for brief periods at Dorothy Johnson’s Dress Shop, Olson’s Dry Goods and the telephone company. She then moved to Duluth where she worked in the office of Floan’s Mens Store. She returned to Milaca suffering from mental illness and was subsequently hospitalized off and on for several years. Her brother, Roland and the county welfare office arranged for her to live and work at a nursing home in Isle, where she resided for several years. She met Donald Schnartz there and they were married in December 1973. They moved to their own home in Isle and Don worked for a special program of the MN Department of Natural Resources until the program ended. Lorraine and Don then moved to St. Cloud, where they both worked at a sheltered workshop until Don’s retirement. Two years after Don died in May 1993, Lorraine moved to the Milaca Park Apartments. She lived there with lovely neighbors for eleven years. Her last home was the Heritage House, a haven where she received loving personal care from the staff. At Heritage House, she enjoyed the musical programs brought by many generous musicians. Despite her handicap, Lorraine was able to be a homemaker and to manage her affairs with assistance from county, state and federal programs for people with disabilities. The family thanks the caregivers, medical professionals, administrators, and others for the many ways they helped Lorraine. Lorraine will be greatly missed by her sister, Beverly (David) Wickstrom of St. Paul and Duluth; brothers, Roland (Barbara) Bergman of Shepherdstown, WV and Peter (Jeanne) Bergman of Cottage Grove; nieces and nephews, Wolfgang (Liz) of London, Windsong, recently of Oakland, CA and Bjorn of Uppsala, Sweden (children of Roland and Barbara); Lisa (Adam) Flood of Minneapolis, John and Sarah both of Cottage Grove (children of Peter and Jeanne); grand nieces and nephews, Helena, William Gillespie, Esme and Owen. Many others in the wider community were very important to Lorraine, they and her family were the joy of her life. A memorial gathering will be held at Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home in Milaca at 2 PM on Sunday, August 29, 2010. Family and friends will have on opportunity to share recollections of Lorriane’s life. Interment will follow at Borgholm Cemtery near Bock. A lunch will follow service at Barbara Jean’s Embers in Milaca. The family requests no gifts please.