Documentary to Feature Life of Harold Schafer - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

A film is in the works to document the lives of one of North Dakotas most famous families.

Harold Schafer gained fame and fortune with his well known Gold Seal Company and for his impact on reshaping Medora.

Clay Jenkinson of the Dakota Institute has spent three years putting the documentary together.

It includes some never before seen footage and interviews with over twenty people, including the person who knew him best.

Harold Schafer passed away in 2001. But he left a lasting imprint on North Dakota. Sheila Schafer says it's going to be a tough story to tell.

"Were such a big family and even Harold was such a multi faceted person that's it's gonna be hard to squash all this down into maybe an hour documentary so I hope he is smart enough to cut a lot of me out and a lot of Harold in," says Sheila.

"He" is filmmaker Clay Jenkinson. The two have spent hours together reliving memories of Harold. Sheila--with her sense of humor as sharp as ever--explains what its been like working with her close friend.

"I've had a lot of fun. He's a great interviewer because he relaxes you and the first thing you know he's saying things like, "You're probably the only person alive who really knew Theodore Roosevelt and so instead of saying something truthful I say "Yes I did and actually we had more than a friendship, ha, ha," says Sheila.

All kidding aside, Sheila says the film will tell of the key decision Harold made that changed the course of North Dakota history.

"He was going, going, going. Once he sold his ranch, sold the Gold Seal Company he was settled in North Dakota and we stayed in Bismarck and in Medora and his home and his heart was in Medora," says Sheila.

And in the end, Sheila says that what Harold hopes his legacy would be.

The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation contributed funding toward the film.

It premieres June 7th at the Roundup in Medora, then follow in Bismarck and Fargo. It will air on Prairie Public Television this summer.