Cyndi Schill

Cyndi Schill, 59, of Walhalla, ND, passed away Saturday, September 19, 2020, at the Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Boniface Catholic Church, Walhalla, ND. Visitation will be held Friday, September 25, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service at the church. Due to the number of family, attendance at the prayer service and funeral will be limited. People are welcome to join the family at the St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday for the graveside service. Use of masks and social distancing is recommended.

Cynthia Mary Gapp was born January 2, 1961, to Lawrence and Carol Gapp.  Being the first daughter and second of nine children, she was fortunate to grow up surrounded by eight best friends.    During her youth in Walhalla, North Dakota, she developed a love for the outdoors and had many adventures with cousins on the Gapp family farm.  

In 1979 she graduated from Walhalla High School and her passion for helping others led her to follow her mother’s footsteps and pursue a nursing degree at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN.  With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in hand, she moved back to Walhalla in 1984 and spent time with IBI during the ADM Ethanal plan revamp before joining the Pembina County Memorial Hospital as a Registered Nurse (RN).  After several years as an RN, Cyndi branched out and worked in dental anesthesia in Langdon, ND.  She returned to the Pembina hospital and over a span of 30 years, spent her life comforting and healing those in the area she called home. 

Cyndi had the unique ability to build a connection with someone in just one meeting.  Her warmth, charm, and grace left those around her with a feeling of instant comfort.  She was a gifted nurse and with her extensive knowledge, aced the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) exam.   She became an instructor at Altru and spent many years impacting the lives of hundreds of students.  In addition to teaching and working at the hospital, she applied her extensive trauma experience at the Emergency Department at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Fargo, ND.  Throughout her career, Cyndi took care of several communities along the I29 interstate and built countless friendships with co-workers, students, and patients. 

While Cyndi found her calling in a nursing career, her true life’s work was her family.  On November 22, 1988 she met Larry Schill at the altar of St. Boniface Catholic Church and together, before God, they vowed a commitment to one another.  Over the years, they welcomed six beautiful children into the world, who Cyndi would proudly call her "Schill Six Pack" - Kateri, Sebastian, Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, and Alexandria. Cyndi treasured and embraced her children and could often be found with a camera in hand, capturing the special events of her family and others.   The rest of us have yet to solve the mystery of how she could work a long shift and still find the time and energy to make a delicious family meal.  The memory of her in the kitchen with a smile on her face, and the familiar smell of Caramel Rolls in the air, will forever be held dear. 

Cyndi was an adventurer and loved kayaking down the Pembina river.  She would often tell tales of her favorite journey to Ireland, where she developed her love of all things Irish.  Out of a love for gardening (or a desperate attempt to feed a family of eight) she developed a knack for growing every vegetable imaginable and was quick to share canned and baked goodies across the whole town of Walhalla. Cyndi also shared her beautiful singing voice and would often be caught dancing and singing to one of her favorite songs.  

Cyndi simply loved to love on people. She was a woman of many gifts and used her talents to selflessly serve others.   She would sew special costumes, alter clothes with little notice, heal aches and pains, provide a shoulder for tears, and was there with a wink and smile when you needed to laugh.  We will remember her warmth, her energy, and love for life, and she will live on in the memories of her we hold in our hearts.

Cynthia will be forever remembered by her parents, Carol and Lawrence Gapp; husband, Larry; siblings: Phillip (Angie), Lisa (Kent), Christopher (Jackie), Michael (Debbie), Maria, Sharon (Jim), Lawrence (Paula), Bridget (Zach); and her many nieces and nephews. She also lives on in the reflection of her six children: Kateri, Sebastian (Tricia), Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, and Alexandria.