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Lorraine Krueger Schmidt Harder, age 95 of North Branch died on Monday, October 31, 2016 at Ecumen North Branch.

Lorraine was born on July 21, 1921 in Buhl, Minnesota to Henry and Mary (Perusek) Krueger.  Raised in Chisholm, she graduated from high school there in 1939, attended Hibbing Junior College and completed her Bachelor of Science Degree from St. Cloud Teachers College.  In 1943 she was hired to teach elementary grades for North Branch Public Schools.  

In 1944 she married a widower, Elmer Schmidt in the parsonage of St. Gregory’s Catholic Church in North Branch.  They built a home in a rural area close to town and continued to raise Elmer’s two daughters with help from his nearby parents, Elsie and George Schmidt.  
In the following years Lorraine and Elmer added three  children to the family.

After several years as a homemaker, Lorraine returned to work in 1958 as a social worker in the Chisago County Health and Human Services Department specializing in child foster care and adoption placements.  Lorraine and Elmer built a new house on their farm parcel near their first home with much of the work on the project accomplished in the evenings and weekends.

Following the death of Elmer in 1969 she married Frederick Harder of Braham in 1973.  They divorced in 1990 but remained good friends.  
Lorraine retired from county employment in 1984 after 25 years of service.  She continued to live in her home outside North Branch enjoying the woodsy environment of her yard, her apple trees, the visiting birds and deer.  She drew enrichment from reading, music, insightful conversation with friends and with fellow patrons at the Village Bakery and Perkins Restaurant and viewing her favorite television programs on C-Span and PBS.  She greatly enjoyed her ongoing connections with former co-workers more than 30 years after retirement.  In 2010 she moved to Ecumen where she loved to engage in dinner conversations with other residents and helped newcomers in their own transition to apartment living.

Lorraine had many blessings in her life though she’d lived through difficult challenges at times.  Her values of the simplicity of life and appreciation for human diversity and compassion for those in need are gifts she shared with her family.  Her children were grateful that while her body declined in age her mind remained sharp and heart and soul open.

Lorraine is preceded in death by her husbands, Elmer and Fred, her parents and a brother, Gordon.  

She is survived by her son, Murray (Linda) Schmidt of White Bear Lake; daughters, Victoria (David) Miller of Northfield and Elizabeth (David Pesch) Schmidt of Rochester; her stepdaughters, Beverly (Orville) Otterness of North Branch Eleanor (Raymond) Jones of Bloomington; grandchildren, Thomas Anderson, Cynthia Zinnel, Scott Anderson, Cheryl DuBois and Ronald Jones and her nine step great grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 11, 2016 at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in North Branch with Fr. Shane Wasinger officiating.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the mass at church on Friday, November 11.  Interment will follow the service at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in North Branch.

Memorials are preferred to St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, the North Branch High School Alumni Association or Friends of Anderson Park (Isanti County) or plant a tree for yourself—and others—to enjoy for years to come.

The family extends its thanks and Lorraine’s to the staff at Ecumen, Dr. Cox and staff at North Branch Alina Clinic, North Branch Ambulance (Lakes Region EMS) and Cambridge Hospital and the parish and deacons of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church for care and support in recent years.

Arrangements are under the direction of Grandstrand Funeral Home in North Branch.  Condolences maybe left at www.grandstrandfh.com

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