John Schloss Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

John Schloss, age 88, of Glendive, Montana formerly of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, passed away on Friday, June 15, 2007 at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings. A Vigil Service will be held at 8:00 p.m., Friday, June 22, 2007 at the Chapel of the Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home in Glendive. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 23, 2007 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glendive. Father Joseph Ponessa will officiate with Father Basil Atwell as concelebrant. Rite of Committal with military honors will be in the Dawson County Cemetery in Glendive. Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home of Glendive is entrusted with arrangements. John was born on December 23, 1918 in Glendive, Montana the son of Jacob and Euphemia (Eva Martin) Schloss. He was raised and educated in Glendive, graduating from Dawson County High School with the class of 1938. He attended various technical schools throughout his life. John and Marie Antoinette Russell were united in marriage on January 1, 1940 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glendive. In the early 1940's John and Marie moved several times to find good employment. John worked on construction of Farragut Naval Base in Idaho, the Shasta Dam in Northern California as well as Liberty Ships at Moore Dry Dock near Oakland, California, and a steel mill near Provo, Utah. John enlisted in the United States Army on April 22, 1944 at Fort Douglas, Utah. His first combat assignment was to carry the Browning automatic rifle for an infantry squad assigned to the 3rd Division, 7th Infantry and 361st Special Service in Northern France; he landed on Omaha Beach on the second day of the invasion. After being severely wounded in action in the Colmar Pocket Region, on Christmas Day 1944, John was evacuated to a hospital in England. He later returned to France to serve with the Army Engineers. His unit was redeployed to the Philippines and then into Japan at the end of the war. During John's military service he earned the rank of Tech 5 and received numerous awards including; the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Presidential Citation, American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, European-African- Middle Eastern Service Medal, Army Occupation of Japan Medal, French Croix De Guerre Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, Philippine Independence Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Rifle Sharpshooter Medal. John was honorably discharged on January 7, 1946 and returned to Montana as a Proud U.S. Army Veteran. On returning to Glendive, John joined Sterhan Construction, which had been started by a partnership with his father Jacob Schloss and John Sterhan. He worked for Sterhan Construction during the 1950's and helped with the construction of many Glendive Landmarks including The Post Office, Jordan Hotel, Moose Lodge, Lincoln School, Washington School, Sacred Heart Catholic School, Hungry Joe Water Tank and The Water Plant. He also supervised construction of projects in other communities such as the Catholic Church at St. Philips, the Williston Hospital, the Westby Community School, and the Rosebud County Nursing Home. In 1958 John joined the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. He and his wife Marie moved their family to the Northwest starting in Spokane, Washington where he worked on building numerous Air Force Facilities throughout the states of Washington and Montana. They bought acreage and moved their family to the country near Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. He worked for several years on construction of the I.C.B.M. Missile Sites in Western Montana. Upon completion of that assignment they moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where he supervised construction at many facilities along the Columbia River including, John Day Dam, McNary Dam, Ice Harbor Dam, Lower Monumental Dam and the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery. Upon retiring from the U.S. Army Corps, John and Marie moved back to their home near Coeur d'Alene. Marie preceded him in death on August 29, 2000. John continued to live there until April 2006, when he made the decision to join the residents at the Eastern Montana Veterans Home, which he lovingly referred to as "The Old Soldiers Home". Mr. Schloss was an extremely hard worker. He was also a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He cherished spending time with his family. John and Marie enjoyed traveling whether to see family or the many wonders of the world. John enjoyed playing cards, reading a good book, watching old movies and listening to all his favorite old music. His family was the light of his life. John and Marie raised six children. He will be deeply missed by all of them and their families. John was a member of the Society of 3rd Division, 7th infantry, Purple Heart Society, Knights of Columbus, Carpenters Union, American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jerome Schloss; five sisters, Marian Schloss, Rose Kilsiemer, Ottelia Green, Ann Taylor and Johanna Dietz. Survivors include his children; Gloria Tisdale and husband Ray of Rancho Murieta, CA; Robert J. and wife Bev of Libby, MT; Colleen Ulrich and husband Clarence of Glendive; John A. (Jack) and wife Tracy of Wenatchee, WA; June Brennan and husband Tom of Rota, Spain; Ann Mucha and husband Richard of Chesterfield Township, MI; a brother Jerome Wester and wife Beverly of Billings, MT; 13 loving grandchildren and 11 adoring great grandchildren.

John Schloss

December 23, 1918 - June 23, 2007

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