Lance Schmitz

Funeral services for Lance Schmitz were held on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at the Prairie View Gospel Barn in Gregory, SD, with Pastor Russ Grim officiating.

Music was provided by Katie and Leana, accompanied by Becky Alford, pianist. Janice Hogrefe was song leader for the congregational hymns.

Candace Alford, Charmaine Umberger, Angie Petersen, and Pam Biernbaum were in charge of registration. Flower attendants were Nancy and Aspyn McKenzie and Karen and Katelyn Painter.

Casket bearers were Marcus Schmitz, Jared Schmitz, Joel Schmitz, Julian Paulson, Eric Dickens, and Brian Umberger. Honorary casket bearers were Lance’s camping family and his SYC family.

Burial was in the Rosebud Cemetery in Bonesteel, SD. Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Lance Curtis Schmitz was born on November 15, 1978, to Vic and Leana (Umberger) Schmitz in Burke, SD.

Lance lived north of Bonesteel, SD, on a ranch until he was seven years old. His dad stopped ranching in 1986 to go back to college. In 1989, they moved to Yankton, SD, and in 1991 they moved to Burke, SD. Lance attended school in Burke from sixth grade until he graduated in May of 1998.

Lance met his wife Brenda in January of 1997, and they were married on July 18, 1998.

Lance and Brenda moved to Norfolk, NE, where Lance attended Northeast Community College and majored in building construction. He graduated in May of 2000. Lance and Brenda then moved to Randolph, NE, where he started his career in drywall. In August of 2001, they welcomed Jasmine Rose into the world.

In August 2007, Lance, Brenda, and Jasmine moved to Fairfax, SD, where Lance started his drywall company. Many houses in the area, including his grandmother’s, his parents’, and his sister’s houses, showcase his many drywall talents. As a last labor of love for his family, and wanting to be a part of the finished product of his sister’s home (formerly his own), he finished the home in October of 2023. He felt such a sense of accomplishment.

Lance’s other loves in life included hunting, camping, Husker football, and mission trips to Arkansas. One of his greatest joys was getting to share his love of hunting and his love of God with young special needs hunters through the SYC organization.

Lance and Brenda were avid campers, rarely missing any weekends in the summertime. They enjoyed camping so much they decided to live in their camper. During their many years of camping and SYC, they met many friends who became family.

Another passion of Lance’s were his mission trips to Arkansas. He went several times and met many wonderful people there. One of Jasmine’s favorite memories with her dad was in 2019 when they went to Arkansas and served the Lord together.

In September of 2022 during his cancer battle, God brought Lance’s emotional support dog Ellie into their lives. When Lance was in the ER and at chemotherapy, Ellie was by his side.

He passed away at the age of 45 after a long, courageous battle with cancer, on January 22, 2024.

He is survived by his wife Brenda; their daughter Jasmine Goeglein (Alex); his dog Ellie; grandmother Kate Umberger; parents Vic and Leana Schmitz; siblings: Christen Dickens (Eric), Marcus Schmitz (Nicole), Jared Schmitz (Alisa), Joel Schmitz (Jaque), and Katie Paulson (Julian); in-laws: grandmother Dorothy Hejl, parents Ken and Ruth Giedd, Nancy McKenzie, Karen Painter (Randy), and Brian Giedd; many nieces and nephews; one great-nephew; aunts; uncles; many cousins; and many, many friends.

Lance was preceded in death by grandparents Ivan J. Umberger and Clarence and Mary Schmitz; uncles Mike Schmitz and Gary Umberger; aunt Rita Umberger; and niece Alexa McKenzie.