John Edward Schloss, December 14, 1924 - January 20, 2005
John Edward Schloss, 80, died Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005, in Regional Medical Center, Manchester. Memorial services 11 a.m. Monday, Grace Episcopal Church, Cedar Rapids. A reception will follow at the church. Burial: Cass Township Cemetary, Strawberry Point. The Rev. Paul Fuessel will officiate.
Military honors by American Legion Hanford Post No. 5.
Survivors include his wife, Mercedes; a son, Danny (Terry) of Oshkosh, Wis.; a son, Timothy (Deborah) of Strawberry Point; a son, Joseph (Debra) of Spencer; and a daughter, Karen (Brian) Schloss of Dubuque.
He is also survived by three brothers, Herman and Roger, both of Cedar Rapids, and Richard of Hiawatha; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, five sisters and a great-granddaughter.
John was born Dec. 14, 1924, in Cedar Rapids, the son of Herman and Katherine Sommers Schloss. He married Mercedes Eischeid on July 6, 1948, in Cedar Rapids. He served in the Army during World War II from 1943 to 1946. John owned and operated an A&W franchise from 1959 to 1978, which later became Danny's Burgers until he retired. He enjoyed woodworking and played semi-pro baseball with M&J League in Cedar Rapids and the St. Louis Browns farm team.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.
Arrangements by the Cremation Society of Eastern Iowa.
posted by In Memory of John Schloss | 5:53 PM
13 Comments:
From Dennis Schloss (John's nephew, son of Herman and Dorothy Schloss)
I am sorry to hear that John died. Of courseI remember the motel and the root beer stand and the move theater in Strawberry Point, but I have a lot of memories of John before that. I remember him in Burlington visiting with us and with Aunt Pat and even before that I remember visiting John and Mickey, was it on 8th Avenue? And I remember visiting Cedar Rapids from Albert Lea and John was working as a printer, you took me to the shop once. I am sorry he's gone. We'll light a candle, about all we can do from here.
APPLE PIE That is what I always remember about Uncle John. We would pull up to the A&W and when the carhop took our order we would send an "apple pie" in with her. Uncle John always knew who was out there then. Mom would never think about going to Strawberry without it.
Shirley Eischeid
I have now known this family for about 5 years. Within those 5 years I have come to love every single one of you. The #1 reason that I first came to love Grandpa John was his harmonica. I first heard him play when he was sitting in his living room. He had just met me and given me my first, of many, Grandpa John hugs. I don't remember the tune he played but I remember him loving every minute of it. He was so Happy that day. Over the next 5 years I grew to love him even more for his big heart, his love for our family, and for his stories.
With all my love,
Jennifer Schloss
I'm his granddautgher, Rose. He used to listen to me play the chello, or teach me to play the harmonica, or just talk to me.
I write about the old Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League where John Schloss was assigned in the Spring of 1946. He was with the Pittsburg, Kansas Browns for a few weeks. Nearly a half-century after that I did resarch on that league and have written some books about it and published a montly newsletter.
After much searching I located John and he was thrilled to be remembered and we shared a lot of stories not the least of which was his love of the St. Louis Browns.
Although we never met personally I felt I had a friend in Strawberry Point. Our affiliation although only through the mail was nonetheless something special. John Hall--Columbia, Missouri jhall03@midamerica.net
From Elwood Paul, Friend
Hi Mickey
Nancy and I both thought the service was great.John would have been proud of Karen and her daughters singing,We thought they were great.Especially when Karen sang her solo.They have good voices.The whole family is a closely knit family.Take care and we will be seeing you.
Edge PS I was proud too have John as my friend.
From Mark Dickey, Nephew
We were so sorry to hear of John's passing. He was an awesome man; kind, always upbeat and interested in what was going on in our lives. I will always remember our visits when I was young. John would give us a 1/2 gallon of cold A&W Rootbeer, we would go sit under a tree iun the shade and watch our bellies grow big as we would guzzle down the ice-cold drink. I have told that story to many of my friends over the years. It is a memory I will always cherish.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family always. Our wish is that you will find comfort and peace in knowing John is with our Heavenly Father.
Love, Mark, Anita, Philip and Erica Dickey
Tom and Helen Mann, Friends
There are no words that we can think of that are sufficient to express how we feel for you and your family over John's death. This is a time we all dread-- not because we are afraid of death-- but the dread of separation until we meet our loved one again. You and John have been an inspiration to all who have known you. John loved his Lord, his Church, his wife and family, and his country, and he never wavered.
