Doris Elaine (Schilling) Baddeley

Doris Elaine (Schilling) Baddeley died peacefully in her sleep on August 20, little more than a month after marking her 102nd birthday. She was born on July 16, 1923, in Pierre, South Dakota, the first of two daughters born to August and Sadie Schilling. After graduating from South Dakota State University, she married Robert Baddeley. They lived and loved together for 59 years until his death in 2007 and raised 5 sons. They resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Buffalo and Batavia, New York; Nashua, New Hampshire; Downers Grove, Illinois; and Deland, Florida. Doris spent her last 17 years in Burnsville, Minnesota, where son Chris and his wife Dawn included her in their family, made her declining years full and rich, and enabled her to live independently past her 100th birthday. Their brothers owe Chris and Dawn a debt of thanks they could never adequately repay. The family give special thanks to the staff and residents at Augustana Regent in Burnsville and the providers from Fairview Range Home Care and Hospice for the friendship, affection, grace and compassion they provided Doris in her last years.

Doris grew up in South Dakota during the Great Depression, where neighbors looked out for each other and shared what they could. Her days were marked by kindness and generosity born of her faith in God and gratitude for the blessings of her life. In each of the communities where they lived, Doris made a home for herself and her family. “Home” included warm relationships with neighbors, close friendships in the community and devoted participation in her local church. She was the best kind of mother, neighbor and friend. Doris was the one who would drive a stranger to church, make sure there were meals for families dealing with illness or grief, or welcome a new family to the neighborhood with a fresh-baked pie or a plate of cookies. She volunteered with PTA and FISH and was a longtime PEO.

Doris maintained friendships long after leaving the towns where she lived through regular letter-writing. She was one of a group of 8 women who grew up together in South Dakota and maintained long-distance friendship through “round robin” correspondence, until, in her 90’s, Doris was the sole survivor. She leaves her 5 sons: William and his wife Jackie of Cranston, RI; Mark and his wife Fran of Bedford, NH; Jeff and his wife Laura of Shaker Heights, OH; Chris and his wife Dawn of Burnsville, MN; and Matthew and his wife Claire of Woodinville, WA. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on September 6 at 2:30 PM at Augustana Regent in Burnsville. Her ashes will be interred next to her husband’s at Emmaus Lutheran Church in Deland, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to The Regent at Burnsville (cassialife.org) or South Dakota State University (sdstate.edu)