Allen Schanz

Allen Schanz, 85, of Langdon, ND passed away Monday, June 13, 2016 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND.

Allen Robert Schanz was born on March 10, 1931 to Jacob Schanz and Martha (Ertmann) Schanz on the family farm near Alsen, ND. He was educated in a rural one room school in Gordon Township. His help was needed on the family farm so he was only able to attend through the 8th grade. Allen repaired neighbors’ equipment in their family shop on the farm.

When he was 20 years old he was drafted in the Army on January 17, 1952. He served as a Private with the Medical Division close to the front lines from 1952 to 1953 until the Korean War ended. He received the Korean Service Medal W/2 Bronze Service Stars, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged on December 12, 1953 and released to the Army Reserve in Camp Carson in Colorado. He served in the reserve for 8 years but was never called up for active duty again.

After discharge from the Army he worked for a sugar beet farmer in East Grand Forks, MN and then enrolled in Hanson Auto Mechanics School in Fargo, ND. He met the love of his life, Joyce Hermanson, at a roller skating rink in Alsen, ND, and they married on October 26, 1956 in Hampden, ND. Allen purchased a farmstead seventeen miles southwest of Langdon on the day they were married and surprised Joyce with it after the ceremony. When Joyce would ask him which was the best decision, he wouldn't say. They later built a new house on the same farm. They grew wheat, canola, sunflowers, flax, barley, and later joined his brothers and nephew in the farming business. He spent many hours drying grain and also worked for area farmers doing custom crop spraying.

Early in their married years, they went to hear an evangelist speak at their church and felt led to accept Christ as their personal Savior, which became a very important part of their life together through the years. It was very common to have the whole family singing hymns and choruses together in the car as they traveled.

In 1962 Allen and Joyce formed Easy Way Inc., a fertilizer and chemical business, with his sister, Eleanor, and her husband, Donald Roder. In later years they purchased the business from the Roders and added electronics when their sons Roger and David joined them in the business. Son-in-law Kent, daughter-in-law Sheila and grandson Barry later joined employment in the business.

Allen enjoyed trapshooting and bowling where he won many awards. He encouraged Joyce and all of his children to occasionally participate in the trapshooting tournaments. He also enjoyed golfing, fishing trips with his family and friends, boating, water skiing, photography as a hobby, playing pinochle and other card games and board games with his family and friends, driving around checking the grain fields, and later took lessons to fly an airplane over his crops. He also had a great sense of humor. Allen was a member of the American Legion.

Surviving Allen are his wife, Joyce, of Langdon; their children: son Roger (Sheila) Schanz of Langdon, daughter Julie (David) Dahl of LaCrosse, WI, daughter Deanna (Kent) Hummel of Bismarck, daughter Karen (Daniel) Robertson of Billings, MT and son David (Tammy Barron) of Langdon, ND; grandchildren: Barry (Lindsey Anderson) Schanz of St. Thomas, ND, Heather (Aaron) Cepek of Salt Lake City, UT, Nicole (Lucas) Korish of LaCrosse, WI, Kendra (Jaz) Pinca of Irvine, CA, Lauren (Nick) Claerbout of Elko, NV, Matthew (Sarah) Dahl of LaCrosse, WI, Wade Hummel of Bismarck, Natasha (Alex) Marohl of Fargo, Joshua Dahl of LaCrosse, WI, Nicholas Hummel of Grand Forks, Jade Schanz of Moorhead, MN, Deidra Schanz of Langdon, and Danielle, Sarah and Erin Robertson of Billings, MT; great-grandchildren: Hailey, Hannah and Heidi Korish of LaCrosse, WI, Malakai Schanz of Belcourt, SvetLana Hummel of Bismarck, Olivia and Hadden Claerbout of Elko, NV, Ira Cepek of Salt Lake City, UT and Ian Dahl of LaCrosse, WI; siblings: LeRoy Schanz, Eleanora Roder, Dorothy Clark, Doris Bowser and Orlin (Cheri) Schanz; sister-in-law: Myriam Ingulsrud; brothers-in-law: Clarence Hermanson and Curtis (Puring) Hermanson; and many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws Herman Hermanson and Agnes (Bjorland, Hermanson) Borg, and step-father in-law Oscar Borg; brothers-in-law: Edwin Bowser, Donald Roder, Gordon Clark, and Arnold Ingulsrud; and sisters-in-law Alice (Bernard) Hermanson, Betty (Hermanson) Ingulsrud, Ilene (Melland, Fischer) Schanz, Grace (Penner) Schanz, and Luella (Tollefson) Hermanson.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at Emmanuel Evangelical Church in Langdon, ND. Visitation will take place from 5-7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Friday, June 17, 2016 at Brooks Funeral Home in Langdon, ND and for one hour prior to service time at the church on Saturday. Interment will be at Lebanon Cemetery, Langdon, ND.