Marie Schirmacher Berry, age 86 of Chaska, passed away on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
A celebration of Marie’s life will be held on Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 2 PM, with time of gathering beginning at 1:30 PM, all at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 104 1 st St W, Jordan.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will be donated by the family to Southern Valley Alliance.
Marie Anna Schirmacher Berry was born on July 7th, 1936, in Faribault MN to Paul and Ethel (Fremouw) Schirmacher. She graduated from Faribault High School in 1954. She attended Mankato State University for two years. Marie met Jim Berry on a double date with her friend and Jim’s brother. On November 23, 1956 she was united in marriage to James Berry at the First Methodist Church in Faribault. After her children were in school, Marie and Jim moved to St Cloud where she finished her degree at St. Cloud State and graduated in 1970. She became a Physical Education and Health teacher at Sartell High School. She was instrumental in starting the girls’ sports programs at the school and coached volleyball, basketball, and track. She led several volleyball teams to state tournaments, and in 2004 was inducted into the Sartell Coach’s Hall of Fame. She taught at Sartell for 23 years.
Marie always enjoyed playing sports like softball and badminton. She was always there to cheer on her children in their activities and sports.
In 1983 they designed and built a home in rural Avon and loved being surrounded by the woods. Marie and Jim spent summers at their cabin on Norway Lake. They enjoyed fishing, taking their kids waterskiing and boating, relaxing playing cards with friends and family or just reading a book.
After they retired, they split their time between Norway Lake and their home on Lake Travis, near Spicewood Texas. They enjoyed traveling, especially the trips to Australia and Alaska.
Marie was always an artist. She painted many landscapes in oil; did Tole painting on wooden figurines and Christmas ornaments; and in the last few years, teaching painting classes at Senior Centers and Assisted Living Facilities.
Marie fully lived out her life purpose; “to add happiness to my family.”
Marie is survived by her daughters, Diane (Donald) Ostlie of Montevideo and Denise (Scott) Lacher of Jordan ; grandchildren, Nathan (Mariah) Ostlie, Tracy (Nathaniel) Crowley, Beth (Anthony Cozzi) Ostlie, Holly (Jeff) Winslow, Anne (Logan Meilleur) Lacher, Tate Berry, and Coty Harmon; great-grandchildren, Cora and Kyle Ostlie, Jack and Lillian Crowley, Isaac and Lucy Winslow; brother, Roger Schirmacher; niece, Donna Maxwell; and many other relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Berry; son, Michael Berry; parents; Paul and Ethel Schirmacher; and siblings, Alfred Schirmacher and David Schirmacher.
