Geralyn Ann (Schatz) Chwialkowski

Geralyn “Geri” Chwialkowski, 67, formerly of Warren, and Champlin, MN, died after a brief but courageous battle with cancer on Saturday, December 21, 2024, in her home in Belle Plaine, MN, with her beloved husband, Rodney, and family at her side.

Geralyn Ann Schatz was born on October 28, 1957, in Richardton, ND, to Joseph and Rose (Haag) Schatz. She was raised in Dickinson, attending St. Patrick Grade School and graduating from Trinity High School in the class of 1975. She attended the Bismarck Hospital of Nursing, graduating from their Registered Nursing program in three years. Geri took her first job at Northwestern Hospital in Thief River Falls, MN. While at a softball game in Warren, she met Rodney Chwialkowski and the two were inseparable after that. They were united in marriage on July 31, 1982, in Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church. After making their home in Warren for a few years and working at the Warren Hospital, the couple moved to Robbinsdale and later Champlin, MN, where Geri was an RN at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale for the next 35 years.

Working at the hospital was Geri's true calling. She loved the people and their life in Champlin. As a mother to one son, Phil, Geri imparted her personality: sometimes stubborn and opinionated but always very tender. She and Rodney set an example for him to follow, one founded upon loving care between two “soulmates.” The house they built in Champlin was her dream home where she could pursue her enjoyment of bespoke and Amish furniture, either purchased or refinished by her own hand, as well as working on various projects inspired by the many craft shows she attended. Eighteen years ago, Geri and Rodney bought a place in Texas among the palm trees- a plant she loved and admired and for which she discovered a great fondness: palm trees made their way back home to Minnesota and even decorated their new house in Belle Plaine to which they moved in September of 2023. She was also a collector of jewelry as a hobby and always kept her eyes open for a great bargain.

She will be missed deeply, especially by those who knew and loved her.

One of her favorite quotes captures how Geri lived her life and how her faith continued in her death:
“My last breath on Earth will be my first breath in heaven.”

One day we shall joyfully greet her again when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even death itself.

Geri is survived by her husband of 42 years, Rodney, of Belle Plaine; son, Phil (Megan) Chwialkowski of Plymouth, MN; sister, Bonnie Thompson of Tyler, TX; and best friends, Kathy (Dan) Davis of Dickinson, ND and Kym Schrack of Wayzata, MN, and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Rose Schatz; sister, Carmel Steckler; and her in-laws, Frank and Regina Chwialkowski, whom she counted as a second mother.

Mass of Christian Burial: Privately held for her family and close friends on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 10:30 AM, in Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church of Warren, MN.
VISITATION: One hour prior to Mass.
INTERMENT: Calvary Catholic Cemetery of Warren.