Roy and Genevieve were members of the United Brethren Church (now United Methodist) in Castalia. They were charter members of the Bloomfield Twp. Historical Society and the Winneshiek Co. Historical Society. They were active members of the Audubon Society and both of them were members and officers of the Winneshiek Co. Farm Bureau. They were active in improving the county through the county extension service and Roy was a member of the Winneshiek Co. Soil Conservation District.

Roy was not an average farmer. He and his brothers had all inherited a life-long love of the outdoors and hunting. In 1946, Roy learned to fly and purchased his own airplane. In 1949, after a trip with Genevieve up the Alcan (now Alaska) Highway, he fell in love with Alaska. Over the next 28 years Roy made over 40 trips to Alaska, both by automobile and by airplane. Roy became an experienced bush pilot and an accomplished big game and fishing guide in Alaska. From 1956 through 1968 Roy spent most of his summers (and sometimes much of the rest of the year) working and guiding in Alaska. At one time he even made plans for making his home there.

In 1968 (after Alan returned from Vietnam) Roy and Genevieve purchased the farm that Roy had been born on. They purchased it from Roy's brother, Elmer, who bought it in the late 1930’s. They developed it into a recreation site and camp ground that they called “Walden Pond." Their minister and good friend, Rev. Curtis Webster, had introduced Roy to the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Roy became so enthralled with Thoreau’s ideas that he named the area he was developing after Thoreau’s most famous work of literature. Walden Pond soon became a well known tourist attraction. Roy and Genevieve, with the help of their relatives, friends, and neighbors, began tapping the abundant maple trees each spring and harvesting maple sap that with much hard work they turned into maple syrup. Soon they began serving the “Real Maple Syrup" to friends and relatives along with sour dough pancakes from a recipe and starter that Genevieve had obtained on one of her many trips to Alaska. This proved to be such a popular meal that they started serving “Genuine Alaskan Sour Dough Pancakes” to the public each Sunday morning during the spring syrup season as well as during the peak color season for the maple leaves in the fall. Some Sundays they served as many as 700 people. For many years hundreds of people found their way to this tiny corner of northeast Iowa for Sunday breakfasts served by Roy and Genevieve and their loyal volunteers. When Genevieve and Roy were asked why they went to all the work, neither one could come up with a satisfactory answer. Genevieve stated that they probably ended up clearing no more than 50 cents per hour for their time. As a possible explanation, she said they probably did it for the same reason that people climb mountains — whatever that is....

After retiring from guiding hunters in Alaska, for several years Roy led a group of Flying Farmers on flying tours of Alaska. In July 1977 Roy and Genevieve and their friends, Dr. George and Shirley Knudson from Decorah, IA were flying on one such trip. On 11 Jul 1977, their first leg of the trip as a group, bad weather with very poor visibility was encountered. Two of the airplanes crashed very near each other, possibly because of a mid-air collision. One of the planes carried the Schultzes and Knudsons. The other plane carried two brothers and their wives. All eight people were killed. Funeral services for Roy and Genevieve were held on 16 Jul 1977 at Walden Pond. Several hundred people attended the services under the trees near the pond. They were buried in a private cemetery on the premises.

Sally Jean (Schultz) Haaensick was the first born of Roy and Genevieve’s three children. On 27 Dec 1953 she married John ‘Jack" Levi Hagensick at the United Brethren Church in Castalia. Jack was  the only child of Joe and Lois Hagensick. As of 1995, Jack and Sally are farming in Glenwood Twp, Winneshiek Co. They are the parents of five children: Ricky Lee; Barbara Jean; Rodney Lowell; Brenda Joy; and Russell “Rusty” Roy. Jack and Sally have a total of 15 grandchildren.

James Richard Schultz graduated from Postville High School in 1958. In 1962 he graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, IA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. In 1966 he received his Ph.D., also from Iowa State, in Food Technology. On 2 Jun 1962 he was united in marriage to Sharon Kaye Ball in St. Johns Lutheran Church in Luana, IA. Sharon was the fifth child of Lee and Irene (Fascher) Ball. Sharon and Jim have two daughters, Wendy Jo  and Rebecca “Beckie” Leigh. In 1995 Jim and Sharon live in Oregon, IL. Jim is employed as Vice-President and Technical Director in Crest Foods, a small food processing company located in Ashton, IL.

Alan John Schultz graduated from Postville High School in 1959. He served in the Army as a helicopter pilot from Mar 1964 until Dec 1968. He served two tours of duty as a combat pilot in Vietnam during the war years there. He was awarded several medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross. On 14 Jun 1968 he married Judith (Fait) McDonough while on R&R (Rest and Relaxation) in Hawaii. Judy was born in Springfield, MA, one of three children of Theodore and Muriel Fait. Alan and Judy are the parents of three children: Richard “Rick” Fait McDonough Schultz; Sheri Lee Schultz; and Scott Alan Schultz. As of 1995, Alan and Judy live in Ozark, AL. After several years as a civilian helicopter instructor for the military, health problems forced Alan to resign his position. He currently is employed by Roadway Parcel System.

Schultz, Walter and Elsie (Schroeder)

(Ernestine Schultz)

Walter Henry Schultz, son of Charles and Anna (Thoma) Schultz, was born in Grand Meadow Twp, Clayton Co, IA the 29 Aug 1887. He married Elsie Schroeder 30 Dec 1914. Elsie Schroeder, the daughter of John and Martha (Brandt) Schroeder, was born 27 Oct 1896 in the Postville area. They lived in Castalia where Walter served as town marshall for 39 years. He worked