Christopher Schmeling, age 62 of Emmetsburg, passed away on Tuesday, March 31 in Emmetsburg. Funeral Services will be 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 4, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Emmetsburg. Visitation will be from 1:30 until the time of service at the church.
Christopher Schmeling, the son of Willard and Glenyce (Maaland) Schmeling, was born on March 8, 1964 in Emmetsburg, Iowa. He graduated from Emmetsburg High School in 1982. Christopher married Gayle Ann Shearer in October 1988, they were later divorced. Two children were born of this marriage. Christopher married Tanya Halverson in September 2004, they were later divorced. Chris gained four step-children of this marriage and his family continued to grow. Chris loved his family deeply.
Christopher worked as a maintenance supervisor at the Wild Rose Casino. Previous to that, he worked at Lakeside, managing maintenance and spent many years at SkyJack in Emmetsburg. Chris was a dedicated employee and took much pride in his work. He was a volunteer firefighter for nearly a decade in previous years. Chris spent much of his time traveling thousands of miles, without really going anywhere, driving gravel roads in Palo Alto County. He enjoyed fishing and gardening. Chris was the first to arrive to help someone in need and although he wouldn’t show it, it was his greatest pleasure. He was a loyal son and servant to his parents. Chris recently discovered the Amtrack train, had taken a couple trips on it and was enthused by seeing all the places it could go. Chris’s grandchildren were the light of his life and he enjoyed spending his time with them.
Left to cherish Christopher’s memory are his children, Tyler (Raelyn) Schmeling of Pleasant Hill and Molli (Aaron Blachuta) Schmeling of Wayne, OH; step-children Andrew (Rachel) Steffen of Spencer, Adam (Jenny) Steffen of Ruthven, Benjamin (Holly) Halverson of Sanborn, and Elizabeth Duitsman of Waterloo; grandchildren Luke, Hunter, Stella, Lyla, and Tucker Schmeling and Blaiden, Brantley, and Benson Blachuta; parents, Willard and Glenyce Schmeling of Emmetsburg; and brothers, Michael (Teri) Schmeling of Emmetsburg and Scott (Amy) Schmeling of Spirit Lake. He was preceded in death by his grandparents; Glen and Charlene Maaland and Otto and Norma Schmeling.
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