At 103, his pinochle skills remain sharp

While most people in Owatonna have seen the Activity Guide that gets mailed to all addresses twice annually; and many have participated in a City program or activity either personally or by registering their child, I wonder how many have stopped to think about how these programs impact lives?

I had the great fortune recently of being able to meet the group of Pinochle players who gather three times weekly at West Hills Social Commons to participate in one of the organized activities provided through a Parks & Recreation Department Adult Leisure Pursuits membership. It sparked my curiosity and, in just a few minutes, I learned about the club, how it started and about a remarkable member whose story I found intriguing. I’ll do my best to retell his story as I heard it from him.

In 2012, Sylvester “Doc” Schreitmueller responded to an ad in the newspaper published by the Parks & Recreation Department stating there was interest in starting a Pinochle Club. He and his wife, Darlene, responded to the ad and began gathering with others to form the club, which is still going strong 13 years later. Doc said he had to learn Pinochle when he married Darlene because her whole family played. His age at the time? 82. Having both been widowed, the pair had known one another as children. During their years together, they both began playing Pinochle with the club. Unfortunately, Doc was widowed a second time in 2021. He has continued to meet up with his Pinochle mates even as he celebrated his 103^rd birthday on Dec. 31.

Are you curious to know more about Sylvester? I was too. He moved to Owatonna the first time in 1985. He has also lived in Walters, New Ulm, Keister and Austin, Minn.; Sheboygan and Milwaukee, Wis.; Sacramento, Calif.; Waverly, Oelwein and Waterloo, Iowa; Cook, Nebraska; and Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany. He made his living as a Lutheran pastor after graduating from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa in 1945. Prior to that, he attended Dr. Martin Luther College Academy in New Ulm, Minnesota and Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He speaks fluent German and was instrumental in founding and growing several of the churches at which he served.

Was becoming a pastor Doc’s first career goal? No. During his pastoral internship at Milwaukee General Hospital, he worked with several medical interns and helped them with operations and delivering babies. He was offered an opportunity through Johns Hopkins University to become a surgeon by taking over a hospital in Madang, New Guinea. Instead, Doc felt called to become a pastor, which took him to Sacramento where his first position was to plant a mission church there. That is where Doc met and married his first wife, Ruth in 1945. They raised four children. Ruth passed away in 2003.

What words of wisdom does Sylvester offer? First off, when it comes to Pinochle, he says you have to have a good memory and know when to pass. When it comes to longevity, he says you need to eat decently well and chew your food well. He says what he enjoys most about being a member of the club is the fellowship.

Sylvester currently lives at the Benedictine Living Community in Owatonna and has one daughter living in Owatonna. He relies on SMART Transit to get around town. I was inspired by his optimism and admire his resilience, attitude and sharp Pinochle skills.

Deanna Sheely is the communications director for the City of Owatonna.