Martha Jo Schulteis

Martha Jo (Lewis) Schulteis moved on to heaven on January 26, 2024, at the age of 99 and 8 months.   She was born in Tampa, Florida on May 27, 1924.  She was the third of six children born to Edgar and Eva Lewis.

She grew up during the Great Depression working in her father’s bakery as a teenager.  She graduated from Hillsborough High School in Tampa on May 28, 1942.  Pearl Harbor was bombed during her senior year, which started a series of events for Martha and others that changed the direction of their lives.  

She met the love of her life, Edward Schulteis, at a USO dance while Ed was stationed in Tampa, FL.  That night she came home and told her parents, “I met the most handsome man.”   Ed and Martha were married on October 24, 1944, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church at 42^nd and Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS.  They were married for 70 years and raised 6 beautiful children, according to Martha.   Their first child, Carolyn, was born while Ed was deployed to the Pacific Region.

Martha was a home maker raising her 6 children.  She never missed one of her children’s activities that any of them can remember.  She loved a good party, family gatherings, playing cards, bingo and crossword puzzles.   She enjoyed reading the Kansas City Star every day.  She explored a lot of garage sales and held several of them over the years.  Martha had a beautiful smile.  She would tell her children to “smile and you will feel better.”   Martha went back to school after she raised her 6 kids and earned an associate degree in nursing on May 21, 1977, at Johnson County Community College.  She enjoyed volunteering for Mother’s Day Out at Bethany Lutheran.  She worked at Price Chopper as greeter, sampler host, and helping in the floral shop until she was 90 years old.

Martha was baptized on February 1^st, 1925, at the First Presbyterian Church in Tampa, FL.  She was confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Kansas City, KS on April 29^th, 1945.  Her Bible verse was Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Martha and Ed were charter members of Bethany Lutheran Church in Overland Park, KS joining on January 15, 1961.  She loved to sing in the choir and probably didn’t miss many practices.  She attended Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and served as president of Elizabeth Circle at Bethany.

She was preceded in death by her husband, one daughter Carolyn Weiss and one son Ronald, her parents, brothers Randolph, Frank, and George, and sisters Ruth and Edna.  Martha is survived by a daughter Kathleen Caputo, son Edward, son David and his wife Debbie, son William and his wife Brenda, daughter-in-law Donna and son-in-law Richard Weiss.  Martha had 16 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and 1 great, great grandchild.

The family wants to thank all the caregivers that helped with Martha’s care over the years during her journey with dementia.

The family will be greeting visitors on February 3, 2024, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church at 9101 Lamar, Overland Park, KS 66207 followed by her funeral service at 11 a.m.  Reception for family and friends will be at Bethany immediately following the service.  Internment services will be at 2 at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens at 13901 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66062.

Memorial contributions in memory of Martha may be given to Bethany Lutheran Church or the Alzheimer's Association.