Schwarte, Martin (“Mert”) (1928 - 2017)

SCHWARTE, BOOTH, ESSER, EPPERLE, SCHILTZ, SULLIVAN, KAUFMAN

Posted By: Denise Wurner (email)
Date: 11/15/2017 at 13:02:12

Name of deceased: Martin “Mert” Anthony Schwarte

Aged: 89 yrs, 4 mo, 16 days

Residence: Westphalia, IA

Born: June 9, 1928; Westphalia, IA

Died: Oct. 25, 2017; Rose Vista Retirement Community, Woodbine, IA

Funeral services: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017; Pauley Jones Funeral Home, Harlan, IA; burial was in St. Boniface Cemetery,
Westphalia, IA

Survived by: Children, Randall (spouse, Mona) Schwarte of Westphalia, IA, Wayne Schwarte of Earling, IA, and Mary Lea Booth of Westphalia, IA; 10 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; sisters, Caroline Esser of Woodbine, IA, and Margaret (spouse, Jerry) Epperle of Bellevue, NE; nieces; nephews; other family members and friends

Predeceased by: Parents, William and Mary Ann (nee Schiltz) Schwarte; wife, Peggy Schwarte; son-in-law, Randall Booth; siblings, Herman Schwarte, Joseph Schwarte, Msgr. Michael Schwarte, William Schwarte, Sylvan Schwarte, Marie Sullivan, Raymond Schwarte, and Bernice Schwarte

Education: attended St. Boniface Catholic School, Westphalia, IA, through Grade 8.

Religious affiliation: baptized and confirmed at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Westphalia, IA

Military service: Drafted into the U. S. Army in Feb. 1951, and served in the 47th Infantry Division, a medical company; he was trained as an infantry med aid. A year later, he was made Sergeant and was sent to Korea. He was honorably discharged in March 1953, having received several awards for his service, including a Medical Badge, Korean Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, and the United Nations Service Medal.

Marriage: Catherine E. Kaufman (“Peggy”); April 10, 1956; St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Earling, IA

Employment: After leaving school, he joined his family working on the farm owned by his brother, Sylvan. He also spent a summer with his brother, Bill, working at Holy Rosary Indian Mission in South Dakota. Mert also worked for Evans Construction Company, installing light poles for the R.E.A. and Iowa Public around Harlan, Panama, Portsmouth, and Council Bluffs, IA. After completing his military service, he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a telephone and telegraph lineman, then as a carpenter for Knudsen & Brothers; next, he worked at Omaha Steele, and finally worked at Regal Towels until he retired in 1994.

Hobbies/Interests: no information provided

Sources: harlanonline.com; kjan.com; pauleyjones.com