John William Schammel, 95, passed on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, at Our House Memory Care in Austin, Minnesota, where he had been a resident for the past three years.

Born on June 4, 1924, John had attained his 95th birthday in June of this year. He was the third child born to William John Schammel and Teresa Mary Schammel of Rose Creek, Minnesota.

John spent all of his working years managing the family farm near Rose Creek. He had a strong repertoire of skills for harvesting crops, producing diary and poultry products, hog production, and machinery maintenance. John never married, so he had to perform all his farming tasks alone. The days were long and strenuous, especially during the growing season, not leaving much time for travel or recreation.

After many years of hard work, John finally had some time for travel and fun. With his friend, Margaret Nyrard, he enjoyed a variety of trips throughout the U.S. He even learned square dancing. They also spent a good deal of wintertime in Arizona. One thing that John always did, while farming and during retirement, was keep a calendar with notes on the weather, local events, and his activities. His recording of the Minnesota weather is especially interesting with comments such as “No sun for days,” “Too damn cold,” and “Cloudy all day”.

John is survived by four of his siblings, Veronica Schober of St. Paul Minnesota, Madeline Burzinski of Austin, Joe (Irene) Schammel of Rose Creek and Kenneth (Marilyn) Schammel of Cornelius (Charlotte), North Carolina. John was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers, Clem, Jerome, and Ralph.

Funeral services will be held at Queen of Angels Church in Austin

on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. Before the service, an urn of John’s remains will be available for prayer and meditation starting at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to a luncheon at the church following the service. Graveside service and burial will be at the Rose Creek Cemetery immediately following the luncheon. Donations for masses are welcome.