Richard C. Schutt

Richard (Dick) C. Schutt, 90, of Clinton, WI formerly of Harvard, IL passed away peacefully with family by his side on Sunday, October 20, 2019, at Azura Memory Care Center in Clinton, WI.

Dick was born on April 16, 1929, in North Walworth, Walworth County, WI. He is the 2nd child out of 5 children born to the late Frank and Gertrude (Brooks) Schutt and he was raised in the farming life. He attended North Walworth Rural School and also Parker School when his parents moved to a farm on Prairie View Road.  Dick’s ancestral family through his Brooks lineage has deep roots in the founding of America and he has many ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. Dick was always ready to hear stories about any of his ancestors and was proud to have his lineage verified through the WI State Genealogical Society as one of the original WI settlers who came to Darien WI from Darien NY in 1839.   Dick had lived in the Stateline area his entire life, and had past employment as a young man at Big Foot Feed Company and as a mobile feed grinder for Robert Knoll Inc. While employed off the farm, Dick still farmed his own home acreage and eventually farmed larger acreage and owned and operated Schutt Trucking and Schutt Farms with his wife Carol and son Charlie for over 30 years.   Dick was a talented mechanic and there were many times he would be called on to assist in repair work that friends knew he would fix correctly the first time.

Dick was a lifelong dog and animal lover.  The children can recall times when Grandpa Frank and Grandma Gertie had to come to the farm when it was time to butcher the chickens to feed the family, Dick could not do it.   There was always a dog or two for him to fuss over and take with him on rides through the country and out to breakfast, always making sure to save a little for the dog.  For the last 30 years, his breed of choice was miniature Schnauzer, and those dogs were well-loved.  

His grandchildren can recall many times of happily making mischief around the farm, climbing the “big hill”, making sure to not damage the crops, exploring the old barn, playing with the cats, getting into mild trouble if Grandpa were to catch them doing something that might be dangerous.  From the top of the ‘big hill’ on the 4th of July you could see fireworks from 10 communities.

Richard married Carol L. Beedy in Darien, WI on March 17, 1950, they were married for 69 years.  He and his wife Carol moved to the farm on Burr Oak Road in 1963 with their family of 4 children, 2 girls had been born first and then 2 boys.

Dick lived his life on his own terms, nobody else’s. There were not many gray areas of opinion in Dick Schutt’s life and if you didn’t know where he stood on a subject you would soon find out. That personality trait is what spurred the pioneer spirit of his ancestors to come west to make a better life, there will not be many more like him on this earth.  Rest easy now Dad, the dog is well taken care of and your Mother and Father in Heaven welcome you into their loving arms at last.   Now go climb up in that combine and harvest the corn and beans in those Heavenly fields with no weeds to worry about.  

Survivors include his wife Carol; children Patricia (Taylor) Smith, Peggy Schutt, James (Aileen) Schutt, and Charlie (Pamela) Schutt; nine grandchildren, Mackenzie, Julie, Joshua, Jeremiah, Travis, Erika, Cecilia, Amanda, and Renee; 15 great grandchildren Kieran, Cora, Ana, Owen, Noah, Shelby, Sawyer, Harrison, Charlotte, Alexandra, Trinity, Piper, Paxton, Porter, and Halle Mae; one brother Rexford Schutt of Montana..

He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Lyle Schutt, Eloise Trebes, and John Schutt.

Visitation will be from 11-1 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2019, at Saunders and McFarlin Funeral Home, 107 W. Sumner St. Harvard, IL 60033. Funeral services will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, with Pastor Claire Brennecka officiating. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Sharon, WI.

Family and friends may sign the online guest book at www.saundersmcfarlin.net.

For more information, call the funeral home at 815-943-5400. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard C. Schutt, please visit our floral store.