Amelia "Amy" Mary (Klein) Schmalz

Amelia “Amy” Mary (Klein) Schmalz

Amelia “Amy” Mary (Klein) Schmalz, 81, was a caring wife, mother, sister, and friend. She left this world, while surrounded by her family, to be in heaven on July 2, 2021.

She and her identical twin were born September 28, 1939, to Leo Sr. and Teresa (Schumacher) Klein at the family’s farm near Dodge, North Dakota. Amy graduated from Dodge High School in 1957, where she was on the cheer team and briefly attended Dickinson State University. Amy met her lifelong sweetheart, Pius G. Schmalz of Fayette, North Dakota, on a blind date to a rainy-day Easter Monday Dance, complete with car trouble. After two years of going steady, she and Pius were married on June 15, 1959, at St. Martin’s Catholic Church near Dodge. The couple celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary just before her passing.

The newlyweds began their adventure on Pius’s family farm, followed by moves to Dickinson, Rapid City, and Minot while they began raising a family of five children: George, Marchell, Timothy, Arlen, and Kathryn. They were eventually led to Billings, Montana, in 1967, where they settled.

Amy is best known as being creative, giving, generous, gentle, and kind. She loved to have her hands in the dirt tending to her house plants and vegetable and flower gardens. A classy lady, often wearing a scarf to cover her neck, she will be dearly missed as our mother and as our father’s beloved sweetheart. She will be forever remembered by her children, grandkids, and great-grandkids for teaching knitting, quilting, and pie making. Seldom to ever be heard criticizing another, Mom was a great neighbor, trusted friend, and women of faith who inspired many to be better people.

Amy is survived by her husband and four children, George (Misuk Kim) of Billings, Marchell (Charles) Mahoney of Carson City, Nevada, Arlen (Sandra) of Houston, Texas, and Kathy (Martin) Henderson of Butte, Montana; 13 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; her sisters, Genevieve Klein of Carpinteria, California, Cecelia Milisch of Greenfield, Wisconsin, and Rosemary (Alvin) Glaser of Bismarck, North Dakota; and her brother, Joseph (Patricia) Klein of Mandan, North Dakota.

She will be welcomed into Heaven by her son, Tim (Heidi); grandson, James Schmalz; sister, Anna (Jack) Kathrein; and brothers, John (Betty) Klein and Leo Jr. (Alberta) Klein.

Vigil services will be 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary, 1001 Alderson Ave., Billings. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, at St. Bernard Catholic Church, 226 Wicks Lane, Billings. Committal will follow at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 9, at Calvary Cemetery located near St Pius X Parish, 717 18th St. West, Billings.

Contributions may be made to the following in memory of Amy Schmalz: Donate to a Child in Need – Help Families in Poverty - Unbound or by check to Unbound, PO Box 219114, Kansas City, MO 64121 with "In memory of Amy Schmalz" in the memo line.