DAWN SCHANDELSON DIES AT AGE 70
FROM THE GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE
Dawn M. Schandelson, 70, of Great Falls, passed away on Monday, September 3, 2018 of natural causes. A Graveside Service will take place this Friday, September 7th at 1:00 PM at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Born on July 11, 1948 in Great Falls to Henry and Beverly Espelin, Dawn grew up in Columbia Falls and Great Falls. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Education with an emphasis on Special Education from the University of MT. She met and fell in love with Arnold Schandelson, an Airman whom she met at the Cart Wheel Bar and they were married in 1971.
Through the years Dawn enjoyed volunteering for the PTA in New York and Great Falls, Toys for Tots, the Aitz Chaim Hebrew Association in Great Falls, and was a Den Mother for the Boy Scouts (Cub) in Lake Grove, NY. She and Arny worked together, although she was really the “Boss”. They did medical billing for over two decades in north central Montana. When she wasn’t going to rummage sales, she loved crocheting, knitting, calligraphy, and reading a good book and she was also an avid collector. She was very proud that she had beaten the game of Tetris on Game Boy and Nintendo.
Survivors include her loving husband of 47 years, Arnold Kenneth Schandelson; sons, Scott Harris (Shannon) and Brett David (Jessie); brother, Theodore “Ted” (Roberta “Bobbie”) Espelin; sister, Nancy Espelin; four grandchildren, Alex, Aidan, Molly and Micah, with one on the way.
Dawn was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Heidi Espelin; and her beloved grand-dog, Marx.
From Aitz Chaim:
After the graveside service, lunch will be served at Teriyaki Madness, 1710 Tenth Avenue South, a restaurant that Dawn enjoyed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Great Falls Hebrew Association.
Mailing Address:
Congregation Aitz Chaim
C/O Wendy Weissman, CPA
525 Central Avenue, Suite L8
Great Falls, MT 59401-3271
Posted on September 4, 2018, in 2018, 5778, Elul, News of our Congregants, Ram's Horn, September. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
The Aitz Chaim Ram's Horn 
I would like to express my sadness on the death of Dawn Schandelson. It is most regrettable. I cannot begin to relate the respect I had for her
and my message to Aitz Chaim is all I can say is that all of us must evaluate her loss in the privacy of our own feelings.
I wish I could attend Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Unfortunately, my car is leaking oil and I cannot dare risk it on the open road.
I will go to YouTube the day before Yom Kippur to listen to Kol Nidrei (they have several videos of it there.).
I suffer from diabetes now and my diet is almost totally kosher. I rarely get the opportunity to eat stuff like hamburgers, since I don’t get to
Great Falls very often. I eat chicken strips mostly when it comes to meat. Tuna is another meat I eat.
I must close now. I just wanted Aitz Chaim to know I’m saddened by Dawn Schandelson’s death.
—-Corey