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Melvin J. Schauer
07/05/1935 — 09/27/2007
From Desert, Aire, WA, US | Born in Luster, MT
Melvin J. Schauer
Mel Schauer, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother & friend, our special papa, left us to join our Lord on September 27th, 2007. Born in Luster, Montana on July 5, 1935, he was one of seven children of John & Anna Schauer.
Mel grew up on a Montana farm where he learned the value of a hard day’s work and the love that all the outdoors had to offer such as hunting and fishing. It was at Simms High School that he met his true love and bride of 50 years, Betty. They were married June 15, 1957, in the Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Falls.
Mel dedicated his career to education. After graduating from Montana State University in 1958, Mel taught in Dutton, MT and then spent two years on active duty with the Army on station in New Orleans. He retired from the National Guard in 1966 as Captain and commander of the Colville National Guard, which was recognized as the top Guard Unit in Washington while under his command. Mel taught and coached basketball, football & track at Colville High School before moving to Richland in 1967. At Richland High School, he served as the athletic director, coached football, basketball and taught math. He eventually became Vice Principal at both Richland & Hanford High Schools and retired from the school district in 1992.
Mel loved creating with his hands, whether it was the oak mantel above the fire place, the hope chest at the foot of the bed, the huge garden of fruits & vegetables or the retirement home for himself & Betty at Desert Aire. You could always count on him showing up at the house with a load of apples, melons, or various vegetables.
Mel was preceded in death by his parents, John & Anna, and his sisters Lorraine Duram and Esther Haugen.
Those who knew Papa well know that he cherished his family. It was what truly made him happy. He was always proud of the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren and would usually work them into most any conversation.
He is survived by his wife Betty, three children Rick Michelle Schauer, Lori Dennis McCord, and Gary Lori Schauer and five grandchildren Ryan McCord, Calli McCord, Danielle Schauer, Rachel, Schauer, and Matthew Schauer, his brothers Rocky KenniAnn Schauer and Bob Kay Schauer, and his sisters Jody Carl Howald and Lydia Doc Duram. His family and friends miss him very much.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 6th at 2:00 PM at Richland Lutheran Church, 901 Van Giesen Street, Richland, WA 99354.
The family invites contributions to be made in the name of Mel Schauer to either: The Sagebrush Senior Center, P.O. Box 1234, Mattawa, WA 99349 or The Service and Leadership PTSA Scholarship at Richland High School, 930 Long Ave, Richland, WA 99352. Question about this scholarship can be directed to Calleen Antilla at 509-628-8586.
Dear Mrs. Schauer, Lori, Dennis, Ryan and Callie,
It was a pleasure to have had Mel as my vice principal at RHS when I started teaching here 23 years ago. I was in a new town and had a teenager and two little ones to take care of. He always had a smile for me. His warmth made our school a special place to work at, and it made my every day go smoother. I have one anecdote from way back when… My Lisa who graduated in ’86 decided to skip out of PE earlier than usual with her girlfriend. Mel found out, talked with her and with me of course, I about killed her. His “punishment” was — go help your mother in whatever she needs both she and her girlfriend did just that. We were getting ready for a foreign language fair so their help and Mel’s advice were invaluable.He was the one who calmed me down… and I thought it was a great lesson for my Lisa. He was a class act! My David sends you his love, Ryan. He knows how much your grandpa means to you. We all know how much he means to ALL of you. I am so sorry for your loss! I will see you Saturday! The good thing is that all of you have Mel in you so he will never be gone. He will live through each of you. My love, delia gonzalez and david gonzalez
Schauer Family:
I met Mel while I was working at Fox Orchard in Mattawa,I had on a Malta Montana shirt, he asked how I got that Montana shirt, telling him I was from Malta, he told me that his college roommate was Glenn Flatt, the football coach for Malta back when I was in school. From that day on we were good friends. He was a good man and will be missed alot.
Prayers to you all,
Debi Crain
Betty,
Our very deepest prayers and condolences are with you and your faimly.I remember Mel and you from our high school days at Simms High School,
Friend and class mate.
Sincerely,
Bertha Anderson Lake & Husband Floyd
I was shocked to read of Mel’s passing in the paper today. My condolences and prayers go out to Betty and all of Mel’s family.
