Funeral services for Josephine (Jo) Schmidtgall, age 80, of Mobridge will be at 10:30 AM, Thursday, April 24, 2014 at the UCC Church in Mobridge. Burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be from 4-7 PM Wednesday at the funeral home. Jo passed away Monday, April 21, 2014 at Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family.

Josephine (Jo) Schmidtgall was born on April 27, 1933 to Jacob and Johanna (Wald) Huft at Bowdle. She was baptized and confirmed at St. JohnLutheranChurch in Bowdle. She attended a rural country school until her parents retired and moved into town, where she attended and graduated from BowdleHigh School with the class of 1951. She attended NorthernState for six weeks to obtain a teaching certificate.

On June 8, 1952 she was united in marriage to Clarence Schmidtgall at St. John Lutheran Church in Bowdle. They made their home on his parents farm until 1958 when they purchased the late Clarence Anderson farm, where they ranched and operated a dairy farm with their children. For many years Jo would raise three to four hundred chickens and with the help of her children they would dress and deliver freezer ready and many times there were more orders than chickens. In August of 1988 they moved their home from the farm and despite total knee replacement in 1987 Jo went to work at the Mobridge Tribune until 1992, when she started babysitting, going into the parents home. Jo didn't only baby-sit, she did the laundry, baked angel food cakes and moms would come home and find a kettle full of knoepfle soup ready for supper. It was said "when you see Jo, you would see her babysitting kids with her." She was proud of her babysitting kids and treated them as her own. She also clerked for Droogs Auction and when she was asked how long have you done this, her answer would be, "Don't remember it has been so long."

She was a member of the U.C.C.Church, were she served on the Board of Deacons many years, was Secretary of The Couples Club, and Treasurer of the Couples Club, served on the A.A.R.P. Board as a director and a member of the Women's Fellowship. You would never hear Jo say No when called upon for food or working for a funeral, her first question would be, "How can I help you."

She kept busy crocheting afghans, embroidering baby quilts, and enjoyed playing cards with her friends.

Jo is survived by two daughters; JoAnne (Leonard) Deibert of Redfield, Connie (Dale) Fiedler of Redfield, two sons; Dean (Jean) Schmidtgall of Gettysburg, and Doug (Barb) of Watertown. Four grandchildren and four great grandchildren, two sisters; Tillie Eisenbeisz of Aberdeen, Helen Bieber of Mobridge. Also surviving are Jo's special babysitting kids; Sarah, Grace, Stone, Hilary, Haley, Hudson, Hayden, Jace, Stryker, Cruz, Kanter, and Hailey.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clarence, five brothers; Jake, Adam, David, Henry and Philip, one sister; Mary Sandmeier, nephew; Kerry Huft, and niece; Rebecca Eisenbeisz.