In ending this book I'm quoting from a page
out of my last updating of the family history. 

November 8,1982 

B. Opal (Kern) Schad 

A summary of the doings of the Erwin and Opal Schad family. Erwin Schad passed away June 28, 1977, a few months before his 80th birthday on February 26. He was granted the privilege of seeing our three sons happily married and established with lovable wives and children. All ten grandchildren were adults, Jeff being the youngest at age 17. 

Our first great grandchild, Jimmy, was born in 1970. Erwin and I have been very proud of each of them. My husband was an avid reader and collector of good books. We both enjoyed books, Thomas Mann being one of our favorites. Galsworthy was another. As Erwin understood German, he sent to Germany for Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks in German, also Little Man. "What Now?" by Hans Fallada. The latter book was written during the upheaval of Germany showing its impact on the lives of people there. 

While our children knew Erwin was well versed in German, the grandchildren didn't. When our grandson Greg was studying German in college and having some trouble in pronunciation, my daughter-in-law Frances, his mother, said, "Why don't you have your grandpa help you ?" Greg didn't even know Grandpa could speak German. As we lived near The University of Tulsa where Greg was studying for his degree, he often stopped in between classes to see if Grandpa could help him. Greg had been advised to take German as there were science books written in German that would be beneficial to his research. He was studying to be a dentist which he now is. 

The two of them had a ball with the German language. Greg told his teacher about my husband and in the conversation Greg mentioned his grandpa was reading Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks in German. The teacher's remark was, "If he can read that in German, he knows German." His books which were written in German and his most complete German-English dictionary I gave to Greg after Erwin's death. And, since he is the only one who has studied German, I also gave Greg the German Bible with a copy of the marriage records, the births, etc. in it. 

This Bible belonged to my husband's grandmother who came to America in 1848. Our sons Harry and Frank chose the business world for their careers and have applied honest efforts in their work which have brought rewarding results in their oil related businesses. Our son Charles chose the research, designing, inventing and consulting engineering of oil related problems. He has inventions and patents in this line. He too put forth honest effort and has received the rewards. Their wives Frances, Patty , and Margaret have been big helps to the boys by encouraging and supporting their efforts. 

Each has a career of her own. Frances and Patty have been in real estate and Margaret is secretary to the President of The University of Tulsa. Their children show the training and guidance they have given them. Their various vocations include dentistry , medicine, nutrition, geology, education, bank work, oil well supply, ball bearing company, oil related seismic data. 

At this writing there are eight great grandchildren and two lovable great grandchildren by former marriages. Erwin and I were fortunate in being able to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary on June 14,1973 with our family and friends. We both were in good health and enjoyed the comradeship of all. Our three sons and their families engineered the affair which was held at the home of Harry, our eldest son. 

Scott Taylor Schad, son of Charles A. Schad, wrote this essay about his grandpa Erwin A. Schad for school at the age of 18 years. A few minor things which Scott included in his essay about our history are wrong. These I have listed below. The summer of 1922 I went to Plymouth, Wisconsin, and stayed with Mrs. Franey across the street from the Schad's-Grandma Schad, Erwin, and Nelda. I met Erwin while there. 

I came home that fall and worked that winter in Tulsa. Erwin worked in Plymouth. We both saved our money and the spring of 1923 I returned to Plymouth. We were married June 14, 1923. Harry was born May 12,1924. We moved to Tulsa October 1,1925. Erwin went to work for Mid-continent, now Sun, on October 19, 1925. He retired after 38 years of work on February 1963. 

The Mind of Methuselah

To most people my Grandfather appears to be an average man. He dresses for comfort, not for style, preferring soft suede shoes to the stiffness of polished leather. Only upon closer examination can you begin to see that he is a little different from the norm. He operates an amateur radio transmitter, appreciates classical music, and is an avid reader, having read the works of almost every author of note in any country that you could care to name. 

He possesses an insatiable curiosity about everything, forever studying things that arouse his interest That is why at almost eighty , he is still quick and sharp and constantly trying to better himself when others have fallen into a state of stagnation.