I first met Mel in the fall of 1988 when he was assigned to be an assistant principal at Hanford High School. I soon came to know Mel not only as my supervisor, but as a friend. I will always treasure the memories that I shared with Mel both professionally and personally.
I recall the summer of 1989 when Mel and I, along with two other teachers from Hanford High spent the week at the Hilton Hotel in Seattle attending a conference on study skills. We worked hard during the day and enjoyed the time off during the evening. One evening while we were in Seattle, Mel treated me to the only professional baseball game I have ever attended. It was in the days when the Mariners still played in the King Dome. We had a great time.
I appreciated Mel’s sense of humor and his willingness to help anyone in any way he could. I know that there are countless students, teachers, and athletes who are better people for having known Mel. I count myself as one of those people.
Thanks, Mel, for all you did for me to help shape my career. I think of you from time to time in my position as an assistant principal in Moses Lake.
Mike Nordsten
Betty,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this time of deep sorrow.
The first time we met Mel was when he walked into our backyard the first week we moved into our new home. I was putting our new barbeque together, he introduced himself, sat down and helped me finish the job. When he left he told us to get involved in Desert Aire and help make it better. Since that day 3 1/2 years ago, Nancy and I have gotten involved in the community. I have never forgotten what Mel said to me that day.
Betty and family, We will truly miss Mel. When we first moved to Desert Aire, Mel greeted us at our home with fresh corn. Over the eight years that we knew him, he was always giving us fresh produce. I will never forget the first Frostbite tournment dinner and Mel provided bags of potatoes and onions for the raffle. We had so much fun that night laughing when it was our turn to pick up the potatoes when our raffle ticket was drawn. Mel always had a smile for us and Desert Aire lost a wonderful gentleman.
Betty,Rick, Lori,Gary and families
We were so sorry to read of
Mel’s passing. He was a very
caring and nice man. Richland
High was very lucky to have
had him. He certainly was
a help for us when we had the
exchange students. He had a
good sense of humor and was
always very fair.
We will keep you all in our
thought and prayers as you go
through this difficult time.
Lori & family, Our deepest sympathy and prayers at this difficult time…
what a legacy left by such a faithful man…
A loving man, a giving heart,
That was Mel from the start.
A wonderful father with keen understanding
And with his hands, he was quite outstanding.
A faithful husband with a tender smile,
You could always count on him to walk the extra mile.
A loving grandfather sharing with all he knew,
Hell be sorely missed, we know thats true.
As years passed by his body grew frail,
But his faith stood firm, never to fail.
Then early one evening he slipped away,
Into the hands of Jesus, the angels did say.
His gentle ways, his tender touch
Will always remind us
he cared so much.
Adapted from a poem by Susie May
Dan & Jan Slagle
Dear Betty and family,
The service for mel was lovely. Please know that our memories of Mel will forever remain of a vibrant, energetic friend, colleague and neighbor. If I had told a story today, it would have been of my Father-In-Law’s view of him……”First damn teacher I ever met who knew much beyond books”. Ralph was a journeyman electrician, not much impressed w/ the likes of my domestic abilities….or Staringer’s or Burleigh’s for that matter. We were a pretty pathetic bunch as far as he was concerned, considering that our mechanical skills were near zero in his estimation. Then he met Mel. After surveying the work done on the Douglass place, he was suddenly smitten w/ the notion that not all school teachers had to be “dumb shits.” Mel did alot to rekindle my Father-In-Law’s faith in public education. For that and so many other things I will always be grateful.
