Keith Schatzke

Keith Schatzke, 76, of Wheatland, ND left the hospital and took the long way home to see his farm he spent his entire life on before making it to his final resting place at his loving daughter’s home. Keith passed away on Friday, April 11, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, just like the love of his life did 11 years prior.

Keith Harold Schatzke was born July 9, 1948, in Fargo, ND to Harold and Billie (Miller) Schatzke. He grew up on the family farm near Chaffee, ND, attended the Goshen Country School and graduated from Chaffee High School. Keith married the love of this life Joan Pietsch on August 17, 1969, at the St. Peter Lutheran Church near Chaffee. They made their home on the family farm. He was a fourth-generation Schatzke farmer on this land and a first-generation sugar beet farmer for American Crystal Sugar Company. He also worked a short time at Steiger Tractor in Fargo and hauled gravel as well.

Keith was a fantastic basketball player and earned his nickname “shooters” from his amazing shooting ability. He also coached jr. high basketball at Chaffee. He was a lifetime Larry Bird fan, to this day he has a Larry Bird poster hanging up in his closet.  He was a member of the Chaffee Lions Club, the Wheatland Wild Hogs and served on the Gill Township Board for decades. Keith and Joan would try to get all the kids and grandkids to come on family vacations, usually to Florida, to have some fun in the sun, sand, see family and most of all just be together. Dad was a long-standing Twins fan, so spring training was usually part of a spring Florida trip.

He enjoyed road trips with granny driving all over the US seeing family and sights. He enjoyed spending time at the lake, watching his grandkids in their activities honking his pickup horn for a particular good play or hit, having coffee and fishing with his friends, hunting and Friday night races, making deer sausage over at Shorty Martin’s and then in our own shop. Hangouts with the Bronco crew talking big at night. After granny died Jason got him out riding motorcycles and even to Sturgis a few times he really found a new joy  in riding his motorcycle and a new community to share this joy with. He named his beautiful midnight blue girl Babe, and she got the best parking spot in the garage. We even got him to travel to Jamaica to visit the Pietsch family vacation spot. Shelly and her family rented RV’s and took dad on some amazing road trips to French Lick IN – hometown of Larry Bird, Cooperstown, NY Baseball Hall of Fame, Portland ME for fresh lobster, Arlington National cemetery, The Grand Canyon, Route 66, Tombstone, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Wall Drug and any roadside attraction on the scenic route.

His loving family includes his wife, the late Joan Schatzke; a son, the late Jason (Tanya) Schatzke of Wheatland and their children, Leah Schatzke, Grant Schatzke and Jace Schatzke; a daughter, Shelly (Brad) Sinner of Casselton and their children, Brady Sinner, Carly Sinner and Catie Sinner; sister, the late Carol Schatzke; foster brother, David Fiedler and foster sister, Kathie (Dale) Reese; foster brother David Fornes and foster brother Eddie Fornes. Keith had many very close cousins and friends that turned into family over the years.

Visitation: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, from 5 to 7 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM at St. Peter Lutheran Church, rural Leonard, ND.

Funeral: Thursday at 2 PM at St. Peter Lutheran Church with visitation one hour prior

Burial: Watson Cemetery.

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