Edward Schaper, 93, Dickinson, died Saturday, March 7, 2015 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dickinson. Edward’s funeral service will be at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 12, 2015 at Ladbury Funeral Service, with Rev. Michael Wolters officiating. Inurnment will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, with military honors provided by the Dickinson Honors Team. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will continue on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Edward Schaper was born Tuesday, July 12, 1921 at Sterling, the son of Fritz R. and Katherine J. (Heideman) Schaper. He was raised and educated in Sterling, and in 1938 he joined the CCC’s and worked with them until 1940. Edward joined the United States Navy in 1940 and served honorably until his discharge as a Water Tender 2nd Class in 1945.
He went to work as a mechanic in Chicago, and following a short time there he returned to North Dakota and continued as a mechanic until 1947. Edward was united in marriage to Bonnie D. Dustin on December 9, 1950 in Bismarck. He went to work for Northwestern Bell in 1947 and at the time of his retirement in 1983, he was a supervisor with outside construction crews. During his time with Bell, he brought one of the first construction crews from Bismarck to put in phone lines. He often joked that they put it in the air, and in the ground with the advancement of technology.
Dad was a man of many talents. Even thou he had a 10th grade formal education, he had the ability to fix about anything. He was a “MacGyver” in his ability to access and engineer a fix or repair. He belonged to the Telephone Pioneers, IOOF (Independent Order of Odd Fellows), and TRARC (Theodore Roosevelt Amateur Radio Club). He enjoyed going hunting and fishing, camping, outdoor activities, and reading.
Edward is survived by his son, John C. (Janice) Schaper, Dickinson; and two grandchildren, Michael Schaper (fiance-Courtney Baer), and Sarah (Mark) Greene. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie on October 19, 2010; his parents; and all 10 siblings, Anna, Emma, Lavina, Louise, Ernest, Henry, Herman, Theodore, Frederick, and Anton.