Love,
Jim and Dorothy
Our condolences to your family. I was happy I had the chance to work with Mel at Richland High. I felt he was a great administrator who went all out for kids. Mel was a straight shooter. I felt he was a good leader. He was willing to work harder than anyone else to get the job done. I know I will remember him for a long time.
mel and i went deer hunting when we were both 15 yrs old
we went to the top of long butte south of simms we jumped a buck and he went straight douwn the side of the butte mel finly hit him when he jumped the fence at the bottom about 300/400 yds when he started to get up i shot him in the head
when we got to him he was just laying there. the game wardens had been giving tickets out if you didn’t tag the deer right away. we proped our guns on the fence
and mel taged him. about this time mister deer jumped up and ran over the hill out of sight. we ran got our guns when we heard a shot and knew some one had shot him
we knew the man that shot him and he said it was his deer mel said no it isn’t it’s got my tag on it. the guy said boys if you can run fast enough to tag him you can have him.when we looked at his head i shot thru both ears about a 1/2 inch above his head and it had knocked him out any way we did get the deer
bernie
Dear Schauer Family,
We were so saddened to hear about the passing of your wonderful husband, father and grandfather. We are sorry we were not able to attend the memorial service. He is a great man and we feel confident that you will all be with him again one day. We are in Richland because of his influence in hiring VerNon. What fun it was to attend wrestling matches with Mel. He was a friend and a mentor for the years he worked at Richland High School. We enjoyed many parties at your home and enjoyed some of Mel’s recipes. Especially the tortilla’s with a fried egg on top. We learned about grape growing and vines and enjoyed his garden between the railroad ties. His sense of humor made my job more fun, and his advocacy on my part with parents and faculty as well as young people made my job good rather than bearable. Seeing his love of young people helped me be an advocate for them when no one else seemed to want to. We enjoyed watching Calli and Kaylene participate in sports and have fun together and were grateful for the good job you two did raising wonderful children who raised wonderful children to be our children’s friends. No one can replace Mel. Our fond memories of him and your family are precious to us. May our loving Heavenly Father bring you peace and comfort at this difficult time. Love, VerNon and Susan Merkley
I was so sorry to hear this mornig that Mel had passed away. Mel was my crop insurance adjuster. The first time I met Mel was a few years ago before his health problems. What a likeable guy! He made me feel so totally comfortable with his personality and his knowledge of the crop insurance procedures. I looked forward to his visits and always felt like he was an honest man full of integrity and sharp as a tack. I didn’t know Mel as an educator, but I do know that it was his love. Some how every conversation that we had turned to education. I will miss this great man and his happy countenance. It will be difficult taking his name off my cell phone contacts address book. To his family please except my condolences. There are few people as good as Mel Schauer. I will miss him. Thank you for sharing him with me.
Dear Mrs. Schauer, Lori, Dennis, Ryan and Callie,
It was a pleasure to have had Mel as my vice principal at RHS when I started teaching here 23 years ago. I was in a new town and had a teenager and two little ones to take care of. He always had a smile for me. His warmth made our school a special place to work at, and it made my every day go smoother. I have one anecdote from way back when… My Lisa who graduated in ’86 decided to skip out of PE earlier than usual with her girlfriend. Mel found out, talked with her and with me of course, I about killed her. His “punishment” was — go help your mother in whatever she needs both she and her girlfriend did just that. We were getting ready for a foreign language fair so their help and Mel’s advice were invaluable.He was the one who calmed me down… and I thought it was a great lesson for my Lisa. He was a class act! My David sends you his love, Ryan. He knows how much your grandpa means to you. We all know how much he means to ALL of you. I am so sorry for your loss! I will see you Saturday! The good thing is that all of you have Mel in you so he will never be gone. He will live through each of you. My love, delia gonzalez and david gonzalez
Schauer Family:
I met Mel while I was working at Fox Orchard in Mattawa,I had on a Malta Montana shirt, he asked how I got that Montana shirt, telling him I was from Malta, he told me that his college roommate was Glenn Flatt, the football coach for Malta back when I was in school. From that day on we were good friends. He was a good man and will be missed alot.
Prayers to you all,
Debi Crain
Betty,
Our very deepest prayers and condolences are with you and your faimly.I remember Mel and you from our high school days at Simms High School,
Friend and class mate.
Sincerely,
Bertha Anderson Lake & Husband Floyd
I was shocked to read of Mel’s passing in the paper today. My condolences and prayers go out to Betty and all of Mel’s family.
I first met Mel in the fall of 1988 when he was assigned to be an assistant principal at Hanford High School. I soon came to know Mel not only as my supervisor, but as a friend. I will always treasure the memories that I shared with Mel both professionally and personally.
