Ferdinand, born January 29, 1929 was called Home by his Savior October 4, 2023 after a blessed 94 years.
He was born into a farming family in Kulm, Bessarabia, Romania to Ida (nee Flato) Schulz and Daniel Schulz. Ferdinand was baptized on February 17 th 1929 and was confirmed on April 1 st 1944. The sixth of 10 children, he was the last remaining member of his immediate family.
The Schulz family and their entire village were relocated to Würzburg, Germany in the fall of 1940 due to the Stalin-Hitler Pact of 1939. Later, the family was relocated to Spitzen, Wartegau, Poland where they farmed until January 1945. At this time they were forced to leave their home and flee due to Russian occupation.
On Christmas Eve, 1945 Ferdinand’s family was brought to a castle in Velen, Germany. As it turns out, the family of Ferdinand’s future wife were also staying at that same castle.
Weseke, Nord Rhine Westfalen, West Germany would be the new home for both Ferdinand’s and Else’s families. The war had taken Ferdinand’s father, three oldest brothers and his brother-in-law. Ferdinand worked hard and was trained as a journeyman blacksmith.
In 1952 Ferdinand’s mother, remaining brothers, one sister and her daughter immigrated to Lodi, California, being sponsored by an aunt who already lived there. During their voyage the family stayed in ship steerage and Ferdinand helped fund the voyage by working in the cafeteria assisting young mothers and their babies. The ship entered the United States via the port of Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Ferdinand performed manual labor while in Lodi to support the family. He experienced some good fortune when he became employed by International Harvester but he would soon find himself back in Germany.
During the years 1954 to 1956 Ferdinand served in the U. S. Army, stationed in Germany, as a member of a reconnaissance team and with an engineering unit which built pontoon bridges. Ferdinand became a U. S. citizen in Frankfurt, Germany on April 26, 1955, while still serving overseas. It was during these years that Ferdinand also found time to visit family in Weseke and to court Else, his future wife to be.
Else immigrated to the United States in 1957, traveling all by herself and speaking little to no English. She was sponsored through Lutheran World Relief and stayed with Papa Stjernholm in Fowler, Colorado. Ferdinand, escorted by his oldest sister Anna, brought Else to Lodi.
Ferdinand and Else were married on May 18 th , 1957 in Lodi, California at Emanuel Lutheran Church. They had a total of three children Karl David, Leo Daniel and Anne Lee. Leo Daniel passed at the age of two.
Ferdinand was again proudly employed in the 1960’s by International Harvester, Stockton California in the prototype lab. He helped create several farm implements and improvements for tractors after being told it could not be done. After the plant closed he found employment with Guild Winery where he worked until his retirement. While at Guild, Ferdinand needed to use all the skills he had learned over the years to keep the machines at the winery working, including making his own parts. Ferdinand also kept busy helping others in the community, performing whatever jobs needed to be done. He was very active in the construction of the Emanuel Church building on Lodi Avenue. In his free time he enjoyed playing the harmonica, golf, crochet, gardening, woodworking, wine making and visiting with fellow German friends and family in the area.
The Schulz family, always having room for one more at their dinner table, decided to host several foreign exchange students including Aline (Lapalu) Deshayes from France. Aline became a new daughter of the family and has joyfully stayed in contact via letters and reunions both here in the U. S. and in France.
In the fall of 2002, Ferdinand and Else moved to Germantown, Wisconsin to be near their family. They became members of Faith Lutheran Church where they made many new friends and they also enjoyed the time they spent with their neighbors. The farmer in Ferdinand appreciated the green fields and abundant wildlife, but after 20 years they again relocated to be with their daughter Anne Lee in Idaho.
Ferdinand is survived by his wife Else, son Karl, daughter Anne Lee (James) Schumacher, granddaughters Renee Schulz and Kathryn Schulz, sister-in-law Margaret Schulz, many nieces, nephews and cousins as well as relatives in Germany. He is also survived by Aline (Hubert) Deshayes and their children in France.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or the Lutheran Hour Ministries.