Norman Francis Schnieder age 74 of Tracy passed away Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 8 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tracy. Visitation is from 12:00 noon until 2:00 at the church on Saturday. There will be a Knights of Columbus Rosary at 12:00 noon. Burial is in Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Norman Francis Schnieder was born on March 27, 1939, in Tyler, MN, to Francis and Augusta (Fehring) Schnieder. He was the 5th of 10 children. Norman attended school in Walnut Grove, MN. After high school Norm entered the Navy where he began his work with airplanes. When he left the Navy in 1963, Norman went on to get his A & P (Airframe and Powerplant) Certificate from Thief River Falls. Norm worked with airplane maintenance for over 50 years. On June 27, 1964, in Mankato, MN, Norman married Gail Donahue of Baudette, MN. They lived in Walnut Grove, Thief River Falls, and Milroy before making their home in Tracy, MN. When Norman wasn’t busy soaking up history, or learning about aviation and WWII fighters, he enjoyed spending time with his family, or, even better, combining all three pastimes. Norman was involved with the American Legion and Knights of Columbus.
Norman is survived by his wife Gail of Tracy; daughter Marge (Wayne) Jensen of Rogers, son Patrick (Lisa) Schnieder of Owings, MD, daughter Sarah (Mike) Maciej of Rogers, and daughter Jill (Lon) Dopp of Cottonwood; 8 grandchildren; Cory and Aric Jensen, Sean, Kyle and Katelyn Maciej, Jocelyn, Lauren and Conner Dopp; sisters Jeanette Bitker of Milroy and Mary Miller of Brooklyn Park; and brothers Michael Schnieder of Bloomington and John (Georgia) Schnieder of Eden Prairie. Norman was preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Augusta, sisters, Alvera and Wanda, brothers, Dennis, Everett and Donald, nephews Jim Bitker and Eric Schnieder, brothers-in-law Raymond Schulte, Merlyn Bitker and Russell Miller.
I would like to send my sympathy for your loss. Norm will be missed by many in “The Aviation Community” of Southwest Minnesota. Norm laid back approach along with his vast knowledge of aircraft will be missed.
God Bless
Jason Algyer
So sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family .
We send our deepest sympathies to you and your family. Sorry we are unable to be there with you to celebrate Norm’s life. We have always enjoyed spending time with you from way back when!
Don & Alice Zeug
I send my most heartfelt sympathies to you and your family. Without a doubt, Norm was the finest person and best mechanic I have ever worked with.
Marc Remhof
Dear Gail, Marge, Patrick, Sarah & Jill,
My heartfelt sympathy to all of you @ the earthly loss of your dear husband & father, Norman. Right after a cousin informed me of his funeral on Saturday, I went to St. Mary’s Chapel here to pray for Norman & all of you.
This was a surprise to me, since just last year, I contacted him about the Schnieder family tree. He had Marge Jensen sent me a finished copy of what she had done of the Francis & Augusta Schnieder family. I was so pleased!
A cousin, who attended Norman’s funeral, told me about it by phone. Sorry to miss seeing all of you again. I met some of you @ Dennis’ funeral. Our generation is leaving this earth!
Greetings from my living siblings: Marlene & Norbert Hermes, Salina, KS and David Hullerman, Golden Living Center, Slayton, MN.
S. Germaine Hullerman
We are so sorry for your loss Gale. In high school Norm was always fun to be around. He had a wonderful sense of humor. We so enjoyed getting reacquainted with him at our 50 year class reunion and getting to know him after we grew up. We were so sorry to miss his funeral, but know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Sharon (olson) Kosse.
When I learned of Norman’s death, I started to reflect on the person I knew from Walnut Grove High School. There were 3 us in the class of 1957 that spent some time together. Norman, Stan Gordon and myself. As I recall when I moved to Walnut and started school as a sophomore, it was tough for a shy under-sized preacher’s kid to make friends. Somehow the three of us found each other and the friendship followed. Norm was tall compared to myself and I wondered why he wasn’t a BBall player. His answer was that BBall didn’t interest him. There were times we spent around the Schnieder house – mostly in the garage, I think, where there was always something mechanical going on.
I was surprised to learn that Norm was born in Tyler because that’s where my sister-in-law lives. So I come to Tyler often. I was also surprised to learn that Norm’s wife comes from Baudette. I was a faculty member at the U of MN in Crookston where several of my students came from the Baudette area. In fact I recall a group of colleagues and I came to Baudette High School one winter and “gave the science teachers a ‘day-off’ as we conducted their classes.
Norm will be missed. My prayers and best wishes go to his wife, children and extended family.
Paul Holm
Dear Gail, Marge, Patrick, Sarah & Jill,
I was Greatly saddened to see the passing of a great friend of the class of 57. I moved to Walnut Grove in the fall of 1955 after my fathers passing as the result of a farm accident. We had bought a farm about 5 miles north of town where I lived until I joined the AF in October of 57. Norm and the other 2 Musketeers were my best friends in Walnut Grove and I thought a lot of Norm. I don’t remember seeing Norm at the 50 year reunion which was the only one I was able to attend and I regret that I didn’t get to see him at any of my other whirlwind trips through Minnesota.
As I read about Norm’s accomplishments, and feel the kinship of aviation which I too loved, It is my loss that I didn’t take some time out of my busy schedule to spend some time with Norm. I thought about him many times during the past 57 years and wondered how he was doing, but didn’t find the time to reconnect.
Norman (Sleepy) Schnieder will Be missed.
My prayers and best wishes go to his family & friends.
Duane Brayton