Return to flip book view

Bob Schultze Still Waters Run Deep a keepsake from Memoir for Me memoirforme com

To Dad Thanks for all of the fun support and encouragement With love Jim Mary and Barb

If you re bored with life you don t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things you don t have enough goals Lou Holtz

4509 W Harrison Street Chicago Robert William Schultze was born on March 9 1939 at St Anne s Hospital on the west side of Chicago The Chicago Tribune from that day advertised ladies suits for 11 a United Airlines flight to New York for 44 95 and a gallon of gas for 10 cents But there was trouble brewing overseas Less than a week after Bob was born Hitler s forces invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia the first in a series of actions that launched World War II Bob grew up at 4509 West Harrison Street on the west side of Chicago in a two flat that is still standing today The house was near the CTA Garfield Line and the Euclid Candy Company which sent an aromatic scent of candy wafting throughout the neighborhood Bob s family lived on the 2nd floor of the house with the owners on the first floor The owners were Hungarian and very friendly remembers Bob The wife loved to cook green peppers with rice and meat inside and she often shared it with us It was a nice neighborhood with lots of kids I was an only child for good bad or indifferent I was shy but had a lot of friends Neighborhood names included the Burkiesters Konsers Pressleys McNamaras and the Monteros Bob and his friends often got into a bit of trouble as they played and explored He recalls playing along the Eisenhower Expressway as it was being built 5

I remember waking on beams only a few feet wide The site foreman would yell at us kids it s a long way down there Some of his other memories include playing ball and hitchhiking along the railroad No one ever got hurt but sometimes you had to walk back if you couldn t catch a ride We weren t out to get in trouble we were just seeking knowledge Knowledge was sought in many interesting ways Bob and his friends played games of pinochle on the streets until 1AM playing by the light cast from the local bar The police in their squad car would be watching us while having their late dinner Eventually they shooed us home Bob was pretty good at pinochle sharpening his skills against his dad uncles and grandfather Games were played during rare free time from work as all the adult Schultzes were busy in different jobs Bob s mother Helen Wall Schultze worked right down the street on Harrison as a clerk at Leader Cleaners Bob s father Paul Schultze worked in construction I was very close to my mom since my dad worked a lot His normal schedule would involve working 24 hours straight then off 48 hours On his off days he worked a second job at a factory 6 Bob at the University of Notre Dame Class of 1961

Bob and his new wife Mary with Bob s parents Paul and Helen Schultze 1964 In the late 1920 s Paul was involved in building the Merchandise Mart But he eventually soured on the job with its dangerous work conditions He would watch workers die right in front him as they built the Mart said Bob The wind would knock them right off the beams In the mid 1940s Paul joined the Chicago Fire Department based at the station at 14th and Michigan His job was tillerman the person on the back of the hook and ladder truck who steers the rear wheels and controls the ladder After a while the city of Chicago changed its rules forcing all tillermen to become licensed Paul refused to do so and was forced to ride in the cab Paul s replacement had his challenges The new tillerman ran up thousands of dollars in damage trying to run the hook and ladder said Bob He even took out the battalion chief s brand new Buick Paul Schultze was back as tillerman But what about the license Paul asked the Chief The Chief said If someone asks you tell them to see me I have your license 7

Firefighting was a challenging profession especially before today s high tech safety equipment Paul Schultze fought the massive 1967 blaze that destroyed McCormick Place working the active fire for 28 hours straight It took him weeks to recover All he had was a mask for protection said Bob They didn t have the slick equipment firefighters have today He ended up with emphysema a combination of the work with the fires and smoking While his dad was fighting fires young Bob had to prepare for battle at school He attended Presentation School which was run by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary But don t let the name fool you I grew up with rough nuns I mean rough I remember Sister Helena Some kid gave her crap and she picked him out of the chair and slugged him then went right on teaching Bob remembers If you told your parents Sister beat me they would say well what did you do Bob s maternal grandparents John Henry and Maryann Wall lived with them for many years My grandparents were very loving Grandpa had a unique job destroying whiskey during Prohibition There were four guys swinging axes and one guy just watching The wooden barrels would be placed over a big hole in the floor and all the booze would drain out Despite the times not everyone in the Schultze household was a teetotaler Bob s Uncle John who was serving in the Pacific would stay at the Schultze house during visits home and take advantage of their modern latrine 8 Jimmy and Barb with both Grandmas McGough and Schultze 1990

Bob and Mary 1964 I remember him making gin in our bathtub I couldn t use the shower because it was full said Bob Bob s grandma Maryann did much of the cooking while his mother worked and the smells of homemade bread often filled the house In 8th grade Bob and his family moved about half a mile away to 4300 West Jackson Boulevard Later that year he enrolled at St Mel s High School now Providence St Mel Then it was on to college at the University of Notre Dame Bob enjoyed most of his classes and took to accounting off the bat In 1959 while home over Christmas break Bob attended a party and a beautiful young lady came into his life Mary was really straightforward said Bob I had a lady sitting on one knee and Mary came over and sat on my other knee She said that she didn t think it was fair that this other woman should have me to herself I met Bob when I was 16 said Mary It s hard to think of a life without Bob 9

