Kenneth "Ken" Schaufenbuel

Kenneth “Ken” Schaufenbuel age 75 of Lawler, IA, died Friday, December 13, 2024, at the Shell Rock Health Care Center in Shell Rock, IA.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 21, 2024, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler, IA, with Rev. Nick Radloff celebrating the Mass.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.

Friends may greet the family beginning at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, December 21, 2024, at the church.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton.

Kenneth “Ken” Schaufenbuel was born April, 4, 1949, in New Hampton, IA, the third child of Joe and Alma (Weiling) Schaufenbuel.  He was raised ¼ mile south of Lawler, IA.

In the words of Ken, “I had a great family growing up, lots of love, food, faith, neighbors and friends.”  Ken’s family all enjoyed music, especially Polka and country music.  He attended local public school and graduated from Turkey Valley and attended Area I auto mechanic course. After Sara Lee closed he was accepted at NICC College for plumbing and heating and graduated in 2001.

After meeting the love of his life, Linda Franzen at a dance at the former Chip’s Ballroom in Lawler, they tied the knot on September 5, 1986 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Lawler.

Upon helping and growing up on a farm, he was taught how to work and fixed all the farm machinery. Ken was a gifted handyman and someone who never shied away from lending a helping hand.  He has worked at Sara Lee for 14 years until its closing in 2000.  Ken mowed and kept up lawns and had various side-jobs such as snow removal, the Drewelow Mink Farm, Work for Fred Murray, Larry Schmitt and driving semi, hauling grain to the river.  He also worked for Blockhaus Plumbing & Heating, the Orvis brothers, custom work and helping Jack Sabelka with tiling.  He was a volunteer for Meals-on-Wheels, a home care provider and caretaker of the church for the last nine years.  

Ken and Linda enjoyed their trips to Florida, Branson, MO and his trip to Canada where he shot a black bear and made it into a bear rug.  In his free time he enjoyed fishing, boating, snowmobiling, golfing, motorcycling, camping, driving around to check the crops and the country-side and time with family.

Those who knew Ken would describe him as loving, fun and friendly, a man whos presence enriched the lives of all who had the pleasure of knowing him.  As a child he was taught to be Christ-like; to love others and to be kind to everyone and help those in need.  A request of Ken’s was that all members of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and friends to be honorary pallbearers.

Survivors include his wife, Linda; sister, Gladys Mitchell of Northfield, MN; brother, Lloyd (Barb) Schaufenbuel of Solon, IA; sisters-in-law, Lorraine (Ray) Armbrecht of Fredericksburg, LeAnn Franzen of Lawler, Mary Franzen of Fredericksburg and Darlene Franzen of New Hampton; and many nieces and nephews.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother-in-law, Bob Mitchell and several brothers and sisters-in-law.