Kenneth Schultz
Kenneth Robert Schultz, was born on July 25, 1948, in Neillsville, to Robert and Angeline Schultz. He was their second child and their first son. Little Kenny spent most of his childhood on the north side of Marshfield in a house built by his parents at the corner of E. Edison Street and N. Cherry Avenue. As a child, he enjoyed spending time in the woods at what is now Braem Park. He also spent time at his grandparents’ farm in the town of Weston in Clark County, on the west side of the Black River. He learned to hunt deer with his father, and he was there when his father shot the biggest buck of his life. During his teenage years, he had a German shepherd named Lucky, a dog which would later ride with him on his snowmobile (I think I have seen photographic evidence of this). During high school, he spent one school year living with his aunt and uncle, Howard and Joyce, and attended Neillsville High School that year. Later, he graduated from Marshfield High School in 1966 at the age of 17. During high school, Ken excelled in woodworking and did well in his math classes, from what I understand.
Sometime after high school, there was a time when Ken went to Colby to watch a wrestling match and go to the local root beer stand. While there, he met a lovely young lady named Claudette Kuehling, who was a year younger than him. They began dating, and eventually, they were married in May of 1968, when they were both 19. They bought 40 acres of land on Romadka Road, six miles north of Granton, where they lived in a small trailer house.
Around 1969 or 1970, they undertook the very ambitious project of building a large split-level home on that property, doing most of the work themselves, with some help from friends, while they were both working at full-time jobs. They moved into the house, which was unfinished, just before their first child was born in April of 1974. They continued to work on the house until it was finished, while at the same time, they added two more children to their family.
In 1978, Ken Schultz and a partner, Kenny Miller, purchased a business which they called “Ken’s Siding Specialists.” The business specialized in aluminum siding, and later, vinyl siding, as well as seamless aluminum rain gutters. They also installed soffit, fascia, awnings and replacement windows. Eventually, Ken bought his partner’s share of the business and became the sole proprietor.
Sometime in the 1970s, Ken began his long and storied career as a bear hunter, using a .44 magnum lever action rifle which I now call “The Bear Slayer.” Of course, he had to work at his regular job since bear hunting doesn’t pay very well (in fact, it costs quite a bit). Around 1985, Ken shot the largest black bear taken in Taylor County that year, an accomplishment of which he was proud. He had a great hunting dog named Big Red, who was the leader of the pack. Around that time, Ken took his older son, Kevin, on a bear hunting trip to Canada, where Kevin shot his first bear. Once while in Canada, Ken hired a float plane pilot to help him locate and retrieve one of his best dogs, Pebbles. He helped his younger son, Randal, shoot his first bear in Wisconsin in 1993.
During the 1980s, Ken achieved two of his hunting goals by shooting a bobcat in Wisconsin and a mountain lion in Colorado. Years later, he would travel to Colorado again to shoot his first elk. All along the way, Ken went deer hunting in Wisconsin every fall, just like every other able-bodied Wisconsinite who is capable of bearing arms against those wily whitetails. Ken taught his daughter, Crystal, to hunt deer at Bob and Angie’s farm, and she earned the nickname “Crystal Annie Oakley” for her skill with a .243.
Unfortunately, Ken and Claudette divorced in 1988, and Ken moved to Marshfield, where he would spend the next 30 years. Ken married Barbara Simonson (nee Weyer) in 1992, and became the stepfather of Barb’s daughter, Sara. Ken and Barb moved to a house just north of Marshfield around 1995, and·later, around 2005, they purchased a nice new home between Marshfield and Stratford. During this period of his life, Ken enjoyed boating and waterskiing at the Holcombe Flowage, south of Ladysmith. He learned to waterski on one ski, and he continued to waterski until he was well into his fifties.
During this era, Ken and his friend, Roger Krogstad, made two trips to Africa to hunt big game, such as gemsbok, kudu, impala and warthog. Ken also made trips to Iowa, Colorado and South Dakota to hunt coyotes, elk and deer.
In October of 2008, Ken was severely injured in a bad fall while installing rain gutters, along with one employee. His lower back was broken and he underwent surgery to fuse three of his vertebrae. By God’s grace, Ken was able to recover well enough from this injury to return to work and continue to run his business. Unfortunately, in June of 2011, Ken had another bad fall and was injured even more severely. In this accident, his back was broken again, and he sustained severe damage to his feet and ankles. Once again, by God’s grace, Ken was not paralyzed and he was still able to walk after a long recovery, although he was partially disabled for the rest of his life. In 2012, Ken sold his business to Scott Bauman, who continues to run it today.
During his retirement, Ken and Barb began to spend the winters in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., where they purchased a second home. Ken did a lot of fishing during this time. Unfortunately, Ken and Barb divorced in 2018 and sold their house in Arizona, as well as their home near Marshfield. In 2019, Ken purchased a log home north of Hawkins, near the Flambeau State Forest, which was the fulfillment of a life-long dream. In fact, during an earlier time, Ken had begun the process of building a log cabin, but he was not able to finish the project due to his work injuries. During the final five years of his earthly life, Ken enjoyed spending time at his log home during spring, summer and fall, watching the wildlife and watching “Molly B’s Polka Party” on TV. During the winter, he lived in Stanley with his friend, Diane Meyer, who took care of him until he entered a nursing home in November of 2023.
During his final eight months, Diane, Roger and Ken’s brother, Mike, continued to visit him regularly at Colonial Health and Rehabilitation in Colby. Ken’s daughter, Crystal, was instrumental in managing Ken’s personal business and his healthcare during frequent hospitalizations.
Ken was a long-time member of the Marshfield Rotary Club and the Marshfield Elks Club. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and waterskiing, watching Packers football, baseball and NASCAR, attending hunting banquets, collecting firearms, eating apple pie, and making up his own lyrics to popular country music songs. He also enjoyed traveling and vacationing in Mexico with Barb. He was fond of dogs throughout his life, and he developed a special bond with his daughter’s dog, Copper, during his time spent in the Southwest in his later years.
Kenneth Robert Schultz died peacefully on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 9:33 p.m., at Colonial Health in Colby. He was surrounded by his brother and his children. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Angeline Schultz, by several aunts and uncles, and by his second wife, Barbara Simonson. Ken is survived by his sister, Mary Ellen Ule (Frank) of Marshfield; his brother, Michael Schultz, of Marshfield; three children, Kevin Schultz (Sarah) of Burns, Colo., Randal Schultz (Evie) of Hutchinson Kan., and Crystal Blaha of Hurricane, Utah; a stepdaughter, Sara Turner (Wes) of Altoona; five grandchildren, Codie Duty (nee Schultz), Kyla and Kelsie Blaha, and Lucy and Jemma Schultz; two step-grandchildren, Collin and Ella Turner; and four great-grandchildren. Ken is also survived by his caring friend, Diane Meyer of Stanley; one nephew and two nieces, and by a number of relatives and friends. Ken had a sense of humor and he had many stories to tell. He will be missed by his family and friends.
A Celebration of Life gathering was held on Aug. 31, 2024, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Loyal Sportsman’s Club. Ken’s body was cremated and his ashes were buried in the town of Weston cemetery near Christie, near his parents, and just a few miles away from the generational land where he first learned to shoot, hunt and fish. He will be missed by those who knew him well.
~By Randal Schultz
PAID OBITUARY 160826
