Shirley Jean Schnider, 88, of Salem passed away on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the Doughtery Hospice House in Sioux Falls. Memorial services will begin at 11 am on Tuesday, September 22 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Salem. Visitation will begin one hour prior.
Shirley Jean LeClair was born on March 9, 1938, in Alexandria, South Dakota, to Francis and Grace (Smith) LeClair. She joined one sister Joan and after the family then moved to Bridgewater, South Dakota, her brother Jack was born. Jean attended and graduated from Bridgewater High School. On June 15, 1956, she married the love of her life Robert L. Schnider. To this union they were blessed with five children, Dawn, Bob, Bill, Ron, and Patty. Robert and Jean spent their early years of marriage in Sioux Falls where Jean worked in a secretarial pool. They moved to Salem in the early 1960s where they raised their family. Jean worked as a nurse’s aide at Colonial Manor for many years and also worked on the Salem Ambulance before she went back to school to get her nursing degree and graduated in 1983. She started working at the VA Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota after her graduation from nursing school. Jean retired in 2000. Jean enjoyed crocheting, knitting, playing cards, going to auctions with Bob and Donna, rummage sales, going to Goodwill, and shopping with her daughters.
Jean was preceded in death by her father Francis LeClair, her stepfather Gilbert Haar, her sister Joan Newlon, her mother Grace Haar, her great grandson Wakan, her brother Jack LeClair, her husband Robert L. Schnider
Jean is survived by her children: Dawn (Keith) Reif of Salem, Bob (Donna) Schnider of Piedmont, Bill Schnider of Chester, Ron (Robin) Schnider of Salem and Patty (Dale) Hartsel of Brookings. Her grandchildren: Kristi Schnider, Josh Schnider, Naome (Chad) Poppe, Jess (Jenna) Reif, Jesse (Adam) Lund, Branding Standing Soldier, and Nick Schnider. Her great-grandchildren, Easton, Hayden, Parker, Teagen, Luella, Rita, Charlotte, Alex, Devyn, Lilly, Emily, Tierra, Dominick, Jerome, and Jeremiah.
