William "Willie" Schuler

William F. “Willie” Schuler, 77, of Dupree, died peacefully at home on Monday, September 12, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. MDT, Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Dupree, with Fr. Matthew Fallgren officiating. Burial followed at the United Eagle Butte Cemetery. Visitation began at 6:00 p.m., with a 7:00 p.m. prayer Friday, September 16, 2011 at the church.

Willie was born on January 6, 1934 at Hillsview, SD to Jacob and Helena (Barth) Schuler.  He was the fourth child born to them.  He lived there with his family until 1944 when the family moved to Eagle Butte and his dad became the manager of the Eagle Butte Coop Elevator.  Willie learned the grain elevator business from his dad and started out by sweeping the floors for him.  He attended school and completed one year of high school.

He was busy helping his dad in the elevator and doing some farming on shares until he entered the US Army on October 6, 1955.  He was in communications and served as a lineman in Germany for fourteen months.  He also worked as an interpreter while he was in Germany.  After his discharge on August 26, 1957, he returned to Eagle Butte and resumed elevator work and farming.

In 1963, Willie started working for Silverman Sales & Service in Dupree.  His own elevator career began on April 1, 1964, when he became the manager of the Bagley Elevator in Dupree.  In 1969, Lawrence and Virginia Woodward bought this elevator and it was called Woodward Grain Co. He worked for them until 1972 when he took the job of manager of the Eagle Butte Coop Elevator in Eagle Butte.  This was the same elevator he worked in with his dad for many years.  He was the manager of this elevator for sixteen years and then decided to do something different for awhile. 

In 1988, he started driving a semi “over the road.”  He and his son, Gary, were team driving.  After traveling all over the US for two and a half years, he decided he wanted a job that would keep him closer to home.  On July 16, 1990, he became the manager of the Ridgeview Grain Co. in Ridgeview, SD.  He retired from that job on January 15, 1998.  Over the years, he received awards from Carey Salt, Hubbard, and Livestock Energy Systems, Inc.

Willie and Twila (Zacher) were united in marriage on July 1, 1961, at the All Saints Catholic Church in Eagle Butte.  They went to Yellowstone National Park for their honeymoon and threw snowballs at each other on the fourth of July.  They made their home in Dupree and became the parents of four sons and one daughter. 

Willie is survived by Twila, his wife of fifty years; sons, Gregory (Barbara) Schuler, Sioux Falls, SD, Kenneth (Regina) Schuler, Grand Forks, ND, Gary Schuler, Dupree, SD, MSgt. Michael (Dahn) Schuler, Nashville, TN; daughter, Lisa (Walter) Griffith, Sioux Falls, SD; one brother, Jacob Schuler, Gettysburg, SD; one sister, Rosetta Simon, Eagle Butte, SD; one sister-in-law, Florence Schuler, Eagle Butte, SD; thirteen grandchildren: J. Daniel Shepherd III, Sioux Falls, SD, Jon Griffith, Sioux Falls, SD, CPL Tyler (Towauna) Schuler, El Paso, TX, Ashley Schuler, Grand Forks, ND, Heather Schuler, Grand Forks, ND, Katie Schuler, Sioux Falls, SD, Madison Ann Schuler, Watertown, SD, Dylan Griffith, Sioux Falls, SD, Isaac Schuler, Watertown, SD, Mackenzie Shuffield, Nashville, TN, Sarah Schuler, Sioux Falls, SD, Noah Schuler, Watertown, SD, and Madison Schuler, Nashville, TN.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters and one brother in infancy, and his brother, Norman.

Willie will be remembered for being a hard worker all his life.  He was especially proud of his children and grandchildren.  He thoroughly enjoyed driving pickups, tractors, combines, and “eighteen wheelers.”  After retirement, he and Twila traveled to many places and he was happy to say that he had been in all fifty states.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and his laugh will be greatly missed.

Active pallbearers are Dennis Neigel, Jim Schuler, Jake Schuler, Charles Vrooman, Loren Vrooman, and Charles Serbousek.  Honorary pallbearers are all of Willie’s relatives and his many special friends.  Mary Harris will be the organist and special music will be provided by Phoebe Lemke. 

A memorial has been established for Countryside Hospice, 200 E Dakota Suite 1, Pierre, SD 57501.

Luce Funeral Chapel of Eagle Butte has been entrusted with Willie’s arrangements.