L. Eugene Schulke
L. Eugene Schulke, 94, of Correction-ville, passed away on May 31, 2023.
A funeral service was held on June 13, 2023 at the Church of Christ of Correctionville with the Pastor David Hall officiating. Burial was at the Correctionville Cemetery of Correctionville. The Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Correctionville was in charge of the arrangements.
Eugene Schulke was born June 9, 1928 in Cushing, Iowa to Lester Otto and Grace Ellen (Fullerton) Schulke. He attended rural school and graduated from Anthon High School in 1946. He also graduated from the Electronic Radio Television Institute in Omaha, Nebraska in 1949.
He married Claudia McCleerey July 6, 1952 and was baptized January 9, 1955 in the Correctionville Church of Christ. They lived in Correctionville until August of 1989 when they moved to Storm Lake, Iowa. They then became members of the Storm Lake Church of Christ until it closed in July of 2015 and transferred their membership to the First Church of Christ in Cherokee in July of 2017.
Eugene was employed by Slater Electric, the Mobile Gas Station and the Correctionville Market until accepting a position at the Corn Belt State Bank as a bookkeeper in 1952. He held all the offices, becoming the Executive Vice-President in1985. In 1986 he then became the Vice-President of the First Trust and Savings Bank in Galva, Iowa. He retired from banking in 1989 and began working for Buena Vista Mutual Insurance Co. in Storm Lake as an insurance adjuster and agent, semi-retiring in 1992.
He continued to work part-time for BVM until December 31, 2001 when he retired. He also operated an Electronic Repair Shop from his residence in Correctionville from 1959-1975. The couple moved to Storm Lake in 1989, then to Sioux Falls, SD in 2019 and in February 2022 they moved back to Correctionville.
While living in Correctionville he was treasurer and served on the school board. He also served on the town council, was a past-president of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Correctionville Housing Corporation and was instrumental in the re-opening of the Correctionville Building Center and served on the board as chairman.
Gene served as a deacon, elder, trustee and chairman of the board of the Church of Christ. He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Blue Lodge of which he was a past Master, the Consistory and the Abu Bekr Shrine.
Gene enjoyed the outdoors and spent much of his time in his workshop working with wood, tools and doing repair work. He enjoyed visiting with people and valued their friendship.
Survivors include his wife, Claudia, two sons, Roger Eugene (Bobbi) of Sioux Falls, SD and David Claude (Geraldine) of Billings, MT; three grandchildren Valerie Marie, Rebecca Lynn (Ryan) Grothe and Beth Ann (Nathan) Walstrom , 2 great-grandchildren, Isabelle Grace and Madelyn Rayna Grothe, 6 nieces and nephews, several cousins and a special niece who always kept in touch, Donita (Schulke) Lane.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother Donald Dean Schulke and one sister, Esther Jane Watt and her husband, Gene.
Memorials can be given to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Online condolences can be made at nicklasdjensenfh.com
