A Memorial Mass for Daniel N. Schnettler, 61, of Lawrence, KS will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Cremation is planed.
Daniel died on Friday, December 24, 2010, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. He was born on September 17, 1949, in Sheboygan,WI, the 1st son of Jerome and Joan Schnettler.
He graduated in 1971 from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, with a degree in business. Throughout his life he lived in Wisconsin, Illinois, California, Tennessee, Texas, and Kansas. Dan was employed at Millis Transport and was an over the road truck driver for them for 11 years. Throughout his 31 year career, he drove more than 4.5 million miles.
He married Cheryl Wallace on May 24, 1980 in Milwaukee, WI. They celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year, she survives of the home.
Other survivors include two sons, Ty, Livonia, Mich., and Jaimie, Fort Worth, Texas; two
daughters, Mya Sapien and husband Stewart, Denver, and Moriah Lindsley and husband Daniel,
Lawrence; four grandchildren, Avalin and Blake Sapien, and Sean and Chester, Lindsley; two
brothers, William and wife Patti, Neenah, Wis., and Kurt and wife K’Ann, Appleton, Wis.; and his
parents, Appleton.
The family suggests memorials to Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, PO Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Online condolences may be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com.
My sister and her family, Dan’s family and all who knew him, lost a wonderful man on 12/24/10. My brother-in-law was a true “stand up” kind of guy with a great sense of humor, a huge heart and the first one to help anyone in need by literally giving you the shirt off his back if there was a need to. He was a wonderful husband and father to his family. He is and will be terribly missed, but I know he is now in perfect health and has true happiness in heaven and will, when our time comes, be waiting for us to join him there.
Love You Dan,
Karen
I heard of Dan’s passing from my Dad … I am so sorry for his loss. While my memories of the Schnettler clan go back almost 40 years, when we lived next door on Cloverleaf Lane, they remain fond ones. Our prayers are with Dan’s family for peace and hope.
I remember when we were younger and listening to Dan at the ‘teen bars” outside of Milwaukee. Dan how did you go from Jimi Hendricks and the Beach Boys to Frank Sinatra?
Just know Dan I got you under my skin.
I love you and will miss you greatly.
Cathy
When I first met Dan in high school I remember thinking, “wow, Mya has an awesome dad!” Whenever I spent time at the Schnettler household we always had fun and Dan was typically the one making us all laugh. He would say, “girls, you behave yourselves and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” as we walked out the door. Mya and I would burst into laughter cause we knew he had a good time as a teenager too! He had a way with all the kids and let them know he meant business but that soft side of him always broke through on some level.
Dan will be greatly missed but his spirit and love will be remembered by all.
With love,
Lisa
From the moment I met Dan, I knew he was unlike any person I had ever met before. His happiness, love of life, and personality was truly one in a million. I feel blessed to have known him and honored to have him as my father in law. His values were impeccable, his love for others was unparalleled, and his family was always his priority.
He taught me many things about marriage and family, most of which I never experienced in my own family growing up. He truly embodied all of the qualities I hope to have for me and my family.
Dan will be missed by all who were blessed to be his friends, his family, or the countless strangers he met that he was able to put a smile on their faces with his wonderful personality. His love for life and genuine care for others showed in everything he did.
Although Dan is now in heaven looking down on all of us, I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart for giving me his blessing to marry his daughter, Mya, and to have her family as part of our life together. His legacy, compassion, and happiness clearly lives on in all of them.
I love you Dan.
Dear Cheryl, I was so sorry to hear of Dan’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I will remember his stories and laughter when we all met for Stewart’s graduation in Georgia.
Take care and God Bless.
Irene
Cheryl,
Dan is loved by so many people and will be so deeply missed by many, but none as deeply as you. May God give you all the strength and peace you need.
We have so many wonderful times to look back on which will remain with us forever. We only wish we could have had more. What we had was quality and more laughs than anyone could imagine.
Bob is so thankful for his friendship over the years,and there will be an empty spot in the world without him. His instantaneous and infectious laughter will be in his heart forever.
You are in our thoughts and prayers daily!
Much Love,
Lin and Bob
Cheryl,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I’ll always remember Dan by his wonderful smile.
Paul and Robin Schnettler & family
Jerry & Joan and all the members of your family. What a shock this has been for all of us. Although we did not have the opportunity to see Dan and his family in recent years, we will always rembmber him as a kid growing up and the times we saw him at Grandma’s birthday parties. Our sympathy to all of you. All my Love, Aunt Catherine
Cheryl, We are so very, very, sorry for your loss. Our toughts and prayers are with you, and your family. I remember tslking with you those late nights at work and how your face would light up when you spoke of your children, grandchildren and especially Dan, and I hope that while you will certain miss him so so much he has a legacy in his and yours family to celebrate. We love you very very much and are here if you need anything.
Charles & Peter
Cheryl & family, We are so sorry to hear about the loss of Dan. Even though we will not be able to make it to the service on Thursday. We are lifting your family up in our prayers. We will plan on coming to see you sometime in February or March.We love you very much Ron & Trish McCarthy
We were sad to have received Mya’s e-mail today about Dan. We are so sorry for your loss and you all are in our prayers.
If there is anything we can do please let us know.
God bless you all.
Dave
Cinda
Hunter
Dear Cheryl and family: We were so saddened to hear of your loss of your husband. May it comfort you to know that you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. He holds a very special spot in our heart. These memories will sustain us in our loss of a special cousin.