Mary McGough was a senior at Siena High School The two hit it off continuing to see each over summer and holiday breaks Their first date went well but ended abruptly Bob took Mary to a drive in movie theater and on the way home got into an accident in his parents car I go to reach for a cigarette lighter and the wheel went with me said Bob Bob sent Mary home in a cab and luckily had enough money to pay for the car repairs thanks to a job at the Brach s candy company Bob graduated from Notre Dame in 1961 He tried law school for a year but decided it wasn t for him Instead he took a job at Zenith Radio as a cost accountant working there for the next year During this time Bob was called up for the military draft He passed his draft physical and would be assigned the rank of private first class That was the lowest rank in the army said Bob so I thought Officer Candidate School OCS might be a good idea Bob was able to get his draft cancelled to attend OCS Another physical was required and this time his results were much different The doctor found a cyst I was bleeding Despite this news Bob still thought OCS was in his future I asked to make a phone call to tell my parents where I d be stationed The doc says you re not going anywhere young man you re 4F Bob flunked the physical My military career as an officer lasted three hours Mary and Bob 1965

Bob and Mary on their wedding day 1964 So it was back to the world of work Bob took a job at Wolf Company a certified public accounting firm Bob and Mary continued to date while she attended school at Rosary College The two decided to get married but their education had to come first In 1963 it was time Bob asked Mary s parents for permission and then he proposed Mary said yes and they married on November 21 1964 at Resurrection Church A reception followed at the Mar Lac House in Oak Park The newlyweds settled on Chicago s West Side and Bob continued his work at Wolf Company In 1967 Bob took a job as assistant comptroller at Howard Publications prompting a cross country move to Seattle Washington Bob and Mary s first child James Jimmy was born on May 3 1969 That same year Bob landed a job at a CPA firm named Benson and Company Starting this new job actually marked the beginning of the end for the Schultze s time in Seattle My first week on the job I got horribly sick Bob remembers I called the hiring boss and he said Bob Schultze 29 I was the 29th person to call in sick with Hong Kong Flu Only 8 people from the 64 person firm avoided illness I had to work 10 hour days and weekends to catch up 11

Bob stayed at Benson and Company for six months before bringing the family back to Chicago Both Bob s and Mary s parents were ill and the couple decided it was time to be close to family They moved in with Bob s parents on 1441 North Laramie until they could find a home of their own Bob went back to work for Wolf Company and he and Mary bought a home at 1300 North Mayfield in Chicago Mary s parents James and Jess McGough lived with them On August 5 1971 Bob and Mary welcomed their second child Mary Kathleen who they called Mary Kay I ve since dropped the Kay but my family has not said daughter Mary It was a difficult delivery and required a longer hospital stay Thankfully mom and baby came home safely and joined Bob son Jimmy and dog Seamus The children attended school at St Angela s and the family enjoyed the community of the parish On Sundays Bob and Mary enjoyed taking in some Irish music at local pub Val Connelly s at the corner of Van Buren and Cicero or Grandpa s on Division During this time the couple met an Irish dance teacher named Peggy Roach Boyle Her father Pat Roche was a legend in the Irish community known for his dance skills as well as hosting an Irish radio show which Mary enjoyed Mary enrolled Jimmy age 8 and Mary Kay age 6 in Peggy s school The children stayed there until Peggy was expecting and eventually met Sheila Tully who was just starting a school of her own called the Sheila Tully Academy of Irish Dance All three Schultze kids danced for Tully for many years Now Mary Kay s own daughters Clare and Katie are enrolled in lessons with Sheila Tully 12 With Jimmy 1969 With Mary 1971

Road trip with the kids to the Western states 1982 While Bob s kids were learning how to jig and reel he began taking classes of his own learning how to ski Wife Mary had grown up on skis and Bob wanted to give it a try I learned to ski at age 34 at Bartlett Hills Country Club said Bob They taught me with 3 feet 5 feet and 7 feet skis It took me forever Many of Bob s early runs down the hill were full of second thoughts On our trip to Vail I was on a ski lift with a short little Frenchman I asked him how long he had been skiing He said since he was 4 I thought God help me After celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary hitting the slopes in Colorado many other ski trips followed At this time Bob was also traveling extensively for work at his job with Wolf Company I was traveling all over from Florida to Washington State said Bob When Jim and Mary Kay were young Bob was gone a lot It was difficult said Mary His mother lived with us and was a huge help Son James recalls a vivid memory from his childhood about his father s preparedness for the huge blizzard that hit in 1978 13