I recall the summer of 1989 when Mel and I, along with two other teachers from Hanford High spent the week at the Hilton Hotel in Seattle attending a conference on study skills. We worked hard during the day and enjoyed the time off during the evening. One evening while we were in Seattle, Mel treated me to the only professional baseball game I have ever attended. It was in the days when the Mariners still played in the King Dome. We had a great time.
I appreciated Mel’s sense of humor and his willingness to help anyone in any way he could. I know that there are countless students, teachers, and athletes who are better people for having known Mel. I count myself as one of those people.
Thanks, Mel, for all you did for me to help shape my career. I think of you from time to time in my position as an assistant principal in Moses Lake.
Mike Nordsten
Betty,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this time of deep sorrow.
The first time we met Mel was when he walked into our backyard the first week we moved into our new home. I was putting our new barbeque together, he introduced himself, sat down and helped me finish the job. When he left he told us to get involved in Desert Aire and help make it better. Since that day 3 1/2 years ago, Nancy and I have gotten involved in the community. I have never forgotten what Mel said to me that day.
Betty and family, We will truly miss Mel. When we first moved to Desert Aire, Mel greeted us at our home with fresh corn. Over the eight years that we knew him, he was always giving us fresh produce. I will never forget the first Frostbite tournment dinner and Mel provided bags of potatoes and onions for the raffle. We had so much fun that night laughing when it was our turn to pick up the potatoes when our raffle ticket was drawn. Mel always had a smile for us and Desert Aire lost a wonderful gentleman.
Betty,Rick, Lori,Gary and families
We were so sorry to read of
Mel’s passing. He was a very
caring and nice man. Richland
High was very lucky to have
had him. He certainly was
a help for us when we had the
exchange students. He had a
good sense of humor and was
always very fair.
We will keep you all in our
thought and prayers as you go
through this difficult time.
Lori & family, Our deepest sympathy and prayers at this difficult time…
what a legacy left by such a faithful man…
A loving man, a giving heart,
That was Mel from the start.
A wonderful father with keen understanding
And with his hands, he was quite outstanding.
A faithful husband with a tender smile,
You could always count on him to walk the extra mile.
A loving grandfather sharing with all he knew,
Hell be sorely missed, we know thats true.
As years passed by his body grew frail,
But his faith stood firm, never to fail.
Then early one evening he slipped away,
Into the hands of Jesus, the angels did say.
His gentle ways, his tender touch
Will always remind us
he cared so much.
Adapted from a poem by Susie May
Dan & Jan Slagle
Dear Betty and family,
The service for mel was lovely. Please know that our memories of Mel will forever remain of a vibrant, energetic friend, colleague and neighbor. If I had told a story today, it would have been of my Father-In-Law’s view of him……”First damn teacher I ever met who knew much beyond books”. Ralph was a journeyman electrician, not much impressed w/ the likes of my domestic abilities….or Staringer’s or Burleigh’s for that matter. We were a pretty pathetic bunch as far as he was concerned, considering that our mechanical skills were near zero in his estimation. Then he met Mel. After surveying the work done on the Douglass place, he was suddenly smitten w/ the notion that not all school teachers had to be “dumb shits.” Mel did alot to rekindle my Father-In-Law’s faith in public education. For that and so many other things I will always be grateful.
Love,
Jim and Dorothy
Our condolences to your family. I was happy I had the chance to work with Mel at Richland High. I felt he was a great administrator who went all out for kids. Mel was a straight shooter. I felt he was a good leader. He was willing to work harder than anyone else to get the job done. I know I will remember him for a long time.
