Margaret Mary Schmid Hjelmeland

Mrs. Hjelmeland was born in Green County, Ohio, on May 21, 1945, to Albert Carl Schmid and Bernadette Ahlers Schmid. She got her bachelor’s degree from the College of Mount St. Joseph’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then became a member of the Sisters of Charity from 1963 to 1969.

After working as an English teacher for several years, she got her master’s degree in library science at San Jose State. She worked as a librarian the rest of her life, mostly for the Gwinnett Public Library System in suburban Atlanta, until her health did not permit her to anymore.

She died Monday after a 10 year battle with Primary Progressive Aphasia, which is in the family of Alzheimer’s disease.

Mrs. Hjelmeland and her family lived in the North Harbor neighborhood of Sandy Springs for about 20 years. While in Atlanta she was active in Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, where she sang in the choir.

She loved to sing and to share books and the love of reading with the public.

She is survived by her husband, David Hjelmeland of Cary; son Mark Hjelmeland and wife Anita of Cleveland, Ohio; daughter Karen Shaw and husband Patrick of Asheville, N.C.; brothers Robert Schmid and Tom Schmid both of Ohio; sisters Mary Wiggenhorn and Teresa Wendling both of Ohio, Gini Becker of Illinois, and Marti Fischer of California. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Angela and David Hjelmeland and Joel and Lilah Shaw.

A funeral mass will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, July 22, 2011, at St. Michael The Archangel Catholic Church, 804 High House Road. Cary, N.C. 27513.

Those considering memorial contributions may make them to Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.