Donald Schuster

Donald Paul Schuster, 96, of Phillips, died on October 30, 2023 at Bryan Medical at Prairie Commons, Grand Island.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m, Saturday, November 4 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Grand Island. Rev. Jeff Pedersen will officiate.   Interment will be in the Phillips Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora.   Masonic Rites will be at 7 p.m.   Memorials may be made to the family to designate at a later date.   Condolences may be sent to the family through the mortuary website at  www.higbymortuary.com.
Don was born April 24, 1927 at the rural Phillips home of his parents, Paul and Helen (Stulken) Schuster.   Don lived within 3 miles of his birth place his entire life.   He attended school at District 32 and graduated from Phillips High School in 1944.   After graduating, he and a crew spent that summer working from Oklahoma and moving north doing custom wheat harvest work.   In February of 1945, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and did his schooling at Lakehurst, NJ and Brooklyn NY.   He served the North Atlantic weather patrol, out of Reykjavik, Iceland.  Don was honorably discharged.  He earned his pilot’s license in 1948.  In 1949, Don used the farmhand loader to help with the local construction of the Phillips gym.
Don married Lois Fern Yonker August 27, 1950 at St. Paul’s English Lutheran Church in Grand Island.    They were married for 73 years.  Don and Lois had 4 children, 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; Gregory (Carol) Schuster and their children Jason Schuster; Kelly Trumble (Nate Israelson) and her children, Kaleb (Kaylee) and Hunter Trumble; and Nate’s son, Jax; Paula (Michael) Wolff and their children Ryan (Vicki) and their children, Anthony and Aiden Wolff; Tyler (Jessa), and children Will, Judd and Jade; and Ashley Wolff; Carol (Gene) Samuelson, and their daughter Calli; and Laura (Randy) Roach and their step-daughters Sandy (Ryan) Logue and their children Riley, Braeden, Alex and Gavin; and Lexi Roberts and her daughter Alissa.    
Don farmed his entire life and was a Grade A Dairyman for 36 of those years.   He and his son farmed and milked together.   Don custom cut hay and Greg bailed it.   His daughters also ran the windrower.   Don was an assistant horse 4-H leader, assistant Boy Scout leader, assistant girls’ softball coach and a member of the Phillips Rural Volunteer Fire Department.   He was Past Master of Phillips Keystone Lodge #62, earning his 60-year pin.   He was also a member of the American Dairy Association.   Don and Lois were members of the Rolling Eagles camping club and enjoyed many outings.   Don was bean bag champion at the club.     He was a member of the Platt Duetsche and Liederkranz.   They also square danced and played cards.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Helen Schuster, brother, Gordon (Dorothy) Schuster, son-in-law, Dale Knefelkamp and one great-grandchild, Will Hope Wolff.