Lorraine Edith Scharmer

Lorraine E. Scharmer, age 82, of Litchfield died on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at the Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at the First Lutheran Church in Litchfield with Pastors Bob Dahl and Christa Forsyth officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00PM until 8:00 PM on Friday, February 18th at the First Lutheran Church and will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Lake Ripley Cemetery. Memorials may be given to First Lutheran Church or Litchfield Area Community Hospice. Lorraine Edith Scharmer, the daughter of Anthony and Edith (Burns) Sjolinder, was born on October 9, 1928, in Glendive, MT. Her family moved to St. Paul when she was a young girl. Lorraine was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Faith. She grew up in St. Paul and received her education there, graduating from Central High School in 1946. She continued her education at Gustavus Adolphus, graduating in 1950. After college she worked for a short period at Northwest Airlines. On January 24, 1953, she was united in marriage to Roland Scharmer in St. Paul. They moved to Litchfield and made the community not only their home, but part of their life. She was an active member of the Litchfield Lioness Club, Hospital Auxiliary, and was a past Girl Scout Leader. She also was chairperson for the Blood Mobile and helped organize it for many years. She fulfilled her civic duties to the community by being an election judge for nearly 50 years. She was an active member of First Lutheran Church volunteering her talents in many ways. Growing up in the depression era gave her a sense of thankfulness, humility and a quiet compassion for others. These qualities were lived out daily in her role as wife, mother and grandmother. She devoted herself to family gatherings and activities and enjoyed travelling with Roland. Experiences in life also enabled her to find the good in things, and she used her dry sense of humor to liven conversations and keep them positive. She adopted a love for sports through the activities of her children and their friends. She kept this fondness for sports throughout her life and was an avid fan of Twins baseball. She also enjoyed morning coffee with her friends and playing bridge. Lorraine is survived by her children, Mark (and Meg) Scharmer of Lakeville, Neal (and Kathy) Scharmer of Cedar Rapids, IA, Karen (and Mike) Hendrickson of Albert Lea and Paul (and Amanda) Scharmer of Leawood, KS, eight grandchildren; John and Lauren Scharmer, Christina and Alexandra Scharmer, Katelyn and Tyler Hendrickson and Laura and Daniel Scharmer. She is also survived by a sister-in-law Irene Scharmer of Hutchinson and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and husband Roland. Previous Events Visitation Friday, February 18, 2011 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM First Evangelical Lutheran Church 703 Sibley Avenue S Litchfield, MN 55355 Visitation Saturday, February 19, 2011 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM First Lutheran Church 703 South Sibley Avenue Litchfield, MN 55355 Visitation Saturday, February 19, 2011 11:30 AM Riplely Cemetery 316 Sibley Avenue South Litchfield, MN 55355