Mother of God Monastery
110  28th Ave. SE ~  Watertown,  SD  57201
Phone: 605-882-6600  Fax: 605-882-6658
monastery@dailypost.com

OBITUARY

Sister Macaria Schmidt

Sister Macaria (Pauline) Schmidt, 93, of Mother of God Monastery died Friday, April 7, in St. Mary's Hospital, in Pierre South Dakota.

Pauline was born in a sod house in Fayette, North Dakota, the oldest of four children of  Ludwig C and Catherine Jaeger Schmidt.  Her      father, age 30, died very suddenly during the flu epidemic of 1918.  After her dad's death, her family moved to Dickinson, ND.  Her mother took in laundry work to support her family.

One year later, Pauline's baby sister died.  In 1920, her mother married Lucas Butsch, a widower with three children, and moved to Richardton, N.D.  They were a happy family until 1921 when her 13 year-old stepsister died, followed a year later by her 7 year old brother.  To the second marriage three sons were born.

Pauline attended St. Mary's School in Richardton, ND.   After completing her freshman year, she left home on June 7, 1929 to enter Sacred Heart Convent in Yankton.  Entering the novitiate on August 12, 1931, she received the name "Sister M. Macaria". 

Sister Macaria's entire professional career was in the healthfield.  She completed nurses training in 1937, and was immediately appointed night supervisor at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton. With "on the job" training and a three month course in anesthesiology, she began her most difficult but rewarding work as an anesthetist.  She worked in hospitals in Yankton, Gregory, Parkston, Tyndall and Pierre, SD and in Canon City, CO and Cottonwood, ID.  Returning to Yankton she was appointed supervisor of the OB Department.  During that same time, she took a 9-month course in anesthesiology, being the first student of the School of Anesthesiology to write the national exams for nurse anesthetists. During the 40 years Sister Macaria spent in Pierre, she often held two or three positions: night supervisor, nurse anesthetist, O.R. and Outpatient supervisor or OR supervisor, staff anesthetist, drug room and x-ray department.  Often she covered night duty from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. administered anesthetics in surgery.  Retiring from the field of anesthesiology, she completed a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education and was instrumental in setting up the departments of Inhalation Therapy and Pastoral Care at St. Mary's Hospital. Sister Macaria remained active, volunteering her services where ever needed until this past summer when illness forced her retirement.

She is survived by her Sisters of Mother of God Monastery and her nieces and nephews.