Prayers,
Jim & Phyllis
Dear Cheryl and family,
I am very saddened and shocked to hear of the passing of Dan at this still young age of 61 years. My heart goes out to Cheryl, the children and his parents and slblings. Even though I haven’t seen Dan in years, I remember him as a smiling, friendly and talented man from Dan & Cheryl’s early married years in Milwaukee. I spoke to Cheryl on the phone only two weeks ago. You are all in my prayers!
Oh Cheryl, I am so very very sorry for you and your family’s loss. My prayers are with all of you. Just know you have lots of friends in Texas that love you so much. I am so very sorry. I love you so very much. Terry
I am deeply saddened by the news of Dan’s passing. His smile and wonderful laugh will live on in my heart. He always had a special twinkle in his eye. Lifting you all up in our prayers.
Love,
Cousin Julie
Dear Joan and Jerry, and your entire family,
I am so very saddened to hear of cousin Daniel’s death. Although our paths did not cross often in recent years, I have many fond memories in living color of Dan from my tweens and teens. He was the ultimate cool older cousin: He was a really cute guy, he was ALWAYS smiling, he played guitar in a band, and he was into fast cars! At that time his music preference was in the Beach Boys genre! Dan was such a great host at his parents’ back then, giving mini guitar lessons, house tours, shooting the breeze, and letting us watch his band practice in the garage! I saw Dan a few years ago here in Mequon at a family gathering. He was still smiling! My heart goes out to you.
Love,
Gretchen Werner Schuttey
To have known Daniel Schnettler was a gift. He was one of the kindest & happiest souls I have ever met. He was always willing to help wherever he could & you could count on him to give you the straight honest answer, even if no one else would.
He had so many wonderful stories. He told us about his parents said he was the happiest baby & how he used to just sit in the corner grinning. He told us about seeing Jimi Hendrix live, about his Hemi Cuda & about the life lessons he learned while at Kmart. His stories about driving over the road were as widely varied as the places he traveled to.
He loved being a truck driver. Not because it was a glamorous job or because it was befitting of his degree, but because it let him drop all pretenses, be himself and to travel all over the nation (and sometimes, grudgingly, in Canada). He’d drive late at night listening to talk radio, tuned in to the blues station on XM or CNBC covering the Asian markets to plan his next trade. And he was always so happy to come home & see his family.
He was a guitarist, who in his younger days played in his own gigging rock band, slinging his Fender Jaguar while he & his band played in their suits. He introduced to countless artists, including guitarists like Joe Bonamassa & Walter Trout whom he’d spent hours listening to in the truck. And he always talked about setting up dueling Marshall stacks in the garage once he retired so we could play some 12 bar blues in style, with him on his bright red Fender Strat.
You can’t talk about Daniel without talking about his family. He loved Cheryl dearly and all of his children just as much. He was so proud of Ty, Mya, Moriah & Jaimie for all their different qualities. He went out of his way to try to make sure they all had the best start he could, and never stopped giving. And to my family, he was “Bapa”, the name my boys chose for their grandfather early on. They loved his visits as much as he did, especially playing with their toy cars with him & riding in his big pickup truck. And the day he took them to see his semi truck was the happiest I’d ever seen them.
To Dad S, wherever you are, we miss you. I will forever wonder what could have been, all the things I looked forward to you getting to do. Whether it would have been going to a NASCAR race with the boys, relaxing in the house with Mom or driving that Shelby that was supposed to one day sit in your driveway, they are all things I regret I will never see. I will miss your stories & laughing with you at family times. I will miss all of the Monty Python, Austin Powers & Christmas Vacation jokes. I hope you are in a better place, knowing full well that you enjoyed living in this world every chance you got. You set a high bar and I only hope I can live up to your standard. We will love you always, Bapa.
To all of Uncle Jerry’s family my DEEPEST condolences. I was one of dan’s cousin’s and Uncle Jerry is my godfather so I was the sister to all those boys in that family and I sometimes joke that I could have been the princess in that family of men. I was really shocked and saddened to hear of Dan’s death. Our family has had to overcome some hard times and this is another chapter. When I think of Dan I thought of his kindness, gentleness, positive outlook on things and just him being Dan. I remember trips to Plum Lake when we were really little and he would hang out with us, some of the Grandma Schnettler Bday parties when again he would hang out with us, putting up with his cousins but he always seemed to enjoy it, and that is what I will always remember. Dan we will miss you hold open the pearlly gates for us I know you are with everyone else in heaven we need a gatekeeper like you. Love you guy and we will miss you, your cousin Ana
Cheryl and family, I didn’t know Dan before December 7th of 2009 but after that day I have never forgotten him. I drive for Millis and that day had stepped in a hole hidden underneath the snow and broke my ankle and lower leg. Dan was picking up a load at the same place and he became my guardian angel for the next 14 hours. If it weren’t for Dan I don’t know what I would have done…he helped me do everything I had to do and kept me smiling and my spirits up into the early morning of the next day. For someone he didn’t know he went the extra mile and I will be forever grateful. I am so sad he is gone. We have kept in touch and he is a huge loss in my life. I know he’s in Heaven…he is sorely missed. God Bless your family in this time of need….my sympathy, Art Spalding
Cheryl,
I am so very sorry to hear this sad news of Daniels passing.
I knew him for such a short time, but could tell he was a wnoderful person and husband. My heart goes out to you.
I know he will be sadly missed.
Nancy Fleshman