James Anthony Schneider

Lincoln resident James Anthony “Jim” Schneider, 96, passed away Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Grace Space, Lincoln, NE. 

Rosary will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 2, at Butler Volland Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, October 3, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Hastings with Father Craig Clinch officiating. Burial with military rites by the Hastings Military Honor Guard will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. Visitation will be 1-8 p.m. with the family present 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, October 2, at the funeral home, and one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to the Hastings Catholic Schools Foundation or Hastings American Legion Baseball. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Jim’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. 

As a member of “The Greatest Generation”, Jim embodied those very words. He served God, his family, his country, and his community. His presence in this world was immensely larger than his 5’8” stature. His life was well lived. 

Jim’s presence in his family was immeasurable and will be greatly missed. Jim was born and raised on a farm south and east of Lawrence, Nebraska with his two older brothers, Gib and Clarence, and his younger brother, Ben. His parents, Matthias and Gertrude (Bencken) Schneider, instilled in them the value of faith, family, and hard work. Living in a home without electricity or indoor plumbing brought its challenges, but there was no shortage of fun. His many childhood stories included details of various shenanigans, including smoking in the plum thicket, teaching the goat to pull a cart, and most of all, playing baseball with his favorite teammates, his brothers. 

Jim met the love of his life, Theresa Rempe, at a high school dance, and proposed to her on Christmas Day, 1950. They were married on June 25, 1952, in Lawrence, NE, following Jim’s service in the Korean War. They briefly farmed in Lawrence but eventually made Hastings their permanent home. Their home on North Kansas Avenue was always a source of love and joy, holding numerous family gatherings, card parties, and neighborhood happy hours. 

Together with Theresa, Jim raised six mostly well-adjusted kids. Mick, Lyle, Ron, Jeanine, Janyce, and Jeff were always loved, always supported, right up to his dying day. Jim earned his livelihood by working shift work at the Farmland Industries (Co-Op ) Fertilizer Plant in Hastings, NE. He attended school and sports events whenever he could, took time to teach his kids the value of duct tape, and led the way to many camping adventures with extended family. After retirement, he and Theresa enjoyed taking grandchildren on camping trips as well. Jim enjoyed camping, golfing, and all things baseball, including watching his beloved Cubs. He spent many proud hours sitting in the bleachers at Duncan Field, watching his sons play and coach the game he loved. 

Jim was present in his community through his lifelong membership to St. Cecilia Catholic Church. Jim and Theresa modeled faith to their family, but also to their community. They put all six kids through the Catholic school system. Jim served as an usher and a reader during mass. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and volunteered many hours to the St. Cecilia Church bazaar each year. He was also a proud member of The American Legion.

Jim served his country proudly. He was drafted into the Army in the spring of 1951. After basic training in Missouri, he was sent to Korea, where he served in the signal core until one day when he asked the clerk if he could borrow the typewriter to write a letter to his fiancé. As soon as it was discovered he could type, Jim was reassigned to replace the outgoing clerk. He kept the platoon’s records and was responsible for managing their rations. Following his return to the states and his wedding, Jim was stationed in Virginia for five months before returning to Nebraska. 

Jim’s servant heart was never more apparent than after Theresa’s stroke in 1999. When she lost the use of her left hand and struggled to walk, he promptly took on all the duties of caring for her and the home in which they lived. He learned to do her hair, prepare their meals, clean the house, always tenderly loving her and doing what he could to make her life easier. He unwaveringly cared for her over the next 22 years, always modeling for his children and grandchildren the nature of a good marriage. 

Jim was blessed with a lifetime of family and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife Theresa, his son Mick, his son-in-law Bruce, his brothers-in-law Herb and Don, his parents, his three brothers and their spouses. Left to cherish his memory and live out his legacy are his children and their spouses Jeff (Abby) Schneider, Hastings; Janyce Ostrander, Lincoln; Jeanine (Bill) Stevens, Lincoln; Ron (Cindy) Schneider, Kearney; Lyle (Gina) Schneider, Lincoln; daughter-in-law Cindy Schneider, Sioux Falls; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Marilyn Schneider, Lincoln; Walt Rempe, Osceola; Charlyn Jurgensmeier, Omaha; Tom and Karen Jurgensmeier, Hastings; 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. There were many stories packed into his 96 years, and you can be guaranteed those stories will continue to be enjoyed, immeasurably.