LINN  —  Mary Lou Schulte of Linn has long had a passion for history, and for 33 years, she has served as the volunteer editor of the Osage County Historical Society (OCHS) newsletter. She also served as the Cultural Heritage Center’s office manager.

Sitting comfortably with her husband of 66 years, Harold, at their home last week, Mary Lou said the journey has been rewarding, but it was time to step down.

“I think you just know when it’s time,” she said. “I felt I had done enough. I was there for 33 years, and I felt confident in the other volunteers to carry on without me.”

In announcing her retirement, Mary Lou offered a valediction: “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …” — Ecclesiastes 3:1

“It has been my pleasure to share the stories of the people, places, and events that make up the history of Osage County,” she continued in a recent newsletter.

COLLEGE, MARRIAGE & FAMILY

In 1952, while a sophomore at Linn, Mary Lou was attending a summer softball game when she met Harold, a player two years older.

After he graduated, Harold served in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1956.

Mary Lou graduated valedictorian in 1954 from Linn High School. A news article in the UD announced she scored 97.5% on a college aptitude test and intended to pursue a degree in journalism at the University of Missouri, which awarded Schulte a scholarship.

“I went to the University of Missouri for one year,” Mary Lou said. “I planned to get married, so I quit school and took a job with Public School Retirement System. After we married, we lived in Columbia while Harold was in school, getting his engineering degree.”

Harold attended school on the G.I. Bill. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1960. The couple moved frequently as Harold found work in Decatur, Ill., St. Louis, Jefferson City, and Springfield.

They had three children: Susanne was born in 1958 while her father was a student at M.U. Sara was born in 1961, followed by Tony in 1963. All three graduated from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield — Susanne Indelicato with a degree in communications and Sara Flynn and Tony Schulte with degrees in finance. Harold and Mary Lou have five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and another on the way.    

After the family returned to Linn, Mary Lou completed her Bachelor’s Degree in English with a minor in French at Lincoln University in 1986. Tony earned his degree from Southwest Missouri State University the same year.

Mary Lou began working as the Osage County branch manager of what was then the Thomas Jefferson Library (now the Missouri River Regional Library), a position she held for more than a decade.

She also was a typist and served as the assistant editor for Olive “Oli” Haslag, using a typewriter. “We did the newsletter on a typewriter for years before computers were common,” Mary Lou said. “Now, I would just make a copy on the computer and email it to the printer. It’s much easier than in the old days.”

When the OCHS was organized in 1985, Haslag, a journalism teacher at Linn High School, was selected to be the newsletter editor. Schulte’s contribution at that time was to type mailing labels each month.

SCHULTE’S TENURE AS EDITOR

Unfortunately, Haslag passed away suddenly in June 1990, leaving the editor’s position a natural fit for Schulte.

Mary Lou’s knowledge of the area and families in Osage County made the job a little easier.

“I was the oldest volunteer and knew a lot of people and their parents when they came in,” she said. “That was kind of an advantage. Sometimes, I could tell them things they didn’t know about.”

When asked how she selected a topic for the newsletter, Mary Lou said writing a series was easier. “If you have a series, you know what you’re going to do,” she said.

The most extensive series on 72 rural schools in the county elicited a great response, with characters, times, and people remembered in pictures. Mary Lou also did a series on churches and rivers.

Sometimes, she would consult the archives and look at articles by Halle Mantle and Joe Welschmeyer. “We have church history books and family histories,” Mary Lou said. “There’s so much material, Halle said you’ll never run out.”

She did a series on doctors in Osage County and used material Mantle had put together as a base. “I would try to maybe add to it by doing other research in something that she had done,” Mary Lou said. “I didn’t want to do it verbatim.”

1923 WILDCATS — AN UNDERDOG STORY

Perhaps her favorite story involved the Linn basketball team, which made it to the state finals in 1923, written 17 years ago. “This was always dear to my heart,” Mary Lou said.

Linn played on an outdoor clay court, with telephone poles serving as foul lines. Schulte wrote that the team had only two basketballs, one for practice and the other for games. Linn played an average of six games per year.

Back then, many things were different. For example, most hoops had no nets, which required a judgment call as to whether a basket had been made. Each team supplied a referee, which often led to arguments.

Schulte noted that one-handed shots were never used except for layups, and after a goal, players returned to the center circle for a jump ball. Three-point shots had not yet been developed, so game scores were very low compared to today’s game.

In March 100 years ago, eight players and their coach traveled to Columbia for the state Division I tournament. Linn had to win five games in two days to reach the final against Westport of Kansas of Division 2. The two teams were the last undefeated squads in a field of 52. Only the last two teams standing would play for the championship, regardless of their Division.

Along the way, Linn defeated Powersville (forfeit), Tipton (22-20), Bucklin (21-16), University High (24-14), and Harris (26-10).

Westport had a height and size advantage, but Linn battled, and despite a 54-10 loss, many of the 1,500 spectators were sympathetic to the little team from a small town.

Schulte noted that Linn returned to the state tournament in 1976, averaging 65.3 points a game with a record of 27-2. The Wildcats lost to St. James in the first-round game but defeated Licking 67-64 to earn third place and finish the year at 28-3.

