Dennis Jack Schiele

Dennis J. "Whitey" Schiele, 67 of Devils Lake, ND passed away on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester MN.

Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Sunday, January 7, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. with a time of Prayer and Remembrance at 6:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church with Reverend JoHanna Buchholz officiating. The burial will be in the Devils Lake Cemetery.

Dennis Jack Schiele was born on September 24, 1956, to Jack and Katherine (Bachmeier) Schiele in Devils Lake, ND. He was raised on a family farm in Noonan Township. He attended Crary Public School from Kindergarten until twelfth grade, graduating with the class of 1974.

Dennis began his career at Hardees as an Assistant Manager and helped open new franchises in Jamestown, ND, Hastings, MN, and La Crosse, WI. In 1979, he transitioned to farming in Noonan Township and dedicated 44 years of his life to this profession and passion.

In December of 1979, Dennis was united in marriage to Cindy Burt, and they were blessed with two children Heather and Tyler. In 1980, they purchased the Southam Bar where they lived and worked for five years until it was destroyed by a fire. They then moved to the farmstead in Noonan Township.

During his leisure time, Dennis enjoyed hunting (Deer, antelope, bear, coyotes, sandhill cranes, ducks, and geese). He looked forward to visits from friends and neighbors on his deck at Bayview Campground and trips to town to go “shopping” but stopping to “shoot the bull” with anyone he came across in his travels. He and Cindy enjoyed three winters in Arizona after retiring from farming.

Dennis was a volunteer firefighter for the Devils Lake Rural Fire Department for 40 years. He was a member of the Southam Snowmobile Club, Devils Lake Elks, the Doyon Lutheran Church and after moving to Devils Lake Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Dennis was an avid Firebirds fan, but his greatest joy was cheering on his six precious grandchildren. Anyone who knew Dennis knew he was an avid collector of everything.

Dennis was the recipient of a double lung transplant on July 31^st and kidney transplant on August 1^st of 2023. Despite facing numerous challenges, he displayed tremendous courage and resilience, battling for over 150 days with the unwavering love and support of his family. While the stay was long, it was made enjoyable thanks to the visits from family and friends and the compassionate and caring staff at Mayo Clinic, St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. In the end, it was Dennis’s decision to put his health into God’s hands.

Dennis’s loving family include his devoted wife Cindy; daughter Heather Johnson, Devils Lake; son Tyler Schiele and his wife Emily of Crary; grandchildren Tristan, Lucas, Kynlee, Tucker and Bo; sister Jolene (Jerrold) Kostecki, Devils Lake; mother-in-law Charlotte Burt, also Devils lake; sisters-in-law Kathy (Jim) Albrecht, Motley, MN and Lori (Jerry) Hahn, Devils Lake; brother-in-law Bob Lee, Fergus Falls, MN and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He will join in Heaven his Lord and Savior, his parents Jack and Kate, grandson Oliver Johnson, sister JoAnn Lee and father-in-law Gary Burt.