DONALD ALLEN SCHULTZ 1925-1986

ALLEN, SCHULTZ, ISHMAN, WILSON, TIDWELL, LOFTSGARD, FRIEDERICH

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 3/7/2005 at 20:43:27

Time, Cause Of Schultz Death Unknown

It was impossible to determine the time and actual cause of the death of Donald Schultz, found pinned beneath his tractor Tuesday evening on his farm north of here.

Schultz, a 61 year old widower, lived on the farm alone. The last person known to have talked with him was Mrs. Clarence Moore, a neighbor who talked with him Sunday morning. John Rothmeyer, a neighbor who frequently checked to see if the elderly man was OK, said he called him several times between Monday morning and Tuesday morning, but got no answer.

Tuesday afternoon his son, Doran Schultz of New Albin, told Rothmeyer he was concerned he had not been able to contact his father. Rothmeyer said he had not been able to get a hold of him either, but was not greatly concerned because he understood Schultz was planning to go to Kansas City, where his daughter lives. Doran said his father had not gone to Kansas City and so the 2 men went immediately to Schultz's farm.

They found no one in the house, both cars outside and a tractor gone. Rothmeyer said he told the son if there had been an accident, where it would have been, so the 2 went to a rough area at the back of the farm, where there was a field with a sharp slope. They found the tractor overturned there and the man pinned beneath its seat, dead.

"I think he was dead before the tractor fell on him," Rothmeyer said. "The ground here is very hard."

There was no blood on him and few scratches. An autopsy determined that his ribs cut the aorta.

A letter the man had written and dated Monday was still on the kitchen table. Mail delivered Monday as well as Tuesday was still in the mailbox. "That makes me think it happened Monday morning, because Donnie always was standing waiting for the mailman to come," Rothmeyer said. The mailman came to his home about noon.

Services for Donald Allen Schultz, 61, were conducted Friday at Schmitz Funeral Home, Ossian. Pastor Julius Peterson of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Postville, was in charge of the service. The organist was Mrs. Howard Knutson.

Pallbearers were John Rothmeyer, H. Dean Foels, Clarence Moore, Roger Christofferson, Nanfred Felke and John Schultz. Burial was at the Postville Community Cemetery.

Schultz was found dead Oct. 21, 1986 at his farm near Postville, apparently the victim of a tractor accident.

He had lived on the farm most of his life. He was born March 26, 1925 in Postville, the son of Elmer and Esther (Allen) Schultz. He was educated at Postville Community Schools, graduating from high school in 1943.

In August of 1946, he married Darlene Ishman at the Little Brown Church, Nashua.

His wife died in 1973. He also is preceded in death by their daughter, Sandy Wilson. Survivors include their daughter, Jody Tidwell of Kansas City, KN, their son, Doran, of New Albin, 2 sisters, Betty Loftsgard of Oskaloosa and Jean Friederich of Postville, and 2 grandsons.

Postville Herald - contributed by Mary Durr