Jean M. Schlueter

Jean M. Schlueter, 87, of St. Paul died Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at Brookefield Park in St. Paul.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Palmer.  Reverend Thomas Clark will officiate.  Interment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Palmer.

Visitation will be on Sunday, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the church.

Memorials are suggested to the family’s choice.

Greenway Funeral Home in Palmer is assisting the family.

Jean was born November 3, 1930 in Merrick County near Palmer to Ted and Nellie (Hiett) Rutten.

She attended grade school in Merrick County District 31 and 36.  Jean graduated from Palmer High School in 1948.  She then attended Normal Training School in Kearney.

Jean taught two terms in grade school in Merrick County.

She was united in marriage to Gus (Fritz) Schlueter in Palmer on January 6, 1950.  The couple lived on a farm near St. Paul for most of their married lives.

Jean was an absolute ball of energy, hosting family events and enormous feasts with flair. She filled children and grandchildren to the brim with delectable stews, delicious soups, and ice tea strong enough to eliminate blinking for a week.

She loved mystery novels, big band music, rowdy card games, and trees full of winter cardinals. She witnessed the occasional farmstead calamity, including a burning barn, overturned tractors, and bumps and bruises associated with mothering seven active kids.

She was a seasoned negotiator at the family’s melon stand in St. Paul, amassing enough coinage to fund annual Colorado vacations for her entire clan. Her children still joke that the station wagon rode especially low from the cache of canned goods she stashed beneath the seats.

Her involvement with Legion activities spanned the decades, and she never missed a chance to support Veterans or the troops. Her kitchen table was heavy with poppy contest posters from local school children, and the St. Paul Legion Club bears a legendary photo of Jean with an impressive bee-hive hairdo.

Jean will be terribly missed and fondly remembered for being a good friend, welcoming hostess, and the hub of her large, very active family.

She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Palmer, the Carl Mogensen American Legion Auxiliary Unit 119 in St. Paul and she was associated with the 40 & 8 organization.

Survivors include her children and their spouses, Sue (Gary) Beckner of Blair, Jim Schlueter of Colon, NE, Carol (Ed) Stepanek of St. Paul, Jane (Tim) Boehle of Grand Island, Joe Schlueter of Ault, CO, and Sam (Tam) Schlueter of Hastings; twelve grandchildren, Randy Beckner, Bonny (Beckner) Markgraf, Jason Stepanek, Sarah (Boehle) Pool, Michael Boehle, Brett Schlueter, Gregg Schlueter, Morgan (Schlueter) Alder, Tarah Schlueter, Tyler Schlueter, Mason Schlueter, Tess Schlueter and their families; 18 great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers, Janice Kurz of Palmer, Joyce (Bud) Hunziker of Colorado, Ted (Barb) Rutten and Bill (PJ) Rutten all of Palmer and Janell Rutten of Central City.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gus (Fritz) Schlueter on March 27, 2014; a son, Fred Schlueter; grandson, Bill Stepanek; sisters, Joan Milan and Juanita Marie.