James Schneberger

Thursday, January 11, 2024 4:33 pm

James Schneberger, age 94, of Calmar, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, at Wellington Place Nursing Home in Decorah.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 304 South Maryville Street, Calmar, with Rev. Donald Hertges presiding.  Burial will be in the church cemetery with full military honors.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m., on Tuesday, Jan 16, 2024, at the Helms Funeral Home, French Chapel, 202 South Washington St., in Calmar, and also after 10 a.m. at the church Wednesday morning.

Jim was born at his home near Festina, Iowa, the fifth child of thirteen born to Hubert and Albina (Huinker) Schneberger on Nov. 29,1929. He was baptized in faith by Reverend Rubly and received his education by attending St. Mary’s school in Festina and Calmar High School. James grew up on the family farm just south of Festina. Besides working on the home farm, he worked as a farmhand for many other farmers in the area. If not on the farm you could find him playing baseball with the Festina town team or out hunting squirrels or fishing with his dad and brothers.

He joined the Army in February of 1953 with basic training at Fort Riley, Kans. After Counterintelligence (CI) and Airborne training, he was stationed at Fort Campbell, KY, with the 11th CI Detachment as an Intel Analyst. He was Honorably discharged in February of 1955.

Upon his return to the area, Jim started working at Calmar Manufacturing as a general worker. After taking a correspondence course from UNI in drafting, he moved into the position, at the factory, as their draftsman. He stayed in this position, except for a few years as an estimator, until he retired in 2001.

Jim met his future wife, Alma Schmitt, at the Inwood Ballroom in Spillville in 1952, where they both loved to dance. He made several trips back to Iowa, when on furlough from the Army, and became engaged in 1954. They married on June 23, 1955, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in St. Lucas, after his honorable discharge from the Army. To this union one child was born, Dean. In their early years of marriage Jim and Alma spent a lot of time at numerous baseball games as Jim was a member of the Festina baseball team as either the shortstop or catcher. They were avid golfers and members of the South Winn Golf & Country Club. In later years Jim and Alma went on numerous bus trips to Branson and to different out-of-state casinos.

After Alma’s death in 2001, Jim’s love of golf comforted him, and you could find him almost daily golfing at the SW Country Club. When not on the course, he usually had the Golf channel on at home. Woodworking was a great comfort too. He spent numerous hours working in his friend’s shop making intricate wood carvings. Card playing was also big on his list. Jim enjoyed cards at the Country Club and would go home disappointed if there were not enough players at the club. When his grandchildren were old enough, they spent time playing cards with him whenever they visited. In addition, love of reading was evident by the stacks and stacks of books that could be found in his house.

Jim was an active member of St. Aloysius Church. He was a lector, sacristan, and choir member for numerous years. He was a member of Halverson Giesen Legion Post 266 of Calmar. He was honored to be able to go on a NE Iowa Veterans trip to Washington, DC, in 2011 and to receive his Quilt of Valor in 2017.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Alma; parents: Hubert and Albina; brothers: Kenneth, Robert, LeRoy, and Paul; sisters: Alice (in childhood), Agnes Butterfield, Germaine Schneberger, and Marie Hanken; brothers-in-law: Milo Zumach and Vern Hanken; sisters-in-law: Anna Mae (Robert), Audrey (Gerald), Lori (Paul) and Germaine (Nicky deceased) Winter.

Jim is survived by his son, Dean, and wife, Marie; gandchildren: Jamie (Kelly) of Predmore, Minn., Candice Easton of Davenport, and Russell of North Liberty; great grandchildren: Xavier and Hazel Easton and Hattie Schneberger; brothers: Gerald of Venice, Fla., and Duane of Twin Falls, ID; sisters: Margaret of LaCrosse, Wis., and Lois of Tempe, Ariz.; sisters-in-law: and Ethel Mae (Kenneth) of New Hampton, and Marcie (LeRoy) of Fort Atkinson.