A Funeral Mass for Darold Schneider, age 59, of O'Neill will be at 10:30 am on Monday, October 12, 2026 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill with burial to follow in the O'Neill Cemetery. Fr. Bernard Starman will officiate. Visitation will be from 5-7 pm on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church with a 7 pm Parish Rosary. Darold passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at his home in O'Neill. Memorials may be directed to his family for future designation. Arrangements are entrusted to Biglin's Mortuary.

Darold Ray Schneider was born in O’Neill on April 6, 1967, to Donald and Dolores (Boyle) Schneider. As the sixth of ten children, a guy had to learn early to be resourceful. The Schneider family lived near Inman, where Darold attended grade school before entering St. Mary’s High School in O’Neill. While in high school, Darold was an All-State Guard on the 1984 St. Mary’s State Championship Football Team and led the team in tackles at nose guard. He graduated from St. Mary’s in 1985 and earned his Associate Degree in Utility Line in 1987 from Northeast Community College in Norfolk.

Darold met Merri and Ashley and they all quickly formed a special bond. They spent so much time inventing games, exploring parks, and driving around that they decided to make a life of it. Darold and Merri were married on April 9, 1988, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in O’Neill. Within five years, their family of three became a family of six (plus Rudy) when Sloane, Hayden, and Avery came along. The family settled into a house on 14th street in 1992, where they enjoyed countless pick-up basketball games and impromptu celebrations with the neighborhood.

Darold worked briefly in Neligh and then for the REA in York, and in June 1989 he began his 37-year career with Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corporation. Over the years, Darold held several important positions there, including Journeyman Lineman and Operations/Services Assistant. For the final 18 years of his career, his official title was Procurement Manager, but those in the office will remember him as the keeper of the thermostat, fixer of all things, sprinkler system expert, and office comedian. If something needed fixing, finding, or figuring out, he was the guy everyone turned to. He always had a joke to tell, a story to share, and a little advice to throw in for good measure.

Supporting and developing youth sports came naturally to Darold, and he gladly volunteered his time to coach each of his children in a variety of sports. When he wasn’t coaching, he was a fixture in the stands, sitting front and center for as many of their games as possible and proudly cheering—some might say yelling—for them from the half-court line. Darold’s passion for coaching was perhaps most evident in the countless hours he devoted to the St. Mary’s football program over his 37-year coaching career. Soon after moving back to O’Neill, Darold became involved with St. Mary’s football. He began by coaching the junior high football team and in the late 1990s, he took on the role of Assistant Coach for the high school team, a position he held until his final game on October 2, 2026.

Darold had a way of relating with people, especially the guys on his team. It was not uncommon for the guys to volunteer (or be voluntold) to help with projects and end up staying later than intended as they connected over a long talk. Each year of coaching brought its own highlights and special memories with stories Darold would happily recount for his friends or really anyone within earshot for years to come. There were the inspiring, mildly insulting, and occasionally confusing one-liners he was known for; the fully stocked pickup, prepared for just about anything a team could possibly need; over 100 career wins; and the honor of coaching two teams in state football championship games in 2002 and 2025--a record of 2 in 1 if you’re counting. Darold was also honored to be recognized in 2026 for the NSAA Above and Beyond Award. But if Darold had to choose a favorite chapter of his coaching career, it would be the years he spent on the sidelines with Hayden. Perhaps Darold’s greatest contribution as a coach was his ability to make an impact on the people around him. He taught far more than football, leaving behind lessons, memories, and stories that will continue well beyond the final whistle.

Many people called him “Coach”, but Darold had his own names for just about everyone else. His nicknames were often clever, and sometimes ridiculous but once he gave you one, it stuck. And if you think you never had a nickname from Darold, he probably just hadn’t told you yet. Darold was widely known for his quick humor, spontaneous deliveries of treats, and, to the amusement of many, pranks. Darold was dependable. He spent a lifetime taking care of the people he loved. When someone was in need, his first instinct was to help – whether through advice, lending a hand, or inventing a solution that was uniquely his own. He could build or MacGyver just about anything, usually out of whatever happened to be lying around (“See! I told you this would come in handy”). Some of his solutions might look a little unconventional, but somehow, they always worked.

Darold was so very proud of his family. You couldn’t get far into a conversation without him laughing to himself and sharing a story about something funny a grandkid did, an accomplishment from one of his kids, or a joke he played on Merri or one of his in-laws. Darold had a way of making ordinary moments memorable. He could entertain his grandchildren with little more than a box and some 2x4s. He never showed up to visit his kids empty-handed, and always made sure he had his toolbox in the pickup – partly because you never know when it might be needed, which by default provided a little extra “motivation” for his sons-in-law. Darold embraced the simple things in life: dates at Bomgaars or the practice field, cargo shorts and Kirkland brand t-shirts, and slow mornings with “that lady who cooks for me” on the porch sipping coffee. For Merri, perhaps one of the greatest gifts of sharing a life with Darold was knowing that whatever came along, she had someone beside her whose approach had always been “We’ll figure it out”, and for 38 years that is exactly what they did.

Darold is survived by his wife, Merri Schneider of O’Neill, NE; his children: Ashley Camber of Olathe, KS, Sloane (Wade) Hoefer of Gretna, NE, Hayden (Mayra) Schneider of Raleigh, NC, Avery (Noah) Ehrisman of Lincoln, NE; 12 grandchildren: Sebastian, Milan, and Lakynn Camber; Raegan, Bennett, Skylar, and Jolie Hoefer; Collins and Amelia Schneider; Merrin, Bridger, and Emmett Ehrisman; his siblings, Dan (Nikki) Schneider of Inman, NE, Dave (Sue) Schneider of LaMars, IA, Doug (Diane) Schneider of Lincoln, NE, Dennis (Dawn) Schneider of O’Neill, NE, Duane Schneider of Omaha, NE, Darin (Linda) Schneider of O’Neill, NE, Dean (Jill) Schneider of Lincoln, NE, Diane (Brent) Marshall of Gretna, NE, Dori (Jason) Heitz of Tekamah, NE; step-mother, Ann Schneider of O’Neill, NE; numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Dolores Schneider and his in-laws Bill and Beth Tielke, Jerry and Becky Tielke, Patti Swanson, and nephews Michael Tielke, and Damian Olander.