Carl U. Schuler

Carl U. Schuler, 89, retired WWU History Professor and former Lynden resident, died at peace on December 1, 2009 at Badger Prairie Health Care Center, Verona, WI, grateful for a long and satisfying life. Born April 24, 1920, in Monticello, WI, Carl was the eldest son of Frederick W. Schuler and Carolina (Carrie) W. (Frietag) Schuler. When he was 5, Carl and his family moved to Madison, WI. He later attended and graduated from Madison West High School, where his father was a popular physics teacher. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Carl earned (on the GI Bill) his PhD at the University of Wisconsin in his chosen field of ancient history. His much admired academic mentor was Charles Farwell Edson, known for his scholarship and his wry sense of humor. At an early age, Carl became an avid fan of fast-pitch softball. As a boy, he learned to play the game on Madison's eastside in one of the city's many excellent playground programs. When Carl was 10, one of his teachers at his beloved Emerson School encouraged him to listen to radio broadcasts of the Chicago Cubs. In 1930, his dad took him to his first Cubs game at Wrigley Field. From then on, the Chicago Cubs were a lifelong passion, along with community fast-pitch softball. Carl was an undergraduate at the UW when he met Evelyn Anderson, his wife-to-be. She had come to Madison from Barron, WI to complete the year of college then required to attend the Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, MN. Carl loved Evelyn for her intellect, her sense of humor, and her people skills. While she was attending nursing school and he was in the Army, they were married. Carl and Evelyn had three children. The family-approved motto was, "You don't have to be crazy to live here, but it helps". Carl and Evelyn were true partners with common interests and values. They both held Depression-era attitudes toward money management. Theirs was also a forward looking partnership inasmuch as Carl and Evelyn co-equally shared in-home parenting and outside employment responsibilities. They did this first and foremost out of mutual respect. In 1953, the family set off for California. They lived in Santa Barbara, where Carl taught at the University of California and Evelyn worked at Cottage Hospital as an RN specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. After five years, they move to Bellingham. Carl happily taught at Western Washington University for 26 years. Evelyn also continued her hospital-based career as an RN and then joined the university, managing WWU student health operations for more than a decade. Carl and Evelyn retired from Western in 1985. The highlight of their retirement was the volunteer opportunity to manage a fast-pitch softball team in New Zealand. Every year for nine years, Carl and Evelyn spent three to six months in Wanganui, New Zealand, working with the team and becoming thoroughly acquainted with the country. They also traveled to Mexico, Japan and Greece. In 1994, Evelyn suffered a major stroke. Carl was with her every day until she died in 1998. Until their respective ends, both Evelyn and Carl maintained a positive attitude toward life, knowing that aging and finally death are a part of the human condition. Even after incapacitation, they each set wonderful examples of how to live life. Carl is survived by his children, Mary L. Witt (Middleton, WI), Jean C. Andresen, wife of Vic (Monrovia, CA) and Carl J. Schuler (Seattle, WA). He is also survived by his brother, Fred (Olympia, WA), Fred's wife Lili, and their children Jennifer, Conrad, Barbara and Claudia. The family wishes to thank Badger Prairie Health Care Center (with special appreciation to Carrie and to nurses, Ellen, Greg and Toni) and HospiceCare, Inc. for their end-of-life care. We are so very grateful for the year that Carl was able to live at All Saints Memory Care of Madison, WI. We thank Greg and Carol, owners; Carla, administrator; Nicole, the Memory Care nurse, and all of the Memory Care staff, with special gratitude to Robyn, for her loving attention to Carl. We also wish to recognize Ami Ruggiero RN for the dedicated care she provided to Carl this fall during his multiple hospitalizations at UW Hospital and Dr. Matt LoConte for his palliative care counseling. Private burial services were held on Dec. 4 in Monumenta Cemetery in Lynden under the care of Gillies Funeral Home & Cremations Services of Lynden working with the assistance of Cress Funeral Services of Madison, WI. Family and friends will remember Carl (and Evelyn) in celebrations of their life in the weeks and months to come. Those wishing to honor Carl (and Evelyn) may want to send a contribution to the Carl and Evelyn Schuler Scholarship Fund, in care of Dr. George Mariz, Western Washington University, Department of History, Bond Hall, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA. 98225.