Kenneth Schoettle 12/07/2020

River Falls, Wisconsin—Kenneth Leroy Schoettle, 85, of River Falls, Wisconsin, passed away on December 7th, 2020 at his home. Ken was born on October 11, 1935, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and was the youngest of seven children. When Ken was only two, his father passed away and he was raised by his mother with the help of family members and his older siblings. He attended parochial grade school and graduated from Regis High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Further education included MIT and a degree in Education at UW-River Falls.

On January 10th, 1956 Ken followed his brothers Wally and Bill and brother-in-law Dick to the United States Coast Guard where he spent four years on many ships. His favorite destination was Alaska. Over the years Ken has shared numerous stories about his Coast Guard experiences and regarded this time as one of the highlights of his life. His wife, Betty, would later say that this time was a, “four year vacation.”

On leave from the Coast Guard, Ken spent some time working on a family farm owned by Bill and Ellen Pritchard. Upon returning to the farm after a period of time, he was reacquainted with Bill’s daughter, Betty. And as they say, the rest is history.

Ken and Betty were married on September 24, 1960, and soon filled their house with five girls and two boys. Over the years, others were welcomed into the home as foster children.
Ken worked at Univac in St. Paul as an engineer along with many other jobs. He attended UWRF and attained a degree in Education. He taught middle school science for 23 years and retired at the age of 58. Ken also served on the board for the Town of Troy as a clerk, was a first responder and worked for St. Croix Electric.
Ken and Betty were members of St. Bridget’s Catholic Church for over 50 years and served in many capacities. Church was always a big part of the Schoettle life where Sundays meant dressing up, jumping into the station wagon and going to church.

When mentioning Ken, people are reminded of him being son, brother, husband, father, teacher, friend, as well as woodworker. So many people in this area have “Schoettle” pieces in their homes from one of the many craft shows Ken and Betty held in their barn. Even now, if you need any wood, I think Ken has some.

Ken is survived by his children: daughter Jodi (Greg) Ellious of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, daughter Beki (Tom) Morrow of River Falls, WI, daughter Traci (Dean) Borchardt of River Falls, WI, daughter Bobbi (Mark) Sebesta of Eau Claire, WI, daughter Juli (Mark) Cota of Red Wing, MN, son Anthony (Angela) Schoettle and son Troy Schoettle, both of River Falls, WI. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren and 8 greats. He is preceded in death by his wife, Betty of 60 years, his brothers Wally, Bob, Bill, Jim Schoettle and his sisters, Jean Loesch and Doris Adams.
The family would like to extend their appreciation to the staff of Adoray, who helped keep him comfortable in his last days at home.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Monday, December 14, 2020 at 11:00 am at St. Bridget Catholic Church in River Falls. Visitation was also Monday from 10-11 am at the church.  Military honors were provided by American Legion Post #121 of River Falls. Arrangements are with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.

Click here to watch Ken’s recorded memorial 12/14/2020