As told by Harlan Henry Schade in June 2020:

   I was born on September 17, 1935, on a farm southwest of Sac City, IA. I was baptized on October 27, 1935, at Saint Peter’sLutheran Church. My father’s family purchased a farm northeast of Sac City in 1936, which was my home until I married. A pond on this family farm provided a lot of active entertainment for my brother and me. I remember harnessing horses before I could get the heavy harness over the horse’s back and feeding the pigs by dipping pails of a mixture we called slop from barrels on a stone boat into a trough. Being the oldest of eight, when I was not needed at home, I worked for neighbors on their farms from a young age on. I saw many changes like when electricity came to our farm in the 1940s.

   I attended country school through the eighth grade and then went to Lytton High School. I enjoyed agricultural and science related classes. During my senior year, I re-enrolled in the Army Reserves. I graduated in 1954, and then signed up for welding school through the Reserves. Riding the train from Carroll, IA, to Baltimore, MD, to attend school was quite an experience for a country boy. Touring some of the eastern part of our country was interesting too. Learning about metals and welding was very useful throughout my life. I worked many jobs after returning home.

   I married La Rue Ellis, a high school sweetheart, in the fall of 1955, and started to work for Rolland Peyton on March 1, 1956. That job was a learning experience. Our daughter, Deb, and son, Kurt, were born at that time. On January 10, 1960, we started farming on a farm owned by the Bartels. Four years later, we moved north of Sac City onto a larger farm owned by the Lees. Another son, Kollin, was born. We raised livestock and farmed the land. We all worked hard together. Next, our family moved to an Ellis family farm in 1971. My father retired and we started farming the Schade
Family Farm, also. La Rue and I were divorced in 1973.

   During our farming years, I enrolled in several home study courses through the college. Livestock Rations, Crop Fertilization, Hedging and Marketing were some of them. I served on many committees: Farm Bureau Township director, R.E.C. nominating committee a few times, represented my township on A.S.C. committee for several years. I was a church trustee and later in life would help set up a church in the RV park in Arizona.

   In the fall of 1974, I purchased the Mills farm acreage and rented the farmland. That served as a farm base the rest of my farming career. I lived in Newell, IA, until I married Lois Peterson in February 1975. We remodeled, built bins, machine sheds, and made improvements on that farm. We raised livestock there. Then, due to land around being expensive to rent, we quit farming. We had a large farm sale on February 6, 1998. I worked on a hog farm approximately 3 more years. All during this time, I accumulated a large collection of native hardwood. I planed and sold it. I also tore down old, unused buildings, salvaging most of them and selling or reusing the materials. I also enjoyed going to antique auctions. Cleaning and working on some of the antiques was enjoyable.

   After retiring from the hog farm, I helped my son Kurt build a winery in Waukee, IA. We worked for several years planting grape vines, building trellises, and shaping a pond. To see his new house, the winery completed, vines in production, and beautiful landscaping was very gratifying.

   Lois was killed in a car accident on August 24, 2005. I lived alone on my farm acreage until September 2009. I held an auction on my farm acreage in the summer of 2009. I sold my collection of hardwoods, many antiques, some furniture, my last tractor, and mowers. I listed the acreage for sale.

   During those last years on the acreage, I worked extensively on the buildings that make up a museum area in Sac City. I built a mini barn at my farm using salvaged materials to house the famous popcorn ball that appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records. I helped restore many other buildings at the museum as well.

   I married Lorine Hutchinson in September 2009. We became acquainted on a trip to Arizona, where she wintered. We enjoyed winters at her place in Arizona until we purchased a house in Arizona in the winter of 2011. We rented a duplex in Sac, spending summers there and wintering in Arizona. On September 15, 2015, we purchased a house in Sac City. We also purchased and moved in a shed for my workshop. I spent many hours in my shop. I stayed busy building mini relics from scrap wood.

   I was very blessed to have three healthy, ambitious, and prosperous children. Their children, my grandchildren, are continuing to become educated and pursuing successful careers. God has been good to me.

    Harlan passed away on Monday, December 1, 2025, at his home in Sac City.

   He is survived by his sons, Kurt (Jana) Schade, and Kollin (Janice) Schade; son-in-law Mark Williams; grandchildren: Eric (Amy) Schade, Andrew (Amanda) Schade, Dylan Schade, Zachary Schade, Jeffrey (Aubrey) Schade, Simon (Rachel) Williams, and Sydni (Chuck) Shaw; great-grandchildren: Ayla and Clara Schade, Addison and Jackson Schade, Erica and Riley Williams, Quinten and Zayden Shaw, and Walter Schade; brother Norman (Marilyn) Schade; sisters Diane (James) Fenlon, Marva Fleshman, Darla Samuels, and Susan Shutterly; sister-in-law Glenda Schade; brother-in-law Tony LaMalfa; wife Lorine Hutchinson Schade; stepchildren; numerous stepgrandchildren; many nieces, nephews, other extended family members and friends.

   Harlan was preceded in death by his wife of thirty-five years, Lois Schade (2005); daughter Debbi Williams (2025); infant granddaughter Holli Williams; brother Daryl Schade; sister Kay LaMalfa; stepchildren; many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS please consider donating to the Sac City Public Library or St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Harlan's memory.