Ramona Schroepfer (Underdahl)
June 10, 1929 – August 10, 2020
Age 91, of Crystal, MN, passed away on August 10th at Methodist Hospital after a brief, courageous battle with colon cancer. Ramona was born to Martin and Johanna (Gotenberg) Underdahl on her parent’s farm near Makoti, North Dakota on June 10th, 1929. Ramona was preceded in death by parents, siblings: Gertrude, Gladys, Millie, Pearl, Ralph, Kenny, and Vi, nieces and nephews, husband Al R. Schroepfer, and infant son, Richard. Ramona is survived by sons Daniel A. Schroepfer, Jeffrey M. Schroepfer (Melinda), grandson Evan Schroepfer, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Ramona and her siblings grew up on land near Makoti, ND that her mother, Johanna, homesteaded in her early twenties with the help of her brother, Christian Gotenberg, who arrived from Norway a few years prior to Johanna. After her father, Martin’s, death in 1936, Ramona and her siblings rallied to help Johanna keep the farm and weather the depths of the depression. She shared many stories from this era and was proud of her humble beginnings.
Ramona attended the Underdahl one-room grade school and Ryder, ND High School, and graduated from Minot High School in 1947. She taught at the Hovde one-room schoolhouse near Plaza, ND then worked at Woolworth and NSP in Minot before attending Minot Business College.
Ramona married Al Schroepfer on October 18th, 1952 in Skokie, IL. They made their home in Minot where Ramona worked at American State Bank and Bremer Bank before she and Al moved to Crystal, MN in 1961 for Al to take a job with McKesson Robbins Drug Company. They raised their family in Crystal, MN but often traveled back to the Minot and Ryder ND areas to visit family and friends. Ramona was an active member of Elim Lutheran Church of Robbinsdale, MN and enjoyed many close bonds with friends and neighbors in the Crystal area for the past 59 years.
Ramona was proud of her Norwegian heritage. Her family cherishes the many Norwegian foods (including lutefisk and lefse) and Christmas traditions she made sure to pass on to them. She also enjoyed traveling with friends and family around the US and in Europe. She was particularly fond of her trips to Norway where she was able to visit her mother’s birthplace in Bruflot, spend time with Al’s extended Norwegian family in Trondheim, and visit Undredal where her father’s parents were born and where virtually every area resident is a distant cousin.
A socially distanced memorial service is scheduled for September 9th at 2:00 PM at Elim Lutheran Church located at 40th and West Broadway in Robbinsdale, MN. A socially distanced graveside service is scheduled for September 12th at 2:00 PM at Rosehill Cemetery in Minot, ND. Memorials can be sent directly to the Salvation Army of MN or ND.