Emmett Schulte

Madison – Emmett E. Schulte, age 89, died peacefully with his wife, Mary Ann, by his side on March 26, 2020. He was born upside down (his nose ran, his feet smelled) at home in Robbinsdale, MN on November 14, 1930, to Petronella M. (Vetsch) and Henry J. Schulte, the sixth of ten children.  The family moved to a 40-acre farm in Golden Valley, MN shortly afterward and to a dairy farm in St. Michael, MN in 1946.  He graduated from St. Joseph grade school (1944) and De La Salle High School (1948) in Minneapolis.  Emmett was drafted into the Marine Corps in 1952 and served for two years. He obtained a BS degree in chemistry from St. Benedict’s College, Atchison, KS in 1958.  Emmett received an MS degree in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1963. At St. Benedict’s College, he met the love of his life, Mary Ann Zavadil, whom he married on August 22, 1959. Emmett joined the UW Soil Science faculty in 1964 until his retirement in 1994.

Emmett had an adventurous and giving spirit. He traveled with his family twice to Nigeria (1964-1967, 1971-1973) to help develop a faculty of agriculture at the University of Ife, and he went with Mary Ann to the Gambia (1991-1992) as chief-of-party for a USAID Agricultural Research and Diversification project.

Emmett and Mary Ann spent five summers (1995-1999) working with the Missionaries of Charity at St. Patrick’s Mission near Gallup, NM, and had the opportunity of receiving a blessing from Mother Theresa.

In 2000, Emmett joined Ken Witte to start the Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, which annually raised approximately 100,000 lbs of produce for Dane County Food pantries.

He was a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, active in several ministries.

Emmett is survived by his wife, Mary Ann; his daughters Rose Marie and Eva Marie (Mike Moon); four sons – Benedict (Anna Gitman), Michael (Yolanda Torres), Paul (Tathata Kessler), and John; eight grandchildren – Elisabeth, Yael, Celia, Kaeleah May, Sampson, Natan, Max, and Hazel; sister Imelda; and brother Larry (Roseanne). He was preceded in death by four sisters -- Sister Benedice Schulte, O.S.B., Corintha (Albert) Kremer, Barbara (Lee) Anselment, and Bernice (Joe) Waxweiller; and three brothers – Kenneth (Velda), Richard, and Allen (Carol).

A public Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church on a later date. Memorials may be made to the Catholic Multicultural Center or to the Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens.

Notice of Changed Address: My new address is Resurrection Cemetery, Section 11, Row 15, Grave 45. You are welcome to visit me there.  Pull a few weeds around the marker while you’re there.