The night before the blizzard my father sat in his recliner watching the WBBM CBS news as Harry Volkman gave the weather forecast for that Thursday evening Harry predicted a dusting of snow perhaps as much as two inches in pockets My father swore for the first time in my presence that a hole said the same thing back in 67 and he left the house abruptly A few hours later he returned with a snowblower and the next day he was the hero of the neighborhood By noon he had cleared the sidewalk around the block and the street from curb to curb Chicago winters plus a long commute to work at Wolf were wearing on Bob In 1978 Bob met with the owner of Morton Manufacturing to see if he would become a client By the end of lunch the tables had turned and Morton s owner offered Bob a job as treasurer of the company It was a good opportunity to move into private industry and cut my commute said Bob I had a 40 minute daily commute each way which became an hour and a half on snowy days Despite his demanding job and travel schedule Bob made sure to find time for family vacations One memorable trip was to Ireland in 1977 I remember having trouble finding the place we were staying said Bob We had to go up and down the road looking for the place There were no street signs or lights 14 Bob with Mary Kay and Barb in Colorado 1985

Bob in Alaska 1990s Other vacations were ski destinations Bob wanted his kids to learn while they were young In 1979 he and the family took a vacation in Big Sky Montana When you re a kid you re not that far from the ground It s much easier to learn fall and get back up Both kids picked it up quick said Bob Jimmy went down every path and tried the moguls I tried to keep up and the next thing I knew I was airborne We were never a beach family said daughter Mary My dad was the organizer behind it all In 1979 Bob and Mary moved the family from the city to the suburbs to 3 South Edward Street in Mount Prospect On March 24 1980 Bob and Mary welcomed their third child Barbara Barb into the world In 1983 Bob and Mary moved their young family to a six bedroom house on half an acre at 2770 Grace Road in Northbrook With that much acreage came a lot of leaves That first fall we raked 135 bags of leaves said Bob It was a busy time for the Schultze family with a small baby and two older kids focused on school and sports Jimmy and Mary Kay played basketball and baseball Bob was a head umpire of the Little League 15

We were just trying to teach kids to enjoy the game of baseball and have a good time said Bob I had to throw kids as well as hotheaded parents and coaches out of the ballgame I had to keep saying Remember these are kids out here Daughter Mary appreciated her father s encouragement in sports He s been ahead of his time watching women s sports He likes the purity of it He respects it more because it s not about the money Barbara remembers her childhood in sports with a cringe My dad coached me in basketball at St Norbert s That was entertaining I was really good at defense stealing the ball but then I would take off and run the other way and totally miss my layup I think that aged my dad many years Another event that may have aged Bob was a ski trip in 1986 when he and Mary took Jimmy Mary Kay and 10 of their young friends to Breckinridge Colorado to ski We asked all the kids to pay their own way 560 plus a quarter which covered airfare hotel and if needed a phone call home said Bob We met with all the parents before the trip and I said if you get a call from us your kid is on the way home Thankfully no calls had to be made The legendary ski trip to Breckinridge Colorado in 1986

With his granddaughters Clare and Kate on Long Lake The family stayed in Northbrook for over 20 years until the kids grew up and moved out on their own In 2006 Bob and Mary moved to a yearround lake house in Union Michigan about 2 5 hours from Chicago They still live there to this day enjoying the change of pace of a small town and nightly pontoon rides along Long Lake After dinner we watch the boats go by over a glass of wine said wife Mary Though slower paced Bob s life is still busy between visits from their kids and the grandchildren family reunions and taking care of the lawn and flowers Family is still at the center of Bob and Mary s lives Life has been good to me good to my spouse and my children said Bob They ve been able to have great educations and have met a lot of wonderful people His children went to prestigious colleges Jimmy to Duke University Mary Kay to the University of Notre Dame and Barb to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology And we went to the poor house joked Bob But enjoyed it all the way When the kids went away to college Bob discovered a new talent He baked me a batch of chocolate chip cookies one year and became famous for it said daughter Mary He s had to keep making them 17

Mary Bob and Barb in Winter Park Colorado in 1989 I refuse to make cookies now because I can t make them as good as he makes them said Barb I tried to have him explain how he does it It didn t work Bob s other talents include public service In 2016 he decided to run for office for a Village Trustee position in their current town of Union The election will be this fall Although he s been diagnosed with sciatica and spinal stenosis clearly these maladies don t slow him down too much I m good as long as I m still standing tall when I m horizontal I won t have to worry With a happy life a long marriage successful children and the blessings of grandchildren Bob has no regrets Did I do something stupid in my life sure but nobody got hurt I can t have many regrets after being married for more than 50 years Though they may not see the kids as much as they would like Bob makes time for each of them 18 We talk on the phone three times a week said daughter Mary He always ends with the conversation with Love

The relationship between Bob and Mary Kay has changed and grown over the years Growing up he was very authoritative Now he s a big softie I ve become a softie just like him now I try to pretend I m not but at the center I m just like him He s been a great role model and inspiration Bob and daughter Barb enjoy time together even if it s just hanging out on the couch watching HGTV together We sit and hang out and talk about dumb things said Barb We Schultzes don t talk much about our feelings we re not really showy about out love but I m so grateful for all the opportunities they provided for all of us I wouldn t be where I am now without all of their support Bob has always been on the quiet side said wife Mary But still waters run deep This man of few words was quick to come up with a few when asked to sum up his life experience Joyful Loving Family With many more good years ahead of him Bob had one more word Hopeful Bob and Mary enjoying a cruise