Maria Candida Schneider

WILMINGTON- Maria Candida (Aschauer) Schneider, 94,  a longtime resident, died peacefully Tuesday, February 23, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Mrs. Schneider was born in Gargnano, Italy, on August 29, 1926, the daughter of Sebastiano and Rocca Aschauer.  She married her true love Walter R. Schneider on October 8, 1955, in Zürich, Switzerland.  
Mrs. Schneider was a haute couture seamstress in Zürich, Switzerland where she met Walter. They immigrated to New York City in 1956 on the SS United States cruise ship, and resided in Queens, NY. 
Mrs. Schneider worked in Manhattan as a haute couture seamstress for Norman Norell, the first American designer to employ couture, changing perceptions about New York’s Seventh Avenue garment industry. As did many people from the Big Apple, Mrs. Schneider and her husband often visited Vermont to go skiing, which they enjoyed immensely. They cherished their time in Vermont so dearly that they decided to move there after the birth of their first son, Marcel. 
They purchased a Victorian home in Wilmington and opened one of the first bed and breakfasts in the area, named Slalom Ski Lodge. She and her husband successfully ran the lodge for almost 40 years, enjoying the company of many return guests who would make the Slalom Ski Lodge their Vermont home.
Their home was always full during the winter months, which is attributed to Mrs. Schneider’s excellent cooking of homemade meals, and their friendly nature, which made them well-liked by their visitors. During the hustle and bustle of running the lodge and her husband working full time in Bennington, then later in Wilmington, their second son, Roland, was born in Bennington. 
The Schneiders bought the highly recognized A-frame on Route 100 just up from the traffic light, and ran a ski shop, “Chalet Mont Blanc,” for many years. When Walter retired from GS Precision, they devoted their time to family, traveling, cross-country skiing, gardening, and walking on the beach of the New Jersey shores.  
After her husband died in 2003, she dedicated her time to making her “famous” jams and jellies, knitting, sewing, reading, and spending time with her favorite person, her granddaughter Bridget. Mrs. Schneider and her many stories were loved and enjoyed by everyone she encountered. She will remain in everyone’s memories for years to come.
She was preceded in death by her husband Walter and sister Orsula Siligato, of Italy. She is survived by her two sons Marcel (Verena) Roberto Schneider, of Munich, Germany, and Roland (Patrice) Norman Loris Schneider, and granddaughter Bridget, of Wilmington.
In lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made in her name to the Deerfield Valley Rescue Squad,  https://dvrescue.org; The Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, http://www.deerfieldvalleyfoodpantry.org; or the Old School Community Center, https://www.osccvt.com/donate.