Cathleen Elayne Schnell (Sheelar)
Born June 27, 1955, the daughter of Charles & Clarice Sheelar, Cathy was raised on the family farm in Ruso, ND. Cathy graduated from Butte High School in 1973. She married Dick (Rick) Schnell on October 11, 1974. They were happily married for 51 years.
Cathy worked at the Minot Vocational Workshop for 32 years, retiring in April 2013. She was known for her dedication to her family, love of raccoons, willingness to always provide a helping hand to those in need, and a consistent smile that lit up every room she was in. Cathy and Dick lived in Minot from 1976 until 2013, when they moved to Rochester, MN, to be closer to their grandchildren.
Cathy passed away in her sleep on April 24, 2026, at the age of 70.
She was preceded in death by her parents, in-laws Dick & Marian Schnell, son Richard Charles Schnell, brother Curtis Sheelar, and brother-in-law Harold Lovro. She is survived by her husband Dick, son Michael, daughter-in-law Corissa, and grandchildren Madden (15) and Medora (11). She is also survived by her sister Cheryl Lovro (Harold), brother Calvin Sheelar, sister Colleen Dimmer (Neal), sister CoAnn Grady (Michael), sister Candace Kassenborg (Kirby), sister-in-law Ramona Sheelar (Curtis), and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at Bread of Life Lutheran Church, 1415 17th Ave. SW, Minot, ND, on May 8th from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm. A family service will be held on May 9th at the Ruso Lutheran Cemetery at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Ruso Lutheran Cemetery (2695 16th Ave NW, Ruso, ND 58778).
