Emily Ann Schneider

Emily Ann Schneider Née Gunderson, died peacefully in her home in Mesa, AZ on Saturday, October 15, 2022, at the age of 92. Emily is survived by her children, Mary Lawrence and her spouse, Christopher, of Seattle, Washington, and her son, John Schneider, and his wife, Patti, of Palmyra, Wisconsin. She is preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Schneider, and her brother, Richard Gunderson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as her mother, Palma Aker, of Huron, South Dakota, who died at age 101, and her father, Carl Gunderson, who died during the depression when Emily was 5, while hitching a ride with a good friend. His friend was driving a gravel truck to a job site and slowed down to pick up Carl. Carl jumped onto the running board, but his pant leg caught on a loose wire, and he was pulled under the moving gravel truck. He died instantly, a few miles from home, at the age of 33. His wife, Palma, was pregnant with Emily’s brother, Richard, at the time. Emily remembered she was angry with her dad when he left and didn’t kiss him goodbye. She never forgot that and always told us to never take anyone or anything for granted. “You never know when you will see them again,” she said time and again.

Besides her children and their spouses, Emily is survived by grandchildren on the Schneider side; Melissa Schneider Hooker and her husband, Chris, and their son, Finn; John Schneider Jr. and his wife, Hannah, and their daughter, Sofia; and Richard Schneider and his wife, Anna. On the Lawrence side, granddaughter Annie Lawrence Marin and her spouse,Derrek,and their daughter, Kayla, and son, Ethan; George Lawrence and his wife, Chloe, and their daughter, Evelyn; and Erica Lawrence Ragsdale and her husband, Eli, and their daughter, Stella.

Emily Schneider was born on January 19, 1930, at home in Moody County, South Dakota, near Trent, to Carl John Gunderson and Palma Bergloit Mjoen Gunderson. She attended country school until the 8th grade near her home, but moved to Pipestone, Minnesota, for high school and to help her Aunt Mary and Uncle Jack Manion when her Aunt Mary was ill. She helped take care of her cousins, Jimmy and Michael, when they were young. She thrived in Pipestone and eventually became the homecoming queen her senior year. She graduated from high school in 1947 and worked as a secretary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she eventually met and married a young pharmacist, Ernest A. Schneider, Jr. They had 2 children, John and Mary, and moved to Austin, Minnesota, where Ernest began working at Austin Drug. Eventually they opened their own professional pharmacy called Griffin Pharmacy. The pharmacy was a family affair. Ernie filled the prescriptions, Emily waited on the customers, answered the phone, and took out deliveries. John and Mary hung out there after school and did homework, helped clean the store and run errands. During Christmas, the whole family helped at several of the nursing homes. Emily would dress up like Santa Claus and we would all pass out little gifts to the residents. Emily was a fun loving but strict mom who wanted the best for her family. She had friends from all walks of life. She encouraged her children to develop their talents and never give up on their dreams and to be kind and generous to others. Emily demonstrated these qualities in her own life time and time again. She was a Girl Scout leader, a Sunday School teacher and an expert seamstress who designed and sewed numerous outfits. She was athletic and strong, too, from playing baseball with her brother and cousins on the farm when she was growing up. She also encouraged her husband to seek out heart experts in Minneapolis because he suffered from aortic stenosis and gradually became weak and short of breath within a few years. Eventually he had experimental open heart surgery and received an artificial aortic valve which greatly improved his quality of life and was a great relief to the whole family. For five years life was relatively care free for Emily. But one evening, when Emily was at a baby shower, the aortic valve dislodged from Ernie’s heart and he died within minutes. Emily was at a baby shower at the time and was unable to say goodbye. She also had to sell the pharmacy since there were no affordable relief pharmacists available. As soon as John graduated from high school, she moved to Rochester, Minnesota, the home of the Mayo Clinic, and started selling clothes in an exclusive women’s shop in the Kahler Hotel, where she met and befriended interesting people, such as Minnie Pearl, June Carter and Johnny Cash, the wife of the Shah of Iran and many others from all over the world who were in Rochester for health care. Soon John and Mary each married and had children. The grandchildren, Melissa, John and Richard Schneider and Annie, George and Erica Lawrence became the loves of her life. The great grandchildren, Finn, Sofia, Stella, Evelyn, Kayla and Ethan have connected with their great grandma in person or on FaceTime as well. At the suggestion of one of her dearest friends, she attended the Jasper High School all school reunion. There she reconnected with Howard Friedrich, an old friend of her husband. Emily and Howard had many friends in common and eventually decided to settle in Sioux Falls near dear cousins and mutual friends. For years they spent summers in Sioux Falls and winters in Fountain. of the Sun. Five years ago, Howard passed away. Emily decided to stay at Fountain of the Sun year around. With the help of her caregiver, Rosemary, and Always Best Care, Emily was able to stay in her home up until her death.

Emily will be buried in Bethania Cemetery, Alliance township, Moody County, South Dakota, on November 18, 2022 at 1pm.