Edward D. Shulta

Edward D. Shulta, 91, of 705 Schmidt Avenue in Rothschild passed away February 28,  2023 at home with his family at his side. 

Edward was born January 31, 1932 in Wausau, WI to Alex and Celia (Barnish) Shulta.  He graduated from Wausau High School in 1951, where he’d played football and basketball for the legendary Win Brockmeyer, whose influence he would remember..  After high school he traveled while working for his brother Leonard who ran a steeplejack and masonry restoration business.   In 1953 he was drafted into the Army and was assigned as a cook.  He later became a mess Sergeant and served at Camp Kit Carson in Colorado Springs and at Fort Knox in Kentucky.  While home on leave in 1954 he was introduced to Ethel Weber by a mutual friend at Colonial Ballroom.  They married on September 15, 1956, and soon settled in Rothschild where Ed had started working at the paper mill.   In those days paperworkers worked 6 hour shifts, seven days straight, so Ed used his “spare time” to develop carpentry skills working alongside his father-in-law, John Weber.  In 1959 he completed the first of several family homes he would build in Rothschild where he and Ethel welcomed a son, Steven in 1960.   He built a second Rothschild home in 1965 and there they welcomed a daughter, Kay in 1966.   Never one to remain idle for very long, Ed would later build a house in Wausau,  another family home in Rothschild, a 4 unit apartment in Weston and a cottage at Star Lake in Vilas County where he and his family enjoyed frequent visits following his retirement from the paper mill after 42 years.   Always the true outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing in all seasons, foraging to pick wild berries, making maple syrup every March, making firewood or just tirelessly attending to seasonal yard work.   Ed lived a simple but very exemplary life and he will be dearly missed.

Ed is survived by his spouse of 67 years, Ethel Shulta, son Steven (Kathy) Shulta of Janesville, WI, daughter Kay (Gary) Scott of Syracuse, NY, two grandsons, John (Brooke) Shulta of Cuba City, WI and David Shulta of Appleton WI, three grandaughters, Megan Scott, of Binghamton, NY, Molly Scott and Madeline Scott, both of Syracuse, NY, two sisters-in law, Nora Shulta of Schofield and Charlotte Traeger of Wausau plus numerous nieces and nephews.  

 Beside his parents, Ed was preceded by brothers, Leonard (Nora), Fabian (Verna) and Sylvester and sister Marge (Gene) Torzewski and sister-in-law Marion (David) Traska.  

Funeral Mass will be held at 11:30 AM on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at St. Mark's Catholic Church, 602 Military Road, Rothschild followed by burial at Restlawn Cemetery.   Visitation will be held from 9:30 AM until the time of Mass. Mass will be livestreamed and available on Ed's obituary page at www.helke.com

The family would like to sincerely thank the many home visitors and caregivers for Ed over his final months, especially Elsie who endeared herself to Ed and Ethel with faithful weekly visits and wonderful cooking.  We'd also like to thank the very dedicated and compassionate home health and hospice teams at Interim and TLC.