Charles Schwarz

CHARLES W. SCHWARZ

Cedar Rapids

Charles William Schwarz, 98, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016, under the care of UnityPoint-St. Luke's Hospice.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the chapel. Interment will follow in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

Charles William Schwarz was born July 11, 1918, in Burlington, Iowa, the sixth child of William and Lillian (Brown) Schwarz. He attended Sunnyside grade school there and was a caddy at the Burlington Country Club. In 1929, his family moved to Cedar Rapids, where he graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1936. He worked at Weaver Witwer Grocery warehouse for several years and then joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. He joined the Army in World War II and landed at Normandy Beach, France, on June 8, 1944, two days after D-Day.

When the war ended, he returned to Cedar Rapids and worked at several manufacturing jobs. His last one was at P.M. Lattner Manufacturing Co. as a boilermaker.

All his life Charlie loved fishing and he taught two generations of nephews and nieces to fish. He caught catfish and crappies in the Cedar River and at Lake Macbride, trout near Decorah and walleyes and northerns in Minnesota. He kept a typed journal of all the places he fished and what he caught, and he always shared fish with his family and neighbors.

Charles was a very kind and generous man. In his home on H Avenue, he took care of his mother in her last years, and he raised a large garden and gave many vegetables to neighbors and relatives. As he was considering moving to Higley Mansion, he gave his fishing equipment, his boat, his car, his furniture and household goods to those who could get some good out of those things. If he asked how the old Calcutta pole was doing, he was really happy to hear that it was still catching fish.

He is survived by nieces and nephews, Robert (Rita) Schwarz, Richard (Karen) Schwarz and James (Karen) Schwarz, all of Aurora, Ill., Larry (Carol) Bowen of Cedar Rapids, Judy (Mike) Chadek of Higden, Ark., Joan (Steve) Smith of Clive, Dean (Geraldine) Schwarz of Decorah, Beverley (Duncan) Suthers of Cedar Rapids, Bill (Judy) Schwarz of Cedar Rapids, Bart (Bette) Schwarz of San Diego, Calif., Todd Schwarz of San Diego, Charles Bret Schwarz of Cedar Rapids and Rogette (James) Steele of Marion; and many great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; all of his siblings, including Vivian Boyer, Katherine Brizendine, Frances Bowen, Robert Schwarz, Frank Schwarz, Gail Schwarz and Roger Schwarz; nephews, Steven Schwarz and James Bowen; and a great-nephew, Jeremy Reinert.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Charlie's name may be directed to UnityPoint-St. Luke's Hospice.

Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.