Schulte, Elroy was born 13-NOV 1919 in Gilmore MO and moved to Wentzville in 1934 (Gilmore was an adjoining town, mostly destroyed by a tornado in 1915). His parents were Ferdinand Theodore Schulte (1878- 1950) and Agnes M. Hunsel (1888-1946). He had two brothers; Clarence and Cletus and three sisters; Edna, Dorothy and Jeanette. Elroy attended Wentzville Public School and St Charles High School. He worked at Shaeffer’s Service Station and later at Gerdeman’s Station. He then went to St Louis to work for Harold Loewenhaupt until 19-MAY when he reported to Jefferson Barracks. Elroy was a Private in the 20th Infantry Regiment, 6th Division.

On 3-JUL 1941, at about 10:30 PM, Elroy was riding in a car driven by Stanley Foltz, along with two passengers on the way back to Fort Leonard Wood. Stanley drove onto the shoulder to avoid a collision with another car, hit gravel and the car flipped. The accident occurred on Highway 17 near Crocker MO (about 17 miles from the Fort) on the way back to the Fort. Elroy Schulte was killed instantly along with one other Missouri soldier, Grady Dowdy, of Malden MO. Stanley Foltz died at 0530 the next morning at the base hospital. The fourth passenger survived with serious injuries. Elroy Schulte is buried in St Patrick’s Cemetery in Wentzville.

Please contact the St. Charles County Veterans Museum Oral History project at sccvetsmuseum@gmail.com or call 636-294-2657 for more information and lets’ talk. We want to hear from you because we know…Every Veteran has a story.