Martina Bleth

Funeral Mass for Martina Bleth, 85, of Dickinson will be 10:00 a.m.,  Monday, September 17, 2012 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson with Father Patrick Schumacher celebrating. Burial will follow in St. Joseph’s Cemetery.


Visitation for Martina will be 2:00 p. m. to 6:00 p. m. , Sunday, September 16, 2012 at Stevenson Funeral Home with a prayer service being held at 4:00 p.m.


Martina passed away Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at St. Benedict’s Health Center in Dickinson.


Martina Schafer was born October 7, 1926 where she grew up and attended country school south of Glen Ullin, ND. She was the daughter of Frank and Anna (Lang) Schafer. She met Joseph Bleth at a barn dance and the couple was united in marriage on October 16, 1945, at Scared Heart Catholic Church in Glen Ullin. To this union seven children were born: Marlene, Duane, Ron, Diane, Allen, Janice and Doug. Together they raised their children in the Lehigh area east of Dickinson. Martina cooked at the Eagles Club, Lincoln Elementary School and Dickinson High School. She was a member of the Red Hat Society and the Eagles Club and a volunteer at RSVP for many years. Martina loved to play bingo, dice, cards and any type of board game. In her younger years, she loved to dance. Martina was a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church and was very faithful to her faith; saying the Rosary every day. She loved her children and taught them to work hard; having them help care for the garden which yielded the family’s vegetables. Each year, she would can the produce from her garden and was known to make many wonderful meals for her family. Martina truly enjoyed her family and her face would light up when the grandchildren and great-grandchildren showed up for a visit.


Martina is survived by her sons, Duane (Lynn) of Clarkston, WA, Ron (Shirleen) of Dickinson, and Douglas of Dickinson; daughters, Marlene (Al) Dukart of Fargo, ND, Diane (Jim) Enia of Chandler, AZ, and Janice (Willie) Schneider of Newberg, OR; brothers, Pete (Elvira), Frank (Ellen), and Clem (Betty Mae); 11 grandchildren; three step grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and several step great-grandchildren.


She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Anna Schafer; husband Joseph; son, Allen; two brothers, John and Paul and three sisters, Helen Erhart, Josephine Bailey, and Clara Plunkett.


Click to View Program (PDF)


Burial Date: September 17, 2012
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND

Funeral Mass: Monday: St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson, ND