Services for Jean Schaller, 82, of Groton will be 2 p.m., Monday, Jan. 21 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Groton. The Rev. Craig Grams will officiate. Burial will follow in Groton Union Cemetery, under the direction of Paetznick-Garness Funeral Chapel, Groton.
Visitation was held at the church on Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m., with family present.
Jean passed away Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her family, following a courageous battle with cancer.
Jean Lorraine Christenson was born June 27, 1930, to Frances Grace Quarve Christenson and Oscar Jule Christenson at Britton, S.D. She grew up in the Brampton, N.D., area with her parents and siblings. Jean was confirmed in the Brampton Lutheran Church and graduated from Brampton High School. She attended multiple schools, including the University of Minnesota, earning a BS degree in Medical Technology from Northern State University. She worked at St. Luke's Hospital, Aberdeen, St. Joseph's Hospital, Mitchell, Deaconess and Abbott Hospitals, and Internal Medicine, Ltd, Minneapolis and Vogele Clinic, Aberdeen. In 1966, she married Benny Schaller and they made their home in Groton. After her children graduated from high school, she worked in the Groton and Aberdeen Post Offices. Jean was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, LWML, Christian Literature Circle, Groton Post No. 39 Auxiliary and a charter member of Olive Grove Golf Course.
Jean was a wonderful seamstress and enjoyed making multiple Halloween costumes, skating outfits and horse show clothes. Knitting and crocheting were a very useful past time while in trains, planes and automobiles. She was tech savvy and immensely talented in making DVDs from collected pictures. Her most cherished moments were time spent with grandkids.
Celebrating her life are her husband, Benny, of Groton; daughters: Lisa (Ronnie) Frericks of Northville, Lora (Joseph Patrick) McMahon of Omaha, Neb., Nicole (Travis) Christoffer of Sioux Falls; her granddaughters: Laken, Kalen and Darienne Frericks, Riley Christoffer and Shea McMahon; grandsons: Brennan McMahon, Jace Christoffer and Ben Christoffer. She is also survived by her sister, Marian (Don) Raines of Groton; brothers: Rollin (Dorothy) of Claremont and Bernard (Sally) Christenson of Pierre; and half sister Patricia Kranz Jones of Indianhead Park, Ill.
Honorary casketbearers will be Glenn Cooper, Dick Fliehs, Duane Neumann, Les Hinds, Curtis Sombke and Bill Kurtenbach.
Casketbearers will be Lee Raines, Brad Christenson, David Christenson, Roger Christenson, Steve Schaller, Brad Larson and Scott Christenson.
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