05 Jan Karissa Schauer

Karissa Margaret Schauer, 32, of Bismarck, passed away January 5, 2022, at a Bismarck hospital.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at Church of Corpus Christi, Bismarck, ND.  A Livestream of the Service will be available at www.corpuschristibismarck.com.  In honor of Karissa, please wear her favorite color purple if you have it.

Visitation will be held Friday from 5:00-7:00 PM at Bismarck Funeral Home, with a Vigil Service and Time of Sharing starting at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service.

Karissa Margaret Schauer was born on September 16, 1989, to Kirk and Marcia (Feist) Schauer in Bismarck, North Dakota.  She entered this world as a strong little girl surviving a heart surgery at 7 months old. Karissa attended school in Bismarck graduating from Century High School in 2008.

She enjoyed her time in the Special Olympics with bowling and swimming being her favorite sports.  Proudly she supported her team, Purple Queens Team, for Designer Genes in the Buddy Walk every year, and was also honored to be their spokesperson.  She was also the spokesperson for Giving Hearts Day in 2018 and touched many hearts and was given a trip to Disney World. Karissa loved to color and watch movies. Karissa also enjoyed arts and crafts, especially on Sundays with her mom after church and brunch.  She was featured for her artwork on the local news network where she was proud to be “famous” for her TV appearance.  She routinely volunteered at Heaven Helpers. She also enjoyed volunteering at Seeds of Hope, and Door of Hope Daycare.

She had many one liners, and had a great sense of humor. She was very proud to be her own guardian so she could be independent. With a heart of gold, strong in faith, unconditional love, sweet and gentle soul to the core, she impacted many lives. Whether you were her friend, family, or someone she just met, she would hold a special place for you in her heart.  She thought of the staff as friends/sisters, her mom and dad her comfort buddies, and her brother, bro; always believing they were her “perfect match” in life and God knew what He was doing when He gave them to her.  Karissa’s family soon realized what a special gift they were given.  Always having her priorities right, she believed with every fiber of her being the best part of her life was being with family. She would often say, “I’ve got the good life”.

Karissa will be dearly missed by all who knew her!  And, as she would say, “Right back at ya.”

Karissa is survived by her parents, Kirk and Marcia; brother, Austin; and his girlfriend, Shelby DeCann; grandparents, Alexander and Julia Feist; Janice Zachmeier,”Auntie”; uncle, Joe Zachmeier; three special cousins, Lisa Steidl, Sara Johnson, and  Kara Zachmeier. She is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Vernon and Marsha Schauer.

The family would like to thank everyone who took care of her at Sanford Health, Pride, Community Options, and the Anne Carlsen Center for their outstanding care, love and support they always gave to Karissa.

A special Thank You to “Auntie”, for the countless hours of support, and making sure all our needs were met during Karissa’s hospital stay, We will be forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite Bismarck food pantry, soup kitchen, or food bank in memory of Karissa.

To view the funeral service, please click here.