John Schultz

John F. Schultz, age 89, of Melrose, died Sunday, March 7, 2010 at Pine Haven in Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 12 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose with Pastor Hemsworth officiating. Interment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Melrose.

Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday and from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose.

John F. Schultz was born May 6, 1920 in Mountain Lake, MN to David and Sarah (Flemming) Schultz. John went to country school through the 8th grade. He spent several years in Christian school and also attended Northwestern College in Minneapolis. On October 28, 1945 he married Irene Kliewer in Mountain Lake. John worked at a chicken hatchery for less than a year. He then began working as a night operator at the Mountain Lake Municipal Utilities and later he became a lineman. John was also Superintendent of Utilities in Mountain Lake from 1950 through 1971. In 1971, the family moved to Delano, MN where John was the Superintendent of Utilities until his retirement in 1982. The last two years, he served as City Administrator of Delano and from 1987 to 1989 as Commissioner on the Delano Water, Light & Power Commission. Finally in 1999, they moved to Melrose, MN to be near their daughter, Ruth.

John had many hobbies that kept him busy. He was a bass singer in the Minneapolis Commodores Barbershop Chorus for 30 years. He also enjoyed fixing up Model A and Model T cars, going fishing, boating, traveling, making stain glass items, and going to craft sales. John and his daughters also enjoyed horses and went for many trail rides. He was a member of Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake and attended Faith Baptist Church in Sauk Centre. He was also a member of the Lion's Club in Delano and the Rotary Club in Mountain Lake.

Survivors include his wife, Irene Schultz of Melrose; children, Marianna (Stephen) Marenfeld of Ilion, NY, Elizabeth (Larry) Wehrli of Pearce, AZ, and Ruth (Karl) Lemm of Melrose; four grandchildren, Jonathan (Jodi) Marenfeld, Peter (Michelle) Marenfeld, David Lemm, and Anna Lemm; great-granddaughter, Ava Marenfeld; brothers and sisters, Elizabeth Wall of Mountain Lake, Henry (Augusta) Schultz of Marion, SD, Abe (Myrtle) Schultz of Mountain Lake, and Leonard Schultz of Mountain Lake.

John was preceded in death by his parents; brothers and sisters, David Schultz, Peter Schultz, Sara Ratzlaff, and Mary Schultz; brother-in-law, Aron Wall; and sister-in-law, Ruth Schultz. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.