Florence Obrigewitsch

A private funeral Mass for Florence (Schmidt) Obrigewitsch, 92, of Belfield, will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 5, 2020 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Belfield, ND with Msgr. Patrick Schumacher celebrating. Those attending are reminded to practice proper social distancing recommendations. Burial will follow in St. Bernard’s Cemetery. Public visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Thursday, June 4, 2020 at Stevenson Funeral Home in Dickinson, with a rosary and vigil service being held at 6:00 p.m. Florence passed away on June 2nd, 2020 at CHI St. Alexius Health, Dickinson, ND. Florence was born July 18, 1927, to Joseph and Marian (Faller) Schmidt, in Belfield, ND. She attended rural elementary school in Billings County, ND. She received her high school education through the Division of Supervised Study of Fargo, ND. In 1944 and 1945 she attended Dickinson State College. She taught in the Spring Creek and Saddle Butte School districts of Billings County, ND for several years. On June 16, 1947, she married Jack Obrigewitsch in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dickinson, ND. They lived with Jack’s parents for the summer and then took over the homestead when his parents retired in the fall. They remained on the farm/ranch until retiring to Belfield, ND in the fall of 1982. In the fall of 2016, she moved to the assisted living of St. Benedict’s Court where she resided for the remainder of her life. Florence’s hobbies included sewing, crocheting, reading, and gardening. Family was especially important to Florence. She found great pleasure in caring for her three children, her grandchildren, and later in life, her great-grandchildren. Florence loved being surrounded by them all at family gatherings and celebrations, and each grandchild received birthday cards and Christmas cards personalized with her perfect penmanship. Being a member of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Florence focused on volunteering much of her time with the church. She volunteered her time as a Eucharistic Minister, reader, commentator, member of the choir, and as sacristan. She spent over 30 years volunteering for the food pantry, and was a member of the Billings County Historical Society. Florence was also a member of St. Regina’s Guild, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers, and Cursillo, where she formed many lifelong friendships. She was a woman of strong faith, who prayed the rosary daily for her family and friends. In her later years, it was her prayers and crocheting that kept her happy. Every family member and visitor would always leave with her crocheted potholders and towels. Florence will always be remembered for all of her work with the church and especially her crocheted potholders and dishtowels. Florence is survived by one brother, Richard Schmidt (Dickinson), sisters Evelyn (Ed) Kinzel (Billings, MT) and Margaret (Donovan) Schumacher (Bismarck), and sisters-in-law Josephine Schmidt (Belfield) and Georgia Schmidt (WY). Florence is also survived by her three children, Les (Sheryl) in Moorhead, MN; Geoff (Deb) in Belfield; and Jackee in Dillon, CO. Florence also has five grandchildren: Mia Bolte, Chad (Debbie) Bolte, Preston (Julie) Obrigewitsch, Quentin (Amy) Obrigewitsch, and Sabrina (Randy) Zeller. The family also includes nine great-grandchildren: Luke, Kate, Ethan, Ella, Noah, Farrah, Addisyn, Charlie, and Rachel. Florence was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, her parents Joseph and Marian Schmidt, her brothers Ludwig, Fred, and Arnold Schmidt, and her sister Delores Baseflug. In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Benedict Court, St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, or a charity of your choice.