John Schneider, Jr .
John Schneider Jr was born to Blandina (Kirschenmann) and John Schneider at their home in McLaughlin, South Dakota on February 25, 1946. He was number nine in a family of twelve children. The Schneiders and many of the Kirschenmanns moved to the Snoqualmie Valley in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, filling the small valley town with relatives.
He grew up on Highland Drive in Snoqualmie, went to Snoqualmie Falls School and Mount Si High. At the age of 17, John joined the Army and spent 18 months in Germany as a tank mechanic. Those 18 months abroad provided a lifetime of stories and fond memories for John to share with his family and friends.
In 1970, John married Donna and they had a family of five children: Marc, Bob, Tara, Sara and Brett. John and Donna raised their family at their current home on Highland Drive, not far from where John grew up. People were always welcome to stop by for a visit especially if John was burning one of his sky high bon fires. John and Donna always had an open door and have helped family and friends out through the years.
John was a hardworking man; he was a mechanic for over 55 years. He spent over 23 years as a mechanic for Weyerhaeuser, then worked for a few construction companies. The last job John had was for the Port of Seattle working in “the shop” at the airport. John enjoyed his job and worked there for 15 years until he finally retired at the age of 70. Many of Johns’ coworkers became his close friends.
John was a member of the American Legion and a 25-year member of the Sno Valley Eagles. He enjoyed his time at the Eagles and spent many years volunteering in various officer positions. At the club you could find him socializing with friends, playing poker or volunteering in the kitchen on steak night with his grandsons Dillon and Blake.
John is survived by his wife Donna, their five children and their spouses along with 26 grand and great grandchildren. John had close relationships with his siblings over the years. Surviving siblings are Tillie, Ginny, Mel, Charles, Rynhard, Stephen, and Dennis. Preceded are sisters Charlotte and LaVida, brothers Joe and Ken and his parents John and Blandina. John was fond of his numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and leaves behind many close friends whom he cared about very much. John’s long battle with lung cancer ended peacefully at home on March 29, 2018.