October 1, 1918 - April 22, 2018

Alma Irene Schreiner, 99, died on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at Glenview Living Center in Shell Lake, WI. Alma was born on October 1, 1918 at the family farm in rural Clayton County, Iowa to Martin and Annie (Meyer) Hanson. She attended and graduated from Cheery Valley County School in 1932 and Elgin High School in 1936. Alma was united in marriage to Clayton Schreiner at the Bethel Presbyterian Church in West Union, Iowa on August 17, 1940. They had one daughter, Cynthia Ann (Cindi). Alma worked as a legal secretary in law offices wherever she lived, the first being for C.F. Murphy & L.J. Ehrhardt in Elkader, Iowa from 1937 to 1940 for $15 a week and paid $5 a week for room and board. Alma and Clayton both served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945, Clayton as a Chief Electrician's mate and Alma as a yeoman 2/C and were discharged in 1945. Alma attended Navy boot camp at Hunter College in New York City, trained at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Cedar Falls, Iowa and then was assigned to duty at the Bureau of Personnel in Arlington, Virginia.

After discharge, Clayton and Alma attended and graduated from the Progressive School of Photography in New Haven, Connecticut and then opened a portrait studio in West Union Iowa from 1947 to 1950 after which Clayton returned to his background in the electrical field in various positions in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Alma worked in law offices through these years, and they both received their real estate and broker licenses in Missouri and managed McKelvey Realty in St. Peters, Missouri until retiring to West Union Iowa in 1987. After Clayton's death in 1999, Alma moved to Elgin, Iowa near her two sisters and one brother and she enjoyed happy days with them and their families. She moved to Traditions in West Union in 2008 and then to Brentwood Senior Living in Rice Lake where she liked to say "I'm 90 years old, and I just moved to a new state!"

In November of 2015 she moved to Cumberland, Wisconsin to be closer to her daughter Cindi and son-in-law John. Alma loved the new acquaintances she made in Rice Lake and her friends at congregate housing in Cumberland. In October 2017 Alma moved to Glenview Special Care Unit in Shell Lake, Wisconsin.

Alma was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, and her brother. She leaves her daughter Cindi (John) Schell of Cumberland, Wisconsin; two grandsons, Jay (Jeane) Schell of New Berlin, Wisconsin and Steve (Jen) Schell of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin; five great grandchildren: Taylor, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Alexandra, John and Isabella, and 2 bonus great grandchildren: Paige and Drew, all of Menomonee Falls, WI; and many nieces and nephews. Alma was a member of Bethel Presbyterian Church of West Union, Iowa and the American Legion Auxiliary of Elgin, Iowa.

She enjoyed playing cards, jigsaw puzzles, Wiibowling and the Internet. She loved the Iowa Hawkeyes Men’s Basketball teams and remained loyal to them, even though she was most proud ofher daughter, son-in-law, grandsons and great granddaughters who were all Wisconsin Badgers. She was thrilled with the introduction of the Big Ten Network and she rarely missed a basketball gamethat they televised. She loved her family and so enjoyed being part of the exciting sporting events her son-in-law and grandsons provided for her in their years of coaching and competition.

Last Update: Dec 16, 2018 5:45 pm CST