SIOUX CITY -- John Walter Schultz, 88, of Sioux City died Monday, Sept. 26, 2011 at a Sioux City nursing home.
Services will be 10 a.m. Monday in the Cathedral of the Epiphany, with the Rev. Brent Lingle officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., and a parish vigil service at 7 p.m., in the Larkin Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home.
John was born in Sioux City on Feb. 19, 1923 to Walter and Bessie (Camp) Schultz. He was raised in Sioux City and attended Crescent Park School, North Junior High and graduated from Central High School in May 1941. On Dec. 27, 1941, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in the Pacific Theater, serving stints at Pearl Harbor, Palmyra Island, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Guam and was wounded in the Battle of Okinawa on Sugar Loaf Hill. He was then awarded the Purple Heart. After he recovered, he was assigned to a detachment that was sent to China to accept the surrender of a Japanese garrison. He was discharged from the Marines on Dec. 26, 1945 and then moved to Hastings, Neb.
On Nov. 25, 1946, he married Mary Catherine Heenan at the Cathedral in Sioux City. The couple lived in Hastings for a few years then moved to Sanborn, Iowa, before returning to Sioux City. John was a master carpenter and built over 62 homes in Sioux City. He worked on many homes and buildings in the Sioux City area and would work for many construction companies when he would finish his own carpenter projects. His wife, Mary died on Nov. 21, 2001 in Sioux City.
He was a member of the local carpenters union and of the national carpenters union. John was a member of the Cathedral of Epiphany, enjoyed sports, especially basketball and was a former member of the D A V. What he enjoyed most was spending time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his four sons, Ron and his wife, Ann, John and his wife, Ronda and Jerry, all of Sioux City, and Randy and his wife, Dori of Hollywood, Fla.; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren with one due in December. Also, two sisters-in-law, Helen Hartnett of Omaha, Neb., and Irene Engel of Phoenix, Ariz., and his first cousin, Robert Schultz of Grand Island, Neb.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; and a son, John Edward, who was stillborn at birth.