Jerome Harold Schlegel

Jerome H. Schlegel, 91, a resident of Woodland Rd, Sheboygan Falls, passed away at home on July 28, 2025. He was born on August 9, 1933, in West Bend, WI, but soon after moved to Sheboygan with his family. He was born to Jerome H. Schlegel and Ethel Mary Johnson. He attended many grade schools in Sheboygan and graduated from Central High School in 1952. He served in the National Guard for three years during high school. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Air Force, served four years, and was honorably discharged. Next, he attended Emory Riddle School of Aviation in Miami, Florida, for commercial pilot training and licensing.

After graduation, he returned to Sheboygan to marry his sweetheart, Mary Ann DeWitt. They were married on August 22, 1959, had five children: four boys and one girl. He continued flying and flight training in the Wisconsin area. He worked for Western Electric, traveling throughout most of the state installing dial telephone systems. Later, he started a golf driving range on Sheboygan’s south side, which he ran for 10 years as a part-time business while working for Tecumseh Products in New Holstein and then Pioneer Container Corp in Cedarburg as a sales representative. He was with Pioneer for 30 years, retiring in 1990.

After retirement, he and his son Paul started and built a used automobile dealership called Continental Motors Co. Inc. on Sheboygan’s north side. His hobbies included traveling, flying, golf, and restoring old cars. He had quite a few old cars to fix up. He traveled extensively with his family—throughout Europe, the Far East (including Hong Kong and Macao), and all 50 U.S. states. For over 30 years, they spent winters in California, mostly traveling by motorhome and pulling a car. He loved flying and owned two airplanes—his favorite being a 1951 Ryan Navion, which he fondly called “a poor man’s P-51 Mustang.”

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, all five of his children: Kurt, Sheboygan, WI, Paul (Becky), Haines City, FL, Dean (Lisa), Eagan, MN, Jon (Amelia), Minneapolis, MN, Dawn (Edwin), Santa Monica, CA. Grandchildren: Joshua (Amanda) Schlegel, Rolla, MO, Justin Schlegel, Sheboygan, WI, Ariana Schlegel, Newark, NJ. Great Grandchildren: Ethan and Larkin Schlegel, Rolla, MO. Extended family: Brother-in-laws Ron Landgraf and Bob Ognacevic. Sister-in-law Joan Schlegel, many nieces, nephews, and relatives from the Bruder, Landgraf, Schlegel, Richter, Ognacevic, Hudson, Scholz, and DeWitt families. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather Gottfried Richter, Father/Mother in-law Allan (Mildred) DeWitt. Brothers; Harlan Schlegel, Ralph (Sue) Richter, and Jeffrey Richter, sisters; Betty (John) Bruder, Janice Landgraf, Nelila Ognacevic, and a great-grandson Zachariah who died at birth. In-laws: Diane (Marlin) Hudson, Janet (Bill) Scholz, and Peter (Catherine) DeWitt.

A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held at Town and Country Club, Cty Trunk J, Sheboygan, on Sunday, August 10th, 2025. Visitation will be 3 pm to 4 pm, with a Eulogy at 4 pm. In lieu of flowers, we ask expressions of sympathy be sent to Jerome Schlegel Memorial c/o Mary Ann Schlegel for the installation of a memorial lakefront bench.