LOUIS SCHUTTE 1877-1968

KONOW, SCHUTTE, WEIHE, HOEFER, MILLER, BLUMHAGEN, ATWATER, CORSON

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 3/6/2005 at 19:28:19

LOUIS SCHUTTE LONGTIME POSTVILLE BUSINESSMAN DIES

Louis Schutte, 90, Postville funeral director and a businessman for over 50 years, passed away Monday at the Community Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held at the St. Paul Lutheran Church on Thursday, August 22, at 10:30 a.m. He was one of the oldest funeral directors in Iowa and remained funeral director until his hospitalization about a month ago. Burial will be in the Postville Cemetery. The full obituary will appear in next week's Postville Herald.

-source: Postville Herald hand dated 1968 -note: a picture of Mr. Schutte appeared with this article.

Funeral services were conducted Thursday, August 22, 1968, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church for Louis Schutte who passed away Monday, August 19, 1968, at Community Memorial Hospital. Burial was in the Postville Cemetery with the Rev. Lenwood L. Monte in charge of the rites.

Louis Schutte was born November 18, 1877, the son of Helmuth and Minnie Konow Schutte, on a farm near Clayton Center, and passed away August 19, 1968, at the age of 90 years, nine months and one day. While he was an infant, his parents and family moved to the Postville vicinity, living on several farms before his father purchased the farm now owned and operated by Charles Schutte, Jr. He was baptized in the Lutheran faith on October 15, 1878, by Pastor Blessin of Eldorado, and was a life member of St. Paul Lutheran Church.

His schooling was limited to less than three grades in country school, at which time he remained at home to help with the work on the family farm. While still a young man, he left the farm, worked in Monona, for one year before coming to Postville and serving as clerk for Luhman and Sanders' general store for fourteen years. In 1916 he purchased the local furniture business, and the same year became associated with J. M. Harris in the funeral business. He remained active in these combined businesses until his final illness and death.

On March 14, 1907, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Marie Weihe. To this union were born two children: a son, Willard, and daughter, Elizabeth, who passed away in 1920 at the age of six months. His wife, Elizabeth, passed away on May 27, 1921. On June 29, 1922, he was united in marriage with Huldah Hoefer Miller. To this union was born one son, Paul. His wife, Huldah, passed away on April 22, 1959.

His entire lifetime was spent in the Postville community, and his interest in and devotion to the town and its people is evidenced by some of Postville's finest business buildings. At various periods of his life, he was also actively involved in furniture and funeral businesses in Ossian, Calmar, Clermont, and West Union. He served on the board of directors of the Postville State Bank in excess of forty years, and served as a member and as chairman of the board of directors of the Postville Community Hospital and Community Memorial Hospital for over twenty years.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Fred, August, and Charles; two sisters, Anna (Mrs. Henry Blumhagen) and Elizabeth (Mrs. Charles Weihe). He is survived by his two sons, Willard and Paul, both of Postville, eight grandchildren, four great grandchildren; two sisters, Mina (Mrs. George Atwater), and Susan (Mrs. E. L. Corson), both of Rosemead, California; many nieces and nephews, and an untold number of friends.

Postville Herald - contributed by Mary Durr