William “Bill” F. Schiwal died on Sunday, August 1, 2021 at Sanford Medical Center, Bismarck. Bill’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Friday, August 6, 2021 at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Dickinson with Msgr. Thomas Richter as celebrant. Interment will take place at St. Elizabeth’s Cemetery, Lefor. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Ladbury Funeral Service with a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.
William F. Schiwal was born on a smokey, hazy day on August 23, 1935 in Dickinson, the son of Anton and Susan (Dassinger) Schiwal. He said he went in on a hazy smokey day and would be going on the same. He grew up on a farm five miles east of Lefor.
Played basketball for the Lefor Leopards and gained the nickname Speedy. He recalled playing games on the stage of May Hall at DSU before they had enough basketball courts in the area. One of the many stories he told about his childhood was of the time he and one of his brothers pulled 18 skunks from under a grain elevator on the farm to take to Junk and Skunks in Dickinson. They were paid six dollars apiece. He said they weren’t allowed in school and everything they touched smelled of skunk, but that year they had the best Christmas ever.
He met the love of his life, Pauline Schuld in 1955, while out dancing in Dickinson. Their first date was at a Kirwie, a Hungarian Fall Festival and dance in Lefor. Their second date was on New Year’s Eve, when it rained and froze so much that he had to take his future wife Polly home in the only four-wheel drive vehicle available, a silage wagon. Bill and Polly fell deeply in love and were wed at St. Stephen’s on June 17, 1958. They began their family in 1959 with the birth of their first of many children. After which time they moved to Dickinson.
In 1980, Bill moved his family to Belfield. He took over for MDU as district rep and managed electric and gas services from South Heart to Medora. If the power went out at 2 a.m. in a 40 degree below blizzard, he was the person who went out to locate and fix the problem. He retired after 30 years of service. He was very involved in St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Belfield and enjoyed singing in the choir with his wife.
When not working, Bill spent time woodcarving. He taught at summer programs in Missoula and Bozeman on their college campuses. He was a master woodcarver and people would travel far and near to purchase his waterfowl carvings. As his eye’s and hands became more unsteady, he began carving beautiful mirror frames and shelves, and wooden ornaments to give away to family, and friends and acquaintances.
Bill and Polly became residents of Edgewood Hawks Point in 2017. After several years of battling various illnesses, Polly was taken to heaven on Jan. 19, 2020.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife; his parents; his son, James Schiwal; three blessed children lost in infancy: Marie, Danielle Marie and William Joseph; and brothers, Edward and Leo Schiwal.
He is survived by his children, Duane (Lela) Schiwal, Gerald Schiwal, Thomas (Melody) Schiwal, Susan (Rex) Jacobsen, Russell (Elizabeth) Schiwal, Manette (Jesse) Obrigewitch, Carol (Scott) Somerville, Christine (Todd) Wieneke, and Paula (Rodney) Mongold; as well as 20 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-great- grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Assumption Abbey in Richardton.
