Doris Alderfer Schultz

As family members held her hands as she took her last breath, Doris A. Schultz, age 89, died of Alzheimers disease on Oct. 9, 2014 at Milestone Senior Living in Cross Plains, WI. She was born on Sept. 3, 1925 in Norristown, Pa., the youngest daughter of Wayne and Minnie Alderfer. She graduated from Norristown High School in 1943 and married Robert Schultz in Norristown on June 1, 1946 -- exactly six months after he returned from serving in Europe during World War II.A gifted pianist and organist, Doris pursued her love of music under the tutelage of Dr. John Duddy and played the organ at a number of Norristown churches as well as the chapel at Valley Forge. She made the biggest transition in her life in 1956 when Bob and Doris, who was eight months pregnant, and their two young daughters moved to Oshkosh for Bobs new job. The move was traumatic for Doris, who was close to her family in Norristown. But as Bob traveled around the Midwest five days a week for his job, Doris forged a new life for herself as she raised three young children in a city she grew to love.She was an organist at St. Johns Lutheran Church before Bob and Doris became charter members of the newly formed St. Andrews Lutheran Church. Doris was the organist at St. Andrews as it grew from its modest beginnings in 1960 when services were held in the basement of the Shoreview Lanes bowling alley to a well-established church in the midst of the growing northeast side of the city. For nearly 30 years, Doris played for two services every Sunday and never missed choir practices every Thursday night and Saturday afternoon. She also worked for the church as its secretary and registrar. Doris and Bob transferred their membership back to St. Johns after she retired at St. Andrews and she kept active working with the acolytes. Doris taught piano to dozens of children for many years in her dining room on Grove Street. Some gifted young musicians got their start taking piano lessons from Doris, whose no-nonsense approach stressed fundamentals and lots of practice. She also was a longtime volunteer at Mercy Hospital and was recognized by the hospital for spending every Monday at the front desk welcoming people and offering them directions. She will be remembered for her love of music, her musical skills and talents, her conservative values, her deep faith, her devotion to time-honored Lutheran liturgical principles and her efforts to keep her home remarkably clean. She also had a fighters mentality that was most evident when she saved a beautiful maple tree located across the street from her house on Grove Street that had been scheduled to be cut down to make way for a Mercy Hospital parking lot. If you cut that tree down, youll have to cut it down with me sitting in it, she said defiantly at a meeting with hospital officials.What was most important to Doris was her family that grew to include five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. After Bob died in 2010, her children helped her move to the Madison area where most of her family was located. Soon after, she was diagnosed with Alzheimers and eventually had to move from her condo in Middleton to a memory center in Cross Plains.Doris is survived by her two daughters, Susan (Richard) Hagen of Black Earth, WI., and Martha Metevelis of Strongsville, Ohio; one son, Robert (Patricia) Schultz of Mount Horeb, WI.; five grandchildren, Scott (Lisa) Hagen, Mark (Niki) Hagen, Matthew (Marissa) Metevelis, Tim (Leigh Anne) Metevelis and Elizabeth Schultz; four great grandchildren, Cole Hagen, Halli Hagen, Kaelyn Hagen and Nathan Hagen; and two nieces and two nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; two sisters, Pearl Tyson and Ruth Anderson; and son-in-law, George Metevelis.Services will be held Friday, October 17, at 1 p.m. at St. Andrews Lutheran Church with the Rev. Karen Jewell and Rev. Nicole Espe officiating. Visitation will begin two hours before the service at St. Andrews. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Alzheimers Association. Doris was a beautiful, independent lady who was entrenched in her faith and values. She was an excellent mother, grandmother and great grandmother who created many wonderful memories for her friends and family. She will be deeply missed. The family wishes to extend a special thanks to everyone at Milestone Senior Living in Cross Plains; the doctors and nurses from Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg, WI; the staff members at Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Lodi, WI., where Doris rehabbed twice from injuries she suffered after falling; the pastoral staff at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Madison; and the Rev. Nicole Espe at Primrose Lutheran Church. Bless you, Nicole, for all your prayers, support and friendship you offered for Doris and her family during the days, hours and minutes preceding, and following, her death.Since Doris was always a stickler for accuracy in every detail, the family also wishes to note that she died at 10:54 p.m. on Oct. 8. Her official time of death was recorded as Oct. 9 because of a delay in the pronouncement.

St Andrews Evangelical Lutheran Church



1100 E Murdock Ave
Oshkosh
WI
54901

00:00.0
11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.



St Andrews Evangelical Lutheran Church



1100 E Murdock Ave
Oshkosh
WI
54901

00:00.0
1:00 p.m.