James “Jim” Schuler, age 92, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of hard work, ingenuity, devotion to family, and steadfast love at the Kathy Hospice in West Bend.
Jim was born on the farm near Tripp, South Dakota to Philip and Agnes (Heihn) Schuler on February 24, 1934. He attended school in the Tripp, South Dakota area. In his youth, he spent his days helping and working in a variety of ways on the family farm.
After enlisting into the Army in 1955, Jim was stationed in Germany. After two years of service, he was honorably discharged in 1957.
After he was discharged, he worked on the Fort Randall Dam in Fairfax, South Dakota as a truck driver and paver operator for Lindekugal Construction Company. After that he was employed at Les Williams Chevrolet Garage as a mechanic.
In April of 1958 he married the love of his life, Bettie. Together they shared 68 years of marriage and blessed with three children.
In 1965, he and his growing family moved from Tripp to West Bend, WI. He was employed at the Gehl Company as a machinist and CNC operator. He retired from Gehl in 1996. In retirement, he enjoyed woodworking and had a booth at several craft fairs.
Due to a great deal of self-taught skills, he could fix just about anything. He built a mini dozer, a woodchipper, and many more things from scratch and spare parts.
His favorite hobbies related to his love of the outdoors and spending time “up north” on his land in Marinette County. He loved deer hunting and was successful many times.
Of all his loves, family was his greatest love. Every Wednesday night was “pizza night” and every Sunday evening was the night to prepare a meal for the entire family. His love and dedication were especially evident during the last two years of his life, when he faithfully and tenderly cared for Bettie as her health declined.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his four brothers; Clifford, Milford, Delton, and Charles.
He is survived by Bettie, his wife of 68 years; children, Cathie, Terry (Elizabeth) and Tammy (Greg) Perkins; his four grandchildren, Spencer, Dylan and Mara Perkins and Abigail (Alan) Christianson. He is further survived by a sister, Mary Lou (Eugene) Ritger and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
James will be remembered for his quiet strength, his resourcefulness, his love of the outdoors, and, above all, his unwavering devotion to his family. His memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.
The family will gather for a private graveside service at Washington County Memorial Park.