Schulz, Herman 1872-1950

SCHULZ, KALLENBACH, WETROSKY

Posted By: Janet M Schuldt, Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/8/2016 at 14:38:01

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, LeMars, Plymouth, Iowa Friday, May 12, 1950

Death Ends Career of Herman Schulz, LeMars' Landowner-Philanthropist

Herman Schulz, 77 year old retired farmer and bachelor, who gained national prominence just two years ago by announcing that he planned to give away his farms, died about 10:30 p m Monday at the Sacred Heart hospital. He had been admitted to the hospital Monday afternoon

Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon, at St. John' s American Lutheran church following a short service at the Mauer funeral home. The Rev . L. L. Belk conducted the rites, and burial was at the Trinity Lutheran cemetery near Hinton.

About four months ago he underwent surgery for removal of a cataract from an eye. Relatives said he never seemed to recover his zest since then.

Mr. Schulz, reputed to be a millionaire land owner, first hit the nation's front pages in April, 1948 when he announced his plan to give away many of the 42 farms he included among his properties.

A month later he reported the theft of $124,341 in bills of large denominations in a safe at his home. The thieves missed $86,000 stored in another safe in the same room . Neither the safe, the money or the thieves were ever discovered.

In May 1949, a year after the previous robbery, Mr. Schulz told authorities his home had been entered by two masked men who tied him up and gagged him, then fled after taking $10 he had in his purse.

The eccentric LeMars land owner was born Nov. 13, 1872 in Stanton township, the eldest of seven children. His parents were Rudolph and Pauline Kallenbach Schulz.

He took over management of the family farm when his father died, and bought his own farm when he was 38 in 1910. Later purchases, many during th e depression when land was cheap, increased his holdings until he said his estate in 1948 included some 10,000 acres in northwest Iowa and the three neighboring states.

He is survived by his sister, Mrs. Frank Wetrosky of Merrill and two brothers, Oscar of LeMars and William of Lakefield , Minn and many nieces and nephews.