The Oregon Association of Nurseries is saddened to report the passing of longtime nurseryman Edward Walter Schultz, who owned Calorwash Nursery in Aurora, Oregon and served as OAN president in 1978.
Ed passed away October 2, 2018 in McMinnville, Oregon. He was 98.
He was born September 27, 1920 to Mathias and Martha (Wanzek) Schultz. He was the fifth of nine children. Originally from Windsor, North Dakota, the family moved to Canby, Oregon in 1936 due to the Great Depression and the dust storms. They settled on a farm in Mt. Angel, Oregon two years later.
After graduating from high school, Ed worked in the Portland Shipyards. In 1942, he enlisted in the Navy at age 22. He served as a gunnery mate aboard PT-490 throughout World War II. Postwar, he enrolled at Oregon State College (now University), graduating in 1948 with a degree in horticulture/nursery management. He then completed a master’s degree in horticulture at Texas A & M University, with a minor in genetics.
Ed married Helen (Pat) Holmes on September 15, 1946. They settled with their family in Oregon. Later they founded Calorwash Nursery, using the first few letters of three West Coast states to make a name.
Ed was active in the OAN for many years, serving as president in 1978. He was recognized with the Pacific Coast Nurseryman Outstanding Service Award in 1980, and later was made an OAN Honorary Life Member.
He was well known for teaching others about plant propagation, including a stint teaching at Clackamas Community College.
When not working, Ed enjoyed travel and was a member of the Mazamas outdoor group. He scaled peaks on multiple continents, including Mt. Kenya in Africa and Mt. Popocatepetl in Mexico. In 2010, he assembled his memoirs into a book, “A Warrior’s Tale: From World War II to World Traveler.” He was also the subject of a feature story in the August 2008 issue ofDigger.
Ed is survived by his sister, Rita Hudak of Beaverton, Oregon; sons Stanley Schultz of Molalla, Oregon and Wayne Schultz of Garibaldi, Oregon; daughter Barbara Rageh of Orinda, California; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Ed was laid to rest at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. A celebration of his life will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 1, 2018 at St. James Catholic Church, Molalla, Oregon. (Please note: Our previously published date of “Saturday, December 2” was in error. December 1, a Saturday, is the correct date.)