My own earliest memory of John was as a young married woman serving Mass at Grace Church for the first time. I knew that Catholic churches had altar boys but I didn't know that grown men served on the altar, too. There were John and Herman, big, strong and husky, floating about the altar like well-oiled machines, never missing a beat. My Tom always said a good acolyte is one who isn't noticed because he does hs job without calling attention to himself. And that was John and Herman. I'll always remember them that way.
The Manns and Schlosses go way back and I m grateful that I have known so many of you. Tom and I have njoyed our friendship with you and John. I'm sure that had we not lived 75 minutes apart, we would have shared more fellowship. Thank you for your friendship and may God bless you and keep you healthy and safe in the palm of His hand. You are in our thoughts and prayers and are only a phone call away.
We love you all,
Tom and Helen
As I sat down to write a few words I recall times in years past. I guess going back over 25 years. My family used to come out to see my folks who lived on a farm over by Edgewood. We stayed at their motel and, of course, got to know the whole family. Our family probably looked forward to visiting with John, Mickey and the kids almost as much as we did going to the farm.
They were always doing little extra things for us. We certainly were treated like family.
I still recall the flavor of the root beer in those frosted mugs. Those were the good times!
Don't get back to the area more than a few times a year, but always tried to go by and see John & Mickey. We never solved any of the world problems but, we enjoyed discussing them. It was just a good feeling saying Hi to old friends.
We are all getting older and most of us will not leave more than a memory for those still here, but if it's a good memory, I think the life was worth it.
John will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Wally, Arline, Kelly and Sally Taken
Barry Schloss, nephew, read this eulogy from Roger Schloss, youngest brother, at the memorial service:
Roger Schloss, my father wrote this. He is in Florida for the winter. He doesn't like to fly anymore and his prospects of driving back in the recent storms weren't too good. I'm Barry Schloss, his eldest son; I got the job of reading this for him. I do not have his permission to change anything. I have not changed anything.
Time is the value of life. Everything is divided into time. Indeed to have time is to have life it's self.
A time to live, a time to save ones soul from hell, a time to rejoice, a time to help a fellow human being or a helpless animal. A time for a caressing touch, to help natures attempt to make the world a place of beauty.
We all have time in equal amounts. We are all giving an unknown amount of time, yet, without ending.
I scratch these words on a sheet of notebook paper in 1966 when they occurred to me. I came across them recently and typed them into my computer. Why I did this is a mystery to me.
I'd like to mention some of the "time" things I remember about my brother, John. His life here on earth, as Abraham Lincoln might say, was four score years and thirty-eight days.
Most of us here knew John our whole lives. We loved him, cheered for him and at times felt sorry for him now we mourn because of him.
I'll try to be brief:
My first watch was a Croton, waterproof, shock resistant with a glow in the dark dial. John gave it to me in 1946 when he got out of the Army. All I had to do was keep his shoes polished and shined. A straight business deal, with no time limits. We both lived up to the deal. After a few weeks he said I had kept my part of the bargain and I no longer had to polish and shine. Whata brother!
About that same time Tucker's Auto Salvage sponsored a baseball team in the Cedar Rapids M & J League. Our brother Paul was the playing manager, but John was the real athlete of the family and he did the catching for the ball team, and a lot of the hitting too. I was the batboy. I think my nephew, Lou Dickey, thought he was the batboy, maybe he was, but this is my story. One day we where so short of players we couldn't field a team so they put me in right field. What a day! My cap was too big, my shirt covered my overhaul pants (yes, that's what we called jeans in those days)and I had to borrow a glove, but we were ready to play. Poof, there go my dreams! It started to rain! Game called off! Darn!
John sensed my disappointment we stopped at Mekrase (MacCrase)Ice Cream on First Avenue on the way home, he bought me a "Hot Fudge Sundae." That was a lot better than the five-cent cone we usually got, if indeed we even stopped. Whata brother!
John played professional baseball for the St. Louis Brown's organization in Missouri and Kansas. He was a very good athlete. He loved sports. I was always very proud of his athletic prowess. Whata brother!
Another time, about 1978 or 79 my son was playing college baseball at Daniel's Park in Cedar Rapids. It was a beautiful day. John went out of his way to go with me to the game. We watched and enjoyed, reminisced, even had a hot dog. I asked, "What could be better than this?" He replied, as the opposition rapped the ball to left field, "To have your nephew throw a runner out at home trying to score from second base." And it happened just that way. John was prouder then I was. He not only had the play diagnosed he was calling a play just like Harry Carey would. Whata brother!
