Wade D Schulz

Wade Douglas Schulz, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and faithful servant of God, entered the presence of his Savior surrounded by the love of his family on August 1, 2026. While our hearts are broken by his passing, they are also comforted by the life he lived and the faith he carried. We have no doubt that he was welcomed into Heaven with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 AM on Monday, August 10 at St. Pius V Catholic Church in New Salem with Fr. Stephen Folorunso presiding. Burial will follow at Mandan Union Cemetery at 2 PM. Visitation will be from 4-6 PM on Sunday, August 9 at Weigel Funeral Home in Mandan and will continue one hour prior to the funeral on Monday.

Wade was born on April 2, 1955, to Kenny and Frances (Gaebe) Schulz. He grew up in rural New Salem, graduating from New Salem High School before marrying the love of his life, Linda Kopp, on August 14, 1976. Together they built a life centered on family, faith, hard work, and unconditional love.

He shared life with his devoted wife, Linda; his sons, Cody and Justin, Justin’s wife Allison; and the lights of his life - his grandchildren, Noah, Jensen, Hart, and Freya.

If the measure of a person’s life is how they made others feel, then Wade lived one of the richest lives imaginable. He had a remarkable gift for making everyone around him feel valued, capable, cherished, and, most importantly, loved. Whether you were family, a friend, a student, or someone he had just met, you walked away from Wade believing a little more in yourself because he believed in you.

Wade spent his early career working in construction and at area power plants before becoming the head custodian and maintenance man at New Salem High School. No matter the job, he approached it with pride, humility, and an unwavering work ethic. He believed honest work was honorable work, and he quietly served others every day without ever asking for recognition.

For many years, Wade also drove the school activity bus, safely transporting generations of Holsteins to games, tournaments, and countless memories. The student-athlete autographed shirts and mugs were never just souvenirs, they were reminders of the young people whose lives he was privileged to be a small part of. He was one of New Salem’s biggest Holstein fans, and he celebrated every athlete with genuine enthusiasm.

Later, that same enthusiasm belonged to his grandchildren. There wasn’t a baseball game, football game, basketball game, soccer game, swim meet, or other event he didn’t want to attend. If you listened, you could always find Wade in the crowd. Sometimes he cheered a little too loud. Sometimes his commentary was a little too direct. But no one ever questioned why he was doing it. His grandchildren knew they were deeply loved, and there was no place in the world he would have rather been than watching them do what they loved.

Wade lived his faith with quiet consistency. He was a humble servant of God. Music was one of God’s gifts that brought him great joy. He loved to sing in church and spent many years sharing that gift as a member of the New Salem Centennial Singers.

Wade loved working alongside his boys; restoring old cars, building projects together, making sausage, solving problems, and simply spending time side by side. Those moments built far more than projects; they built a lifetime of memories.

One of Wade’s greatest gifts was his outlook on life. He believed the best about those around him. His optimism was intentional. He chose kindness over criticism, encouragement over discouragement, hope over cynicism. In a world that often feels quick to judge, Wade was quick to love.

He enjoyed life’s simple pleasures. He loved music. He could relax with an episode of NCIS. He never needed extravagance to be content because the people he loved were always enough.

Wade’s accomplishments were many, and he never sought recognition for them. He simply believed that whatever was worth doing was worth doing well. But while his work and service earned respect, it was his character that earned love. Long after people forget the achievements, they will remember the man who always encouraged them, believed in them, and made them feel that they mattered. He was the kind of man we should all strive to become, a standard bearer of humility, faithfulness, integrity, compassion, and unconditional love. Those of us who knew him were made better because we knew him.

His family knows they will spend the rest of their lives trying to live as he did. Becoming as good a person as Wade may be an impossible goal, but it is one worth reaching for every day.

Wade is survived by his loving wife of nearly 50 years, Linda; son, Cody; son, Justin (Allison); grandchildren, Noah, Jensen, Hart, and Freya; sisters, Bonnie Woods; Jackie (Frank) Bickford; Bert (Arni) Voigt; brother Barry (Michelle) Schulz; brothers in law, Jim Kopp; Ben (Della) Kopp; sister-in-law Nita (Brian) Wrede; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Kenny and Frances Schulz; sister, Sandy Schulz; father and mother-in-law, Tony and Agnes Kopp.; and brother-in-law, Bill Woods.

His legacy lives in the people he loved so well. It lives in the values he quietly demonstrated. It lives in his children, his grandchildren, and everyone fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him.

We will miss his smile, his laugh, his singing, his encouragement, his optimism, and hearing his unmistakable voice from the stands. We will miss him every day.

But above all, we are grateful.

Grateful that we had him.

Grateful for the example he gave us.

And grateful for the promise that because of his faith in Jesus Christ, this goodbye is only temporary.