Maurice Schindler

Maurice S. Schindler, 83, of League City, Texas, died Aug. 12, 2023, surrounded by family. He battled nearly a year from a failing heart.

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Maurice was born on the family farm southwest of Ewing, on Jan. 26, 1940, to Joseph (Jack) and Marge (Marjorie Christiansen) Schindler. He was the eldest of their five children. Maurice was baptized at St John's Catholic Church.

He received his early education at the country school located near the original Schindler homestead, and then went on to graduate from Ewing High School in 1957. From there, he continued his education at Omaha University. While pursuing an accounting degree, he met and married his first wife, LuElla Rose (Vavrina) on May 2, 1959; together they had four children: Deb, Steve, Grace and Bart. They lived in Omaha, where Maurice sold insurance and worked for Continental Can Company as a line manager. He and LuElla eventually divorced

On Aug. 14, 1967, he married Jeanne Dee (Douglas-Rathe), and they had a daughter, Maureen. He also adopted Jeanne's children, Jeff and Kathy. The family moved to the Ewing/Elgin/Neligh area where they farmed and raised dairy cattle. Maurice also earned his electrician's license and was part of the maintenance team for several years at Antelope Memorial Hospital. He was also a founding member of Knights of Columbus in Neligh's St. Francis Catholic Church.

In 1984, he and Jeanne moved to League City, Texas, where he pursued a degree in business finance/economics and graduated from the University of Houston. He was also employed on the maintenance team at the Holiday Inn in Texas City, and was proudly promoted to manager after he graduated. His desire to be a small business owner himself prompted him to open a butcher shop in Houston, near the NASA Space Station. Eventually, a necessary surgery on his brain for a hereditary embolism led to his debilitation and ultimate retirement.

Maurice was self-taught in many trades. He always liked to say he was "a jack of all trades, but master of none." He could weld, do electrical work, masonry, carpentry, plumbing, as well as fix almost anything mechanical around the home or farm. When computers emerged on the scene, he taught himself how to fix and run those as well, as that was his favorite place to monitor his investments in the stock market.

Another one of his favorite sayings was "do as I say, not as I do." He was the first to admit he didn't lead an exemplary life, but did expect you to. He was proud of his family and not much made him happier than hearing about the events of their lives and especially, of his grandchildren's successes – from their progress in school to athletics, especially football. He loved football. He played wide receiver in high school, watched his sons play in college and loved the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers (and often sported a satin 49ers jacket). He was also an avid baseball fan. He enjoyed coaching the sport and teaching players all the intricate details of the game, which led to many wins for his American Legion teams. His time spent in Texas turned him into an Astros fan for the last 40 years.

Maurice had a brilliant mind and competitive nature. He enjoyed teaching his kids and grandkids to play chess, cribbage, and pitch (but you better not be afraid to bid if you were his partner). And you'd also better know your facts about history if you engaged in a conversation with him. Maurice wasn't just a history "buff"; his brain stored more historical knowledge than any textbook and there was nothing he loved more than to bring history – or politics– into a discussion. He did have a few "conspiracy theories" that he clung to – and no doubt, blames his own death on the "other party."

Some things that brought him joy over the years included: taking his nephews fishing to the Holt County farm ponds; harvest time, as that also signaled pheasant, duck and deer hunting seasons; horse racing, as he not only enjoyed betting, he also owned several; the sport of boxing, and following his brother Jake, back in the day, as well as the Pofhal boys. Most of all, he loved watching his family grow.

Maurice was not married at the time of his passing. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Marge; sister, Patty Charf; ex-wives LuElla and Mariannna; nephews, Kenny and John Paul; niece, Charity; brothers-in-law, Lanny Charf, Keith Gibson and Jim Schmidt.

He leaves behind seven children and their spouses, 25 grandchildren and 42 great-grandbabies; 2 great-great grandchildren; two sisters, Betty (Mike) Warren and Darlene Schmidt; one brother, Jake (Carolyn) and a host of nieces and nephews.