Arlyn Jean (Schmidt) Lampert

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

Arlyn Jean (Schmidt) Lampert was born on September 19, 1932, to Edward and Helen (Brunkow) Schmidt. Arlyn grew up on a farm in Eldorado Township in Stevens County, Minnesota.

She attended Rural School #61 and Parochial School at Trinity Lutheran in Johnson, MN before graduating from Herman High School in 1950. She furthered her education by attending the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis in accounting and went to work for a few years for Campbell-Mithun Advertising. It was living down in the Twin Cities that she became an avid sports fan, attending many Gopher sporting events with friends.

Arlyn’s faith was always a huge part of her life, and in the mid 50’s she packed up her car and drove out to the states of Idaho and Washington to work as a home missionary for the ELC church, knocking on countless doors to further their mission.

In the late 50’s, her cousin Orville, a known family match maker, introduced her to a fellow Ag School classmate, John (Jack) Lampert. Arlyn and Jack were married on February 6, 1960, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Donnelly, MN and together took over Arlyn’s family farm, raising crops, hogs, and their two children.

Arlyn was an active member of Our Saviors Church in Chokio, MN, teaching Sunday school, active in Our Saviors Women, and their Quilting Group. She was a member of the Legion Auxiliary in Herman, MN and enjoyed her homemakers club – The Busy Bees.

Arlyn enjoyed gardening and running the kids to their many school and 4-H events. She and Jack were big into snowmobiling and were able to take snowmobiling and fishing trips with many friends over the years. She was blessed with over a hundred first cousins and enjoyed their many “get togethers” and the Brunkow family reunions every summer. Later, she spent countless mornings driving into town with her cousin Shirley to “catch up” on the goings on over coffee and she was quoted saying, “It was the best way to start the day!”

She and Jack were able to travel the US (and Germany) to visit their daughter Dawn and family wherever her husband Tim happened to be stationed.

In her early 60’s, Arlyn fought a hard battle against stage 4 Colon Cancer. She was always willing to do whatever was needed, helping her son Mark and daughter-in-law Robyn with a few days a week of Grandma daycare when their boys were infants. Later, Arlyn very rarely missed one of their many football, hockey, baseball games or various school events.

As an avid reader, Arlyn kept the Viking Library Mobile coming to Herman to make sure she came out of it with a stack of books each time. In the hot summer afternoons, you could find her taking a break from mowing sitting at the table drinking a glass of cold beer or wine, watching a Twins game and waiting for one of her farmers to stop in and join her.

Due to health reasons, in the fall of 2022, Jack and Arlyn decided to move off the farm that she had spent most of her life on, into an apartment in Morris, MN. In 2023, after losing Jack, she moved to Eastside Acres in Chokio, MN. Arlyn passed away peacefully at Grace Home in Graceville, MN on May 10, 2025.

Arlyn is survived by her daughter Dawn (Tim) Olson of Yorktown, VA, and son Mark (Robyn) Lampert of Chokio, MN; grandchildren: Matthew (Amanda) Olson, Katherine (David) Hoffman, Kyle Lampert, Luke (fiancee Emma) Lampert; and great-grandchildren Calvin & Connor Olson and Forrest & Violet Hoffman.

Arlyn is preceded in death by her husband John “Jack” Lampert; parents Edward and Helen Schmidt; and her two sisters and brothers-in-law: Wanda and Don Wise and Leta Mae and Clark Eaton.

A Memorial Gathering will be held Friday, August 1, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Bainbridge Funeral Home in Herman, Minnesota

Burial will be in Lakeside Cemetery, Herman, Minnesota.

Memorials can be directed to: Grant County Fair, P.O. Box 186, Herman, Minnesota 56248, for the Creative Arts (Women's) Building.