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Nafex members and Guests. Bill Schulz passed away last Friday. Bill and I were like Father and Son. I was introduced to Bill at a Home Orchard Society function back in 1990. From that day forward Bill and I traveled to most HOS events, tours, and scion/fruit shows. Bill and I also roomed at the NAFEX convention at Portland in 2001.

 

Dan Ester

Eugene, Oregon 

 

 

William T. Schulz

Feb. 27, 1921 — Sept. 21, 2007

Bill Schultz was born in St. Paul, Minn., on Feb. 27, 1921. He was a Boy Scout and received the Order of the Arrow. After graduating high school in 1939, Bill spent one year in the College of Forestry and then joined the Canadian Army Royal Canadian Corp of Signals attached to the Queen’s own Cameron Highlanders. He received an honorable discharge to protect his American citizenship.

Bill continued his college education at the University of Minnesota, majoring in industrial education and graduated in 1945. He joined the 517 Army Ordinance in the fall of 1942. He landed on the Omaha beach head as a .50-caliber machine gunner. During the Ardennes Offensive — the Battle of the Bulge — he was injured, and was then sent to audit American military records all over the European theater of operations. He considered this auditing experience the highlight of his military career.

After World War II, he returned to Minnesota, married Marion Radke in 1947, and soon after, moved to the Medford area in southern Oregon, where he taught high school and industrial arts. Prospect was his favorite school.

He had a passion for horticulture, especially unusual fruit such as kiwis, paw paws and figs. Grapes were his specialty and the Glenora grape, a seedless variety, was a favorite. He once had the largest private collection of grape varieties in Oregon. He was a past president of Home Orchard Society. Once, as vice president of the North American Fruit Explorers, he hosted the first meeting ever held west of the Mississippi River.

Bill loved to feed cracked corn to wild birds each day. The band tailed pigeon was a favorite, as well as turkeys and doves. He was also a strong supporter of wolves and enjoyed helping Lois White who operates the White Wolf Sanctuary located in Tidewater.

Bill is survived by his wife, Marion Schulz; sons Dietrich Schulz and Martin Schulz and his wife, Karen; and daughter Stephanie Schulz and her husband, Larry.

In recent years, he received care at Heart of the Valley, and he could never say enough good things about his stay there. Weekly, he attended Grace Center for Adult Day Services, and looked forward to this highlight each week. He also looked forward to his visits with the staff and volunteers from Benton County Hospice. Their care made it possible for him to remain at home with his plants and birds for as long as possible.

Contributions can be made in lieu of flowers to Benton County Hospice, Grace Center for Adult Day Services, Benton County Humane Society and White Wolf Sanctuary in Tidewater.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at Westwood Community Church, 23319 Greasy Creek Road in Philomath.

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