Mabel Schmidgall

Mabel Kathryn Messner, daughter of Benjamin and Carrie (Miller) Messner, was born February 1, 1921 in Lafayette, Minnesota. She grew up and began her schooling in Winthrop, Minnesota, graduating from Winthrop High School in 1939. While growing up she worked in her father's meat market, grocery store and locker plant. Following her schooling, she worked at the Elgin Watch Factory in Elgin, Illinois until 1945. On April 3, 1947, she was united in marriage to Francis "Shorty" Schmidgall. Following their marriage, the couple made their home in Hancock, where they raised their three sons and one daughter. Francis and Mabel were baptized in the Apostolic Christian Church in Morris, Minnesota, on May 17, 1964. Shorty died on December 29, 1972. Mabel continued to live in Hancock and work for Bell's Supermarket for ten years and she also cared for aunt, Lizzie Schmidgall, until she died in 1989. Following Lizzie's death, Mabel worked at City Center Drug in Morris until 1999, when she retired. She continued to live in Hancock, until July, 2005, when she moved to West Wind Village in Morris.



Mabel was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church in Morris. When her boys were younger, she was an active den mother in the Boy Scouts. Mabel liked to embroider dish towels that she could share with family and friends. She was an avid reader and took great pleasure in being outdoors working in her garden. She especially enjoyed the time she spent with her children and grandchildren.



Mabel died on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at the Stevens Community Medical Center in Morris, Minnesota, having lived to reach the age of 87 years.



She is survived by three sons: Keith (Lois) Schmidgall of Alexandria, Kevin (Royann) Schmidgall of Lincoln, NE and Craig (Joenne) Schmidgall of Morris; one daughter: Karen (Dennis) Cooper of Paragould, AR; eight grandchildren: Jeremy Schmidgall, Timothy Schmidgall, Melissa Schmidgall, Derec Schmidgall, Taylor Schmidgall, Ashley Schmidgall, Adam Schmidgall and Whitney Poe; one brother: Earl Messner; sister-in-law: JoAnne Messner and many other nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; grandson: Tanner Poe; sisters: Ruth Messner and Florence Gutknecht; bothers: Donald and Clarence Messner; father and mother-in-law: Henry and Emma Schmidgall; sister-in-law: Joyce Messner and brother-in-law: Sidney Gutknecht.



Pallbearers for the service are Mabel's grandsons: Jeremy Schmidgall, Timothy Schmidgall, Derec Schmidgall and Adam Schmidgall and Mabel's nephews: Bradley Gutknecht and Tom Gutknecht. The Apostolic Christian Church Choir will provide special music for the service. Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in charge of the arrangements.