Joseph Schulte

1930 - 2015

Joseph Schulte

Joseph M. Schulte, 84, of Belleville, Ill., born July 7, 1930, in Belleville, Ill., died Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, at Four Fountains Convalescent Center, Belleville, Ill.

Mr. Schulte retired from AT&T after 43 years of service and was a member of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) and the Telephone Pioneers of America. He was a lifelong member of St. Peter's Cathedral Parish, Belleville, Ill. He was a 50-year member of the Catholic Knights & Ladies of Illinois and a member of Belleville-Swansea Moose Lodge 1221. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Joe was a cable and telephone instructor during the Korean War.

Joe was a friend to all. He always had a kind word to say and a helping hand to lend. He enjoyed casino outings (with his lucky number 7), frequenting area coffee and donut shops, and dancing with his beautiful wife. Favorite times were spent at his lake house at the Lake of the Ozarks and taking his grandchildren for rides in his antique cars.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Rosa, nee Dust, Schulte; a granddaughter, Becky Kinzel Neighbors; four brothers, LeRoy in infancy, Frank (Opal) Schulte, Bernard Jr. (Doris) (Colleen) Schulte, and Elmer Schulte; and four sisters, Jean (Eugene) Raab, Dorothy (Joe) Kramkowski, Vera (Edward) Sutter and Viola (Ed) Schuff.

Surviving are his wife of 64 years, Helen D., nee Stevenson, Schulte, whom he married on Sept. 2, 1950; five children, Barbara S. (David) Bruss of Hecker, Ill., Jane M. (Barry) Kinzel of Smithton, Ill., Michael J. (Judy) Schulte of Linn Creek, Mo., David S. (Nancy) Schulte and Mary E. (David) Mueller, both of Belleville, Ill.; 20 grandchildren, Susan Lanter, Melissa (Orrie) Yaugo, Tracie (Douglas) Kloeppel, Jason Kinzel (Amanda Cox), Gene Neighbors, Kenneth (Dawn) Schulte, Benjamin (Amy) Schulte, Derek Schulte, Joseph Mueller (Sarah Larsen), Justin (Shelby Crawford) Mueller, Christopher (Bridget) Bruss, Debbie (Don) Schauchner, Michael (Amanda) Bruss, Laura (William) Wilson, Joseph (Christy) Bruss, Nicholas Bruss, Amy (Howard) Rector, Tammy (Mark) Kenniston, Ginny (Jason) Golden and Kelly (Jay) Edwards; 33 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Bernice Ash of Richardson, Texas, and Nicholas (Jackie) Stevenson of Belleville, Ill.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to St. Peter's Cathedral Grade School, in the form of Masses, or to Vitas Hospice. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.

Visitation: Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, and from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, at George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Belleville, Ill.

Funeral: Funeral procession will leave at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, from the funeral home for a 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Peter's Cathedral Catholic Church, Belleville, Ill., with Msgr. John Myler officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Green Mount Catholic Cemetery, Belleville, Ill.

GEORGE RENNER & SONS FUNERAL HOME, Belleville, Ill.