Linn again made it to the finals in 1977, entering the Final Four with a 30-3 record. The Wildcats defeated Cape Girardeau Notre Dame 70-65 and lost to St. Joseph LeBlond 64-56 to place second with a 31-4 record. Scott and Steve Sandbothe earned All-State honors, and Bill Parker was named Coach of the Year.

HAROLD PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE

During her journey as OCHS newsletter editor, Mary Lou had help from Harold, though not directly.

When the Schultes returned to Linn in 1970, he established Harold Schulte Engineering Services, a land surveying and engineering firm. Harold served as the Osage County Surveyor in the 1970s and became

the Owensville City Engineer in 1990. He also served on the Linn R-2 school board.

As the OCHS was being formed in 1985, Harold and Mary Lou became members and pitched in to help. Mary Lou volunteered to help with the newsletter and served as Publications Committee chair for many years. Harold used his surveying skills to draw a map of the Chamois tour for the quarterly meeting in May 1987.

Harold was elected to the OCHS board as a representative of Crawford Township in 1993. He was quick to help in any capacity. Harold climbed a ladder to install new bulbs in the high ceiling fixtures at the Zewicki House, cleared a damaged tree from the Zewicki House lawn, moved boxes, mounted window shades, cleaned up after an ice storm, and repaired the storm windows as part of the Zewicki House painting project. He even hung the hooks for the “open” sign outside the office door.

Harold was reelected in 2011.

DREAMING OF A NEW BUILDING

Due to growing OCHS collections, a plan to build a new structure was initiated in 2004 when preliminary drawings were requested. The following year, a building committee was formed with a formal proposal accepted by members. A rental house was razed to make room for the new building.

Harold and Mary Lou were members of the Building Committee in the planning stage of the Cultural Heritage Center.

Mary Lou volunteered where needed. She spent hours relabeling exhibits, mailing fundraiser letters, and working on displays in the museum.

Harold became the liaison between the Building Committee and the architect after Doug McDaniel’s resignation.

“I was the only engineer in Osage County, I guess, at the time,” Harold said. “The chairman asked me to oversee the project, so I resigned from the board. I didn’t feel I wanted to be on the board and check on contractors.”

Harold served as the construction coordinator from when OCHS broke ground on Sept. 26, 2011, to the completion of the building in 2013.

Harold worked with close to 30 contractors and suppliers during the project to get the best price. He also tried to get them to reduce their costs as a donation toward the project. “I got the windows for nothing,” Harold said, adding that he secured light fixtures and countertops, among other things. “It wasn’t an overnight job.”

The Schultes helped coordinate the move from the Zewicki House to the CHC in July, with a grand opening on Sept. 8, 2013.

FRANK NAMED INTERIM EDITOR

Mary Lou is confident the OCHS newsletter legacy will continue.

“The new editor, Doris Frank, has at her fingertips all the historical records kept in the Cultural Heritage Center and will continue to produce an interesting and informative newsletter each and every month,” she said.

Frank has been involved with OCHS since the mid-1990s, beginning her time as a board member with her husband, Felix. Doris served as a secretary and president.

About seven years ago, she began volunteering at the Cultural Heritage Center.

While she has written some articles for the newsletter, Doris had not put one together until the one mailed to members in June.

“I don’t know why she decided I would be the one to do it,” said Doris of Mary Lou. “I like to do research, and she knows that; she said that’s how you start your stories — with research.”

In her youth, Doris worked for the UD when Bill Zevely was the owner, stuffing papers and doing labels. She eventually worked her way up to helping Norman Troesser put the paper together.

Since becoming editor, Doris has asked volunteer Verda Rogers to help proofread.

So far, it’s been challenging. “I think it’ll be fun once I get over the nervousness and trying to come up with a plan,” Doris said, adding she is still learning where to put each item in the newsletter and what’s coming up for the next month. “If I don’t do that, I won’t remember what goes into each month.”

She is researching several potential stories, but there are conflicts. “It’s driving me crazy because I’m looking at different sources, and some don’t match,” Doris said. “I can’t figure out which ones are right.”

Doris will always welcome articles and suggestions contributed by members.

The newsletter generally goes out in the mail on the second Wednesday of the month, but Doris said she plans to move to the first Wednesday in months with a quarterly meeting because reservations are required. “I want to give people enough time to make plans to attend,” she added.

The Cultural Heritage Center is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

While Frank is progressing and getting comfortable in her new role, Mary Lou said that one person alone cannot be the sole contributor to the newsletter.

“OCHS members send in their stories, write their books, make recommendations, and generally add to the historical and genealogical collection of articles that make up the monthly newsletter,” she explained. “I want to thank everyone for their support over the years.”

OCHS President Mary Zeilman said that without Mary Lou’s contributions over the last 33 years, the Osage County Historical Society would not be what it is today. “Through her monthly newsletters, she has kept members informed of upcoming events and shared her vast knowledge of Osage County history,” Zeilman added. “Her dedication to the OCHS is unsurpassed.”

Mary Lou said she has plenty to do around the house in retirement. “I have my usual chores, I like to read a lot, and I have outdoor work, so I’ll be busy,” she added.