Funeral services for Estella C. Schmidt, 93, of Tioga were held Saturday, October 20, 2001, at 2:00 PM, at First Lutheran Church in Tioga. Burial was at United Cemetery, Tioga. Stella is survived by seven sons, LeRoy (Ginger) of Puyallup, WA, Donald (Swany) of Watford City, ND, Harold (Ione), Richard (Linda), Raymond (Lil) all of Tioga, Kenneth (Mary) of rural Williston, ND, and David (Kris) of Chehalis, WA; four daughters, Helen (Herb) Hauglie of Everett, WA, Lorna Oversen of Laurel, MT, Diana Schmidt of Williston, ND, and Linda Schmidt of Bloomington, MN; a daughter-in-law, Dorothy Schmidt of Hayden, ID; 29 grand children; fifty-two great-grandchildren; five great great-grandchildren; two brothers, Harold and Donald Avery both of Oregon; four sisters, Loretta Stenehjem of Kingman, AZ, Irene Pendleton of Cresent City, CA, Alvina Urban of Spokane, WA, and Marge Damer of San Leandro, CA and numerous nieces and nephews.

Estella, the eldest of 14 children, was born April 9, 1908, in Equality Township, Williams County, the daughter of Frank and Elizabeth (Dahmen) Avery. She was raised in Equality Township and attended school at Ray. As a young woman, she worked for various farmers in the area, cooking and taking care of children.
On Nov. 2, 1927, she was united in marriage with William August "Bill" Schmidt at Wildrose. They farmed and raised their family west of Tioga in Tioga Township. They enjoyed music. Bill played the violin and Stella played the piano at church and also at home. Bill passed away suddenly in 1952. Stella continued to live on the farm and raise her family.
She moved into Tioga in 1969, and worked as a teacher's aide at Tioga Central Grade School for several years, where she enjoyed the young children. She was very proud of the fact that all 12 of her children graduated from high school.
Stella entered the Tioga Assisted Living Facility in 1999. Since June 2001, she had been a patient in Swing Bed at Mercy Medical Center in Williston.
Stella was a 70-year member of the Tioga American Legion Post No. 139 Auxiliary. She also was a member of the Williams County Council on Aging, Tioga Senior Citizens, and the United Cemetery Board. She was an active member of First Lutheran Church in Tioga, where she had served as a Sunday school teacher, on the church council and had been president of the A.L.C.W.

Stella had a very strong faith and she often said she could not have raised her children alone without God's help.
Her hobbies included making rugs on a weaving loom, crocheting doilies and afghans, quilting at the church, reading and playing the piano. She enjoyed playing the piano at the Tioga Nursing home until the age of 92. Her grandchildren will long remember her gingersnap cookies and nector.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son, Delbert; a daughter-in-law, Darlene Schmidt; a son-in-law, Robert Oversen; three granddaughters, Debra, Shelly and Gwendolyn; six brothers, Leonard, Raymond, Wally, Joseph, Francis and Herb; and a sister, Lorrainne.