mel and i went deer hunting when we were both 15 yrs old
we went to the top of long butte south of simms we jumped a buck and he went straight douwn the side of the butte mel finly hit him when he jumped the fence at the bottom about 300/400 yds when he started to get up i shot him in the head
when we got to him he was just laying there. the game wardens had been giving tickets out if you didn’t tag the deer right away. we proped our guns on the fence
and mel taged him. about this time mister deer jumped up and ran over the hill out of sight. we ran got our guns when we heard a shot and knew some one had shot him
we knew the man that shot him and he said it was his deer mel said no it isn’t it’s got my tag on it. the guy said boys if you can run fast enough to tag him you can have him.when we looked at his head i shot thru both ears about a 1/2 inch above his head and it had knocked him out any way we did get the deer
bernie
Dear Schauer Family,
We were so saddened to hear about the passing of your wonderful husband, father and grandfather. We are sorry we were not able to attend the memorial service. He is a great man and we feel confident that you will all be with him again one day. We are in Richland because of his influence in hiring VerNon. What fun it was to attend wrestling matches with Mel. He was a friend and a mentor for the years he worked at Richland High School. We enjoyed many parties at your home and enjoyed some of Mel’s recipes. Especially the tortilla’s with a fried egg on top. We learned about grape growing and vines and enjoyed his garden between the railroad ties. His sense of humor made my job more fun, and his advocacy on my part with parents and faculty as well as young people made my job good rather than bearable. Seeing his love of young people helped me be an advocate for them when no one else seemed to want to. We enjoyed watching Calli and Kaylene participate in sports and have fun together and were grateful for the good job you two did raising wonderful children who raised wonderful children to be our children’s friends. No one can replace Mel. Our fond memories of him and your family are precious to us. May our loving Heavenly Father bring you peace and comfort at this difficult time. Love, VerNon and Susan Merkley
I was so sorry to hear this mornig that Mel had passed away. Mel was my crop insurance adjuster. The first time I met Mel was a few years ago before his health problems. What a likeable guy! He made me feel so totally comfortable with his personality and his knowledge of the crop insurance procedures. I looked forward to his visits and always felt like he was an honest man full of integrity and sharp as a tack. I didn’t know Mel as an educator, but I do know that it was his love. Some how every conversation that we had turned to education. I will miss this great man and his happy countenance. It will be difficult taking his name off my cell phone contacts address book. To his family please except my condolences. There are few people as good as Mel Schauer. I will miss him. Thank you for sharing him with me.
Principal Schauer was one of the most influential people in my life. My teens were troubled and he encouraged me. He even nominated me for “Turn-around Student of the Year” for Rotary in my Senior year. I feel blessed that he was there to touch my life in such a positive and significant way. My sympathies to his family.
I have appreciated that Mel has always made it a priority to get our class together for reunions.
I suspect that he has blessed many through his unselfish efforts and will be remembered for a long time by his many friends.
My wife Cynthia and I express our condolences to Betty and all of the family and wish you the best always.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Gerva and Marion
Because of Mel’s encouragement,support and faith in me I left Chewelah High School and was hired at Richland High, spending the next 30 years doing what I loved. He was an inspiration to me, and I enjoyed working for him and with him in education and crop-insurance adjusting. He was among the best. My sympathy goes out to his family who has to love him very much.
Please accept my heart felt sympathy for your great loss. I have so many fond memories of “Mr. Schauer” as a coach, friend and principal. I know he will be missed by many as “Papa”, a father, a husband, a brother and friend!
To Betty and family, our Deepest Sympathies. Mel was a true friend that is missed dearly. Life in Desert Aire will never be the same without Mel’s smiling face and giving ways!
Betty & Family: Both MaryJane and I want to express our heart felt sympathy in your loss. One of the great things about living at Desert Aire is meeting people like Mel. One of the bad things about living here, is losing folks like Mel.His contributions in the form of his handy work,ideas,and strong will, is going to be greatly missed by the community,
Our prayers to Betty and family. Mel was one of a kind and will be truly missed. We were blessed to have known such a giving man. The gifts on our door step will be missed during the summer months as well. Scott,Michelle,Carson,Miranda
Dear Betty& Family:
As well as being deeply missed by his family; Mel will be missed by the entire Desert Aire community. His civic and community contributions are too numerous to list. Our thoughts & prayers are with all of you. The Boyles.
Betty and family,
Our prayers are with you in this time of loss. I met Mel in 1976 as a young teacher. He was the first principle that would let me unload it all in his office and it stayed there. His wise suggestions were a genuine help to this young teacher. I enjoyed our time both in and out of the school. Sorry I missed the service, was on the coast Saturday. Was glad to visit with Mel at the taco feed and catch up.
Sincerely:
Mike and Bev Thrasher
Guestbook for
Melvin J. Schauer