Obituary: Bonnie Schindel

Bonnie Schindel, age 69, died at home Sunday, Jan. 29, of complications caused by VHL Syndrome, a genetic disorder which produces tumors and cysts on many vital organs of the body as well as other regions of the body.

Bonnie was born and grew up on a farm in northwest North Dakota. She began her education in a one-room, rural school near Ross, ND, where she would ride her Shetland pony to school, weather permitting.

While attending high school, she would stay the week with her uncle and aunt in Stanley, ND, and return home to the farm on weekends. She graduated from Stanley High School in 1960 and then attended Jamestown College in Jamestown, N.D. where she met the love of her life, Elmer Schindel. They married in 1963. Bonnie then went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in 1964 with her focus on elementary education. She was able to teach for two years before her battle with VHL began. 

Their daughter, LoriAnn was born in 1965 and lost her own personal battle with VHL in 2003. To minimize the risk of passing on the mutated gene they chose to adopt their son, Jay, in 1968.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her daughter, LoriAnn; her parents, Stanley and Harriet Prochaska, of Stanley, ND; her niece, Tracy Prochaska of Minot, ND; and her sister, Janice Jeffrey of Brooklyn N.Y.

She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Elmer; son, Jay (Beth); grandson, Jacob; brother, Paul Prochaska (Sharon); nephews, Michael Prochaska, Scott and Randall Jeffrey; and cousins, Beverley, Mary Ardith and Patrick.

Besides the fine care she received at medical facilities in Minnesota, Bonnie also participated in 2 experimental protocols  at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. One was designed to eradicate brain tumors without surgery, and the other to destroy kidney cancer cells with Radio Oblation.

Visitation will be at  the David Lee Funeral Home, located at 1220 East Wayzata Boulevard, in Wayzata on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be at Wayzata  Community Church, 125 E. Wayzata Blvd on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10:30 a.m., followed by a reception lunch for all her friends and family. 

Memorials, instead of flowers, are preferred to the the Bonnie Lee Schindel Memorial Scholarship Fund at Jamestown College, 6082 College Lane, Jamestown N.D. 58401-9989.