Obituary of Joseph Schels

Joseph Schels (80) returned to the Lord on April 12th following complications from Parkinson's Disease. He was a resident of Cambridge since June of 1995 and Countryside Home in Jefferson since March 11th of this year. Joseph was the loving husband of Monika (nee Rodler) for nearly 55 years and proud father of Margarete Schels of Cambridge, Christine (Fred) Fragassi of Glenview, IL, and Monica (Robert) Collins of Antioch, IL. He was the dear "Opa" of Selena and Josef Fragassi, and Sarah and Margaret Collins. Other surviving family members include: nephew Hans-Werner (Erika) Klein of Germany, nephew Michael (Virginia) Siedler of Charleston, SC, and nephew Gary (Gabriele) Siedler of Wheeling, IL. He was preceded in death by parents, Michael and Maria (Obermaier) Schels, six sisters and two brothers, most in Germany. Joseph was born on June 23rd, 1929, in Regensburg, Germany. He brought his wife and first daughter to this country from Germany in July of 1957 and settled in Chicago, later moving to Skokie, IL in 1966. He worked very hard to provide a good life for his wife and three daughters and took pride in the fact that he could send his children to Catholic schools. In 1993, Joseph was honored to have become a U.S. citizen, and after his retirement in 1994, Joseph looked to Wisconsin as a place to settle down. In June of 1995, he and his wife and daughter, Margarete, moved to Cambridge, Wisconsin. Joseph loved to play his accordion, piano, and harmonica and had a deep appreciation for classical music, especially that of Johann Strauss. He was also talented in the areas of carpentry, electrical work, mechanics, and home repair. His 4-year-old dachshund, Annie, brought him much laughter during his last four years. But his greatest joy came from being a husband, father, and grandfather. He often said that his family was his life, and his family misses him dearly. His four grandchildren will miss chatting with Opa about the important things in life and listening to all those entertaining stories of the "old country". And through his suffering, Joseph remained strong in his faith and taught his family about living life one day at a time in grace and humility. The Schels family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the wonderful caregivers at Countryside Home and Rainbow Hospice of Jefferson. Many thanks also go to the doctors who cared for him following his car accident in March of 2006, oral cancer treatment in 2007, pain management in 2008, and the diagnosis of Parkinson's in 2009: Primary physician Dr. Ed Fischer (Fort Health), Dr. David Rowe (ENT-Fort Health), Dr. Lee Faucher (surgeon-UWH), Dr. Paul Harari (UWH Carbone Cancer Center), Dr. Greg Hartig (ENT-UWH), Dr. David Bryce (APM-Madison), Dr. Gregory Paprocki, DDS (Mt. Horeb), and Dr. Ann Weiss (UW Neurology). The last four years were extremely difficult for Joseph and his family, but with the kind support of his Applegate Ridge neighbors in Cambridge and the prayers offered by the loving parish and school community of St. John the Baptist in Jefferson, he was able to wage a long and courageous battle against so many serious afflictions. The Schels family thanks Fr. Tom Coyle, pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish, Mary Kilar, principal, and staff of St. John the Baptist Catholic School, where Margarete teaches. Funeral services will be private with a memorial mass to be offered at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the UW Carbone Cancer Center, Tomorrow's Hope, Rainbow Hospice of Jefferson, or to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School.