Merle Mcschooler

Merle McSchooler, age 78 of Cashton, died Tuesday, October 22, 2013. Merle "Mac" Glen McSchooler, 78, of Cashton died Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse. Mac was born May 25, 1935 to Olin Glen "O.G." and Marie (Putman-Sainsbury) McSchooler in rural Omro, Wisconsin. He grew up there, leaving for the Army at 21 years of age. He had enlisted to get a mechanical education in construction equipment and mainly diesel engines. He was assigned to the 44th Engineers in Korea. After leaving the army he tried farming with his father, but as he said, it was not "his cup of tea". He worked various types of employment, and decided to get more training in diesel. He then got a job that was a four-month contract in Greenland. This gave him the means to pay for the education he wanted at Nashville Auto-Diesel College. He then worked construction in Wyoming and Montana, following this with several years in Billings at Holeman GM Diesel, fabricating power units. He then went with Emerson Diesel in Seattle, working on generator sets. He then decided on foreign work, started with a contract with RMK-BRJ in Vietnam. Soon after leaving Vietnam, he began many years working for various companies through out South East Asia, on oil and geothermal drilling rigs of all sizes and types including off shore and helicopter rigs. (Heli Rigs as they called them were down and moved by Helicopter). In 1983 he figured that was enough of that type work. Ending up in what he termed after being in it several years, was far worse than farming, a Ma and Pa type Country Store, Dows Corner of Hayward. After selling this business he worked for Stefferud Equipment, the John Deere dealer in Westby, Wisconsin until his retirement in 1997. He then purchased a computer and spent many enjoyable hours on it, genealogy became a hobby, along with general reading. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Joseph C. Sainsbury in 1991; sister, Bernadine D. Gavigan in 1998. Surviving is his sister, Bertha and her husband Robert I. Johnson and their children and grandchildren. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 26, 2013 at Immanuel 'Moen' Lutheran Church, rural Cashton. Pastor Amanda Schultz will officiate with burial and Military Rites in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the church on Saturday after 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers and plants memorial may be made to the charity of the donors choice. The Vosseteig Funeral Home of Westby is serving the family.