John was nine years older then I. As youngsters we looked a lot a like. I've seen pictures of John at about age ten to twelve that I can remember having been taken of me. Whata brother! (So much in common.)
If you needed John's time you got it. John was very fortunate to have his love ones cut from the same material as he. Mickey supported John in every possible way just as he supported her. They had excellent children, why not they were excellent parents.
"The Root Beer Stand."
When we were growing up a five cents Root Beer on a Sunday afternoon at an A & W drive-in was about as good as it gets. Our parents didn't even have a car so getting there was half the problem; the other half was the nickel. When John & Mick bought the A & W Root Beer Stand and Backbone Motel, well my gosh we had a Root Beer Stand right in our family. I know every family member and old friend that went to Strawberry Point left full-- for free. John would give it away free and Mickey would stand there shaking her head-- up and down. Agreeing. How many little nephews and nieces and others that age enjoyed his generosity we'll never know. But I know the joy he got was equal to the joy they got.
John & Mickey always help others. Even when John's health was on the wane they still took their turn delivering meal on wheels. They also manufactured small crucifixes, with the help of our brother, Dick. By the hundreds they gave these little pocket reminders away to anyone that desired one. I have three, one on my desk, one in our car and one in my pocket. Soon I'll have a fourth one, because Mickey told me he was working on some when he passed on and she plans on finishing them. I want one of them she said I could have one. That's my brother. Giving 'til the end. Whata man.
I cannot close without expressing my deep admiration to Mickey. She was with John always, especially the last years when his health life seemed to be in the hands of others. She got him to the VA, she got him to Dubuque, she got him to Cedar Rapids, and she got him to the nearest hospital. She nursed him at home. No one could have done more.
I think there aren't any saints on earth, but it is my belief we all personally know at least one in heaven.
John's life was a celebration. Let's keep that celebration going. Thanks for this great opportunity. Roger
Herman Schloss, brother, gave a beautiful eulogy at the service, and this is what he has to say now:
I did not have any notes, probably would have done a better job.
What I said was that John was more like a son than a brother and I told a few of the things we did growing up, and about the time Roger and I took him to the VA's and the officer who stopped us thought they were taking me to the VA.
Another one I forgot to tell was when John came home on leave from the Army and borrowed my car. And then phoned up one morning and said he was going to leave in a few hours to go back to base, I asked him where my car was and he said it's parked over on Bowling street, with two flat tires.
We had lots of fun growing up, together. John lived with us one summer in Burlington, he was working in the hospital. And even after John and Mickey were married we stayed close. I remember the many times they came to Burlington with Dan and Tim and we would go to Crapo Park for picnics. I remember the time we went to a state park and got lost on the way home and ended up in St Paul, Iowa. It was over a hundred degrees and we were all thirsty. We found the town well and looked forward to a good drink,but it just sputtered a little water and then went dry.
Good memories.
From Lou Dickey, Nephew:
Memories -- long ago and often:
I remember:
* 220 Wilson Avenue
* A dog handler in the U.S. Canine Corps
* A ditch being dug on 30th Street for a new sewer
connection at my parents' house
* The best darn baseball catcher a kid
could ever know
* A wedding -- and later the birth of four children
* The best A & W rootbeer brewer there ever was
* And most of all, the telephone call on Wednesday
evening, January 19, 2005, wanting to know how
everyone was,
* And now, I will miss the wonderful man who shaped
these precious memories.
Your family's been much on my mind this week ever since Pete told me of John's passing. He was the model of what I consider a really good-hearted man. So many little stories come back at times like this, but strangely, I think I remember most how well he used to sing at the drive-in when things were a bit slow-- he really had a wonderful voice and it certainly carried well off of those walls. I also remember a time in high school when we were all trying to fund-raise for the school by doing a car wash. I think it was Kay Busse and one of the Chevalier girls who was washing his car and when they were done he gave them a hard time about missing a spot and wanted to see the job done right. When it was done right, he said, "Oh, and by the way, there's a gallon of root beer in the back seat for you guys." I've often thought about how appropriate that message is for our young people today, when so many of our students get "passed through" with A's to preserve their self-esteem and some of my classes are the first time in several years they've had to work a little harder to make the grade.
I can certainly relate to how health issues make life complicated. I've certainly appreciated from afar the patience and care you've shown for him these past years. I hope it's some comfort, too, to see how some of that joy of life and spirit that he carried with him reflected in so many different ways in your family now. Others of us learned a lot from John; sometimes it's even taken a few years to realize we learned it.
Take care of yourself. You're in our thoughts.
Phil Wood, former employee and friend
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