Ronald Wayne Schilling

Ronald Wayne Schilling, age 64, of Nashua, Iowa, died on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at Cedar Valley Hospice House in Waterloo, surrounded by his family, after a courageous fight with cholangiocarcinoma—an aggressive cancer originating in the bile ducts.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 11, 2026, at St. John Lutheran Church in Nashua with Pastor Todd Burrichter officiating. Interment will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Nashua following the service with Charlie Harrington, Bob Sobolik, Bobby Aukes, Jere Kerns, Jon Kerns, and Grant Anderson serving as pallbearers.  Jay Connor, Steve Woodruff, Danny Kehret, Rich Crooks, and Jim Zwanziger will be serving as honorary pallbearers.

Friends may greet the family from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 10, 2026, at Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory – Olson Chapel in Nashua. Visitation continues an hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Ronald Wayne Schilling was born on a late afternoon in 1961 at Floyd County Hospital, delivered by Dr. Trefz. His mother, Shirley Joan (Abben) Schilling, loved to recall how Dr. Trefz hollered down the hallway to his father, “It’s a boy, Cliff!” Ron joined his older sister, Denise, and was later joined by siblings Leslie Warren, Paul Anthony, and Audrey Sue.

Ron grew up farming alongside his parents and grandparents east of Nashua, developing a deep love for agriculture that stayed with him throughout his life.

He was baptized and confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Nashua, where he remained a lifelong member. Ron served faithfully on various committees and on the church council, including two terms as council president.

Ron attended Nashua Community Schools, graduating with the Class of 1980. He was active in Luther League, 4‑H, and numerous school activities. During his 4‑H years he learned to roller skate—something he enjoyed for the rest of his life. In high school he especially loved wrestling and FFA. He served twice as treasurer of the Nashua FFA chapter and once as president. In 1979 he was selected as a group leader at the Iowa State Fair, where FFA members from across the state served as ushers in the grandstands. These experiences helped shape the leadership skills he later used in organizations such as the Chickasaw County Cattlemen and the Chickasaw County Extension Council.

During the summers, Ron often worked off the farm to earn money for college. Many of those jobs involved concrete work, including two years helping build concrete grain storage—his very first project being the two bins in Nashua.

After high school, Ron attended Iowa State University, earning a double major in agronomy and farm operations and completing additional graduate‑level coursework. His summers included internships with Iowa State University and ICI, a British agricultural chemical company focused on developing pesticides.

Following graduation, Ron accepted a position with the agrichemical division of U.S. Steel as a lab supervisor at a soil testing facility in Belmond, Iowa. When U.S. Steel sold the division during a downturn in the steel industry, the new owners later dissolved the agrichemical branch, leading to the closure of the Belmond lab.

Ron then moved to Platteville, Wisconsin, where he worked at the Northern Research Station for Golden Harvest Seed as a field lab technician. There he helped develop new inbred and hybrid corn varieties for the Northern Corn Belt. Yet his heart remained with cattle and the family farm, eventually drawing him back to Nashua, where he worked for several local businesses while farming.

Ron later became a seed dealer for Dairyland Seed, a role that allowed him more time to farm—something he embraced fully until his cancer diagnosis in 2025 forced him to step away.

In 1996, Ron married Gail Fruchtenicht, welcoming her and her three children into his home. Together they added two sons to the family before later divorcing.

In 2009, while trying online dating, Ron met the true love of his life, Jackie Graham. They married the day after Thanksgiving in 2010. Through Jackie, Ron joyfully welcomed two more children and four grandchildren into the family he cherished.

Ron is survived by his wife, Jackie; his father, Clifford Schilling of Allison, Iowa; his sons Matthew (Tori) of Nashua and Nathan (Jeanette) of Castle Rock, Colorado; stepdaughters Kati Fruchtenicht of Nashua and Sara (Ian) Wrage of Waukee; stepson Joe (Alyssa) Fruchtenicht; 18 grandchildren; 3 great‑grandchildren; his sister Audrey Doucette of Waterloo; sister‑in‑law Cody Schilling of New Hampton; brother Paul Schilling of Allison; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley (Abben) Schilling; his sister, Denise Schilling; and his brother, Leslie “Les” Schilling.

Hugeback – Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory – Olson Chapel in Nashua has been entrusted with arrangements.

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