Ethel Mae Schneberger

Ethel Mae Schneberger age 96 of New Hampton, IA, died Monday, September 29, 2025, at Bartels Lutheran Home in Waverly.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Holy Family Parish, New Hampton, with Rev. Chris Podhajsky celebrating the Mass. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, New Hampton.

Friends may greet the family 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton where there will be a 4:30 p.m. rosary open to the public. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at the church on Saturday.

Ethel Mae Schneberger was born December 2, 1928, on the family farm near St. Lucas, IA, the youngest of eleven children born to Alphonse & Elizabeth (Reicks) Huber. She graduated from Lawler High School in 1945. In 1963, she graduated from Upper Iowa College in Fayette, IA.

Ethel Mae married Kenneth Schneberger on December 28, 1950. The couple initially lived near Festina and Jerico for a time then made their home in Alta Vista for many years until moving to New Hampton for the later years of their lives. The couple had four children, Diann, June, Lynn and John. Ethel Mae's tenants in life were her religious faith, providing for her family, serving others in the community and being outgoing and generous to all those she encountered.

Ethel Mae had a natural curiosity and loved to learn. She was a strong, hard working woman and shared her knowledge with her children. She would have loved being a pioneer and travel across the old west in a wagon train. Ethel Mae began her teaching career in 1954, first teaching in country schools near Lawler. Ethel Mae retired in 1995, after teaching 36 years in Alta Vista and New Hampton. She taught many different grades, with kindergarten being her favorite. She loved being a teacher and every one of her students was special to her. She referred to her kindergarten kids as her little sweeties.

She is survived by her children; Diann (Dennis) Brillon of Cour d'Alene, ID, June Schneberger of San Antonio, TX, Lynn (Dean) Campbell of Waverly, John (Jennifer Koehler) Schneberger of Ankeny; grandchildren, Theresa (Alan) Stalnaker, Elizabeth (Jesse) Wenisch, Anthony (Chelsey) Campbell, Laura (Jesse) Barber, Rachel Schneberger; six great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth; brothers, Art (Catherine) Huber, Henry (Hilda) Huber; sisters, Marie (Leo) Wenthold, Alma (Greg) Uhlenhake, Phyllis Lechtenberg, Lorraine Fisher and four siblings that died in infancy.