Eleanor Carol Schemmel

INWOOD, IOWA ~ Eleanor Carol (Hemness) Schemmel, 94, of Inwood, Iowa died on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at Fellowship Village in Inwood.

   Memorial Service will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 28, 2023, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Inwood with Pastor Sue Sinclair and Pastor Trish Underberg officiating. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:00 a.m. and also at the luncheon following the service.

   The Porter Funeral Home in Inwood is assisting the family. The service will be livestreamed on Eleanor's obituary page. The family requests memorials be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Inwood or St. Croix Hospice.

   Eleanor Carol (Hemness) Schemmel was born on July 4, 1928, to Cernie and Eva Hemness in Inwood, Iowa. She attended grade school and graduated from Inwood High School in 1947. After graduation, she attended Nettleton Business College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During high school she fell in love with Richard (Dick) Schemmel. They were married on March 26, 1950 and spent an incredible 72 years together and were each other’s best friend through all of life's ups and downs. Their love and dedication for each other was a true inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of witnessing it.

   Together Eleanor and Dick had 3 children to make up their loving family, Steven E, Kandiss Kay, and Todd Steven. Eleanor worked at West Lyon Community School for 23 years as secretary for the Superintendent of the school. And then when she retired from there she worked as secretary for Bethlehem Lutheran Church for 21 years.

   Possessing a true servant’s heart, Eleanor faithfully cared for family and friends through delicious cooking/baking from scratch, sewing and crafting. She was a woman of faith and the heart of our family, Eleanor shaped our spirituality by her tireless Christian example, and also through various church groups and activities. We remember Eleanor's passion for her family; shopping for clothes and snagging bargains at garage sales, having her grandchildren come for the summers, special days, going for drives, play games/cards – especially with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, chat with friends and family, and travel to see those special people in her life .…just to name a few. All of which is encompassed by immense love and genuine admiration that only grew stronger over the years among both family and lifelong friends.

   She will be greatly missed but left an incredible legacy to us all. We will hold our memories close to our hearts and find comfort in the lovebirds' exuberant reunion in Heaven, holding hands sitting on a couch, exactly where they belong.

   She is survived by her daughter, Kandiss Anderson; grandchildren, Lauran (Christian) LoPrimo, Tyler (Mary) Twombley, Lindsey (Mike Slaton) Twombley, Victoria Anderson, and Erik Anderson; great-grandchildren, Benjamin LoPrimo, Connor Twombley, and Sebastian LoPrimo; numerous nieces and nephews; and many wonderful friends.

   Eleanor was predeceased by her loving husband of 72 years, Richard (Dick) Schemmel. She was also predeceased by her sons, Steven E. Schemmel and Todd Steven Schemmel; grandson, Todd Twombley; parents, Cernie and Eva; two sisters, Crystal (Jerry) Howard and Leota (Bud) Madland; brother, Glenn (Lois) Hemness; sister-in-law, Betty (Fred) Bol; brothers–in-law, Merle (Margaret) Schemmel and Bill (Shirley) Schemmel.