Edward Schmalz

Edward Schmalz, age 98, of Denver, Colorado passed away on Sunday, March 20, 2022. Edward was born June 10, 1923 into a family of 12 on a farm near the village of Fayette, North Dakota, and passed away on March 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. He believed that the Holy Spirit lives in us, moves in us and also moves us, and he believed the Holy Spirit moved his life in areas thought were impossible.

He was blessed with abundant musical talent nurtured by his older brothers who brought various instruments into the home such as banjo, guitar, violin and accordion, and learned to play them all "by ear" by the age of 12, while observing his brothers. As he grew older, he felt very keenly the fact that he could play, but was not able to read music. At age 18 he was fully convinced that he didn't want to be a farmer and his love for music kept driving him toward a life in music, especially with the popularity of the '40's era of big-name swing bands such as the sounds of the Harry James and Glen Miller Bands.

In fall of 1943, he made a drastic change at age 20 and left the farm to start high school in Dickinson, ND. As soon as the Draft Board found out that he was no longer on farm deferment, he received a notice to report for induction to Military Service and served until April 1946. It was there he met a bugler, a professional musician from San Francisco, who taught Ed how to read music. Soon after he received an honorable discharge on May 11, 1946.

After his discharge, he played with Territory Bands in and around Minnesota. In 1948 he married Kathryn Hartman. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music Degree in 1950 from MacPhail College in Minnesota and Master of Music Degree in 1953. His teaching career began in Ashley, ND, then to Bismarck, ND, teaching instrumental music at St. Mary's Central High School who inducted him into the school's Hall of Fame, and three Catholic Elementary schools. In August 1964 he and Kathryn moved the family to Sacramento, CA, where he taught in one junior high school and three elementary schools. In 1988, after 38 years of teaching, he retired from a job he loved so much.

In 1988 after retirement, he continued with his avocation of playing with bands of many sizes and Dixieland Jazz Festivals up and down the West Coast. Uppermost, he and Kathryn especially loved their family of 7 children: Kenneth (Linda), Keith (Cindy), Jeannine, Angie (Scott), Kevin (Tammi), Paula (Adin), Kathryn (Joey), and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In November 2004 Kathryn, his wife and partner for 56 years, passed away. After a year he reconnected with former colleague, Angie Stein Melland, married in January 2006 and have enjoyed 15+ years of life together.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Schmalz family.