Orville James “OJ” Scheuerell age 96, was born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin on January 1, 1923, son of Andrew G. and Florence (Schey) Scheuerell. He was united in marriage to Elizabeth E. Bickett of Flaherty, Kentucky, on June 11, 1946. He was a graduate of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary grade school and after attending its two year high school program went on to graduate from Sun Prairie High School in 1941.
After graduation, OJ was employed at the Madison Kipp Corporation until entering the U.S. Army in January 1943. Stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, he attended the Tank Destroyer Radio Test and Repair School and served with the 662nd Tank Destroyers. While at Fort Hood, he was a member of “C” Company Basketball Team that won the 662nd Tank Destroyer Group Championship. Scheuerell was then transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he attended the Army Tank Radio Test and Repair School. While stationed at Fort Knox he met his future wife Elizabeth, an employee of the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps.
During WWII Scheuerell served in the South Pacific Theatre of Operations with the Pasadena National Guard Anti Tank Company of the 185th, the 40th Division. In 1945, his unit was sent to Korea for the occupation. Here he organized and operated a post exchange at the airport at Taegu. OJ was honorably discharged March 27, 1946 as a communications staff sergeant.
Orville was an active member of Sacred Hearts Catholic Church where he was the chairman of the church festival for 30 years. He was an usher in the church for 31 years, a church director, corporation treasurer, a charter member of the church council, chairman of the finance committee, and a charter member and first president of the school's athletic committee.
Following OJ's marriage to Elizabeth E. Bickett the Scheuerells settled in Sun Prairie where they operated Scheuerell's Grocery Store for the next nine years. The store's location was where the current Sun Prairie City Hall now stands at the intersection of Main and Church Streets. OJ then secured Sun Prairie's first liquor store license, owning and operating Scheuerell's Liquor Store for the next 20 years. He was also concurrently employed by The Admiral TV Corporation and later the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company when they began operations in Sun Prairie. For many years he drove a school bus for The Bedner Transportation Company, List & Durnasky, and The Rite Way Leasing Company.
In 1946, OJ Scheuerell became a charter member of The Veterans of Foreign Wars Klubertanz-Trapp Post 9362 Sun Prairie and was elected as its Post Commander. He eventually served the VFW as the Commander of Dane County, the 2nd District Commander, the State VFW Community Service Chairman and ultimately became Junior Vice Commander of the State of Wisconsin. Other VFW accomplishments included organizing the first VFW Teener Baseball Tournament which was held in Sun Prairie, and a VFW Rifle Club which for many years had well over one hundred active members. OJ built the VFW's Post's iconic Loyalty Day Float, entering it in many parades in Wisconsin, and appearing in the National VFW parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The float's slogan “Loyalty Means Liberty” was adapted by the National VFW and used by them for many years to come.
OJ also held an amateur “HAM” radio license with a call sign of K9ZMV and was a charter member of “SPARK” the Sun Prairie Amateur Radio Klub which eventually grew to over 40 active members. He also held a U.S. Air Force MARS (Military Affiliate Radio Station) radio license with the call sign of AFA9ZMV and was appointed the MARS Director of Southern Wisconsin, an organization with the mission of sending and receiving non-essential radio traffic for Air Force personal, The Red Cross, etc.
Mr Scheuerell also served his community in the following ways: Vice Chairman of the Sun Prairie Sesquicentennial Celebration, Cub Master of a local Cub Pack, chairman of the local March of Dimes and publicity chairman of the Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival. He regularly worked the Sun Prairie elections, was on the museum board of directors and in the 1960s organized youth dances featuring the Aristocracy and The Four Directions bands at the Forester Hall and Sacred Hearts Parish Hall. OJ was also a charter member of the Sun Prairie High School Band Association and its second president. At the Colonial Club, he volunteered as a bingo caller, twice a week, for 14 years.
OJ received various commendations and awards from various organizations: radio station WIBA's Volunteer Action Committee, Riteway Leasing Bus Company, The Cub Scouts, The American Legion, VFW National, Rotary Club, Colonial Club 2007, Sacred Hearts Church, Sun Prairie Sesquicentennial Committee, and I Can Cope.
During Sun Prairie's Sesquicentennial in 1987, Scheuerell received the Cup Award for having the Best Mustache, and at the Sun Prairie Century Centennial in 1937 he was awarded 2nd place for driving the 2nd oldest vehicle (a station wagon) in the parade. Perhaps most of all he loved to dance the jitterbug to big dance bands at Angel Park in the 1930s and early 1940s.
He was preceded in death by his father Andrew G. and his mother Florence (Schey) Scheuerell, and two sisters Anita and Germaine Mannion and brother Reuben. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth of 73 years, four sons: Kent (Carolyn) Platteville, WI; Douglas (Vicky) Springfield, OR; Casey (Laura) Watertown, MA; and Chris in Madison, WI, and seven grandchildren: Scott (Anne) Asbury, IA; Chad in Oregon, MO; Lon (Kelly) Monroe, WI; Amy in Platteville, WI; Ella and Cooper of Boston, MA; and Adrian in Springfield, OR. Great-grandchildren are Rylie, Grady, Bryden, and Kori in Monroe, WI and great-grandson Adam Marx in Asbury, IA.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, December 16, 2019, at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church, 227 Columbus Street in Sun Prairie. A visitation will be held in the Church from 9:00 am until the time of Mass. Monsignor Duane Moellenberndt will preside. Burial will be at Sacred Hearts Cemetery followed by military rites. The family would like to thank Monsignor Duane Moellenberndt, Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care, and Sun Prairie Health Care Center for the care and considerations they provided. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sacred Hearts School Endowment Fund.

Tuschen-Newcomer Funeral & Cremation
Sun Prairie 608-837-5400
www.newcomerfh.com