William J. "Bud" Schell, Jr.

(1917-2020)

by Cliff Lamere     July 1, 2020, revised July 10, 2020

My memories of Bud

Bud Schell had an impact on my life.  When I moved to New Lebanon in 1963 to teach Biology and General Science, he delivered propane to the house I was renting on Cemetery Road.  As I got to know him, he mentioned that he also delivered propane to the Empire State Plaza in Albany which was then under construction.  It helped the workers survive the cold temperatures that winter.  That gave me an idea.

My father and mother (William J. and Ethel (Carter) Lamere) owned a home in Niagara Falls where I grew up. When the construction project on which my Dad worked was finished, he got a job in Virginia, then moved on to California where he panned for gold.  When he didn't find much, he moved to Oregon where they were building a dam.  When the dam was nearing completion, he wrote me a letter asking if there was any way that I could get him a job back in the Albany area.  He had heard about the Empire State Plaza project which was being built by part of the union in which he was a member. 

I went to see Bud to see if he had any contacts.  He said that it would be easy to get my father a job.  It would just take my buying a case of liquor.  Six bottles would go to one union leader, and the other six bottles would go to another union man.  Since Bud owned a liquor store beside his general hardware business, he offered me the liquor at his cost.  That told me a lot about this man.  However, I insisted that I pay retail. 

Although there was no job available in Albany for a crane oiler (my father's profession), he was able to get employment elsewhere in New York State (which is where he wanted to be).  And, I was always grateful for what Bud did for my family.

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Bud graduated from NLCS in 1935.

My webpage of deceased New Lebanon Central graduates has more information about him.  (link)

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Nickname

Most of us knew him as Bud, but his yearbook photo says Bub, and so do early newspaper articles.

FROM OLD NEWSPAPERS  (1940-1957)

These newspaper articles in chronological order show some of Bud's abilities.

     [Published in The Evening Register, Hudson, NY -  1940]

"New Lebanon

     William Schell, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. William Schell, left Chatham on Friday as a draftee.  Mr. Schell was given a party at Gil's diner Tuesday night by Fred Hadzelle.  Thirty-five attended.  He was presented with a purse of money.  On Wednesday evening he was tendered a party by twenty fellow employes [sic] of the General Electric at the home of John Burke.  He was presented with a traveling kit.  Mr. Schell is a graduate of New Lebanon High school and attended the Pensacola Baseball school in Florida.  He has been employed for the past three years with the General Electric."

NOTE:  Bud was injured in Mississippi (previous article) while enroute to Florida from Louisiana (see next two articles).

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - October 14, 1941]

"New Lebanon

     William Schell, Jr. who was badly injured during recent army maneuvers in Mississippi, will be confined in the Shelby hospital for sometime.  He was able to write to his parents last week in spite of his condition."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - January 13, 1942]

"Lebanon Springs

     Pvt. William Schell, Jr. who was badly injured in an army truck accident last October in Louisiana, is now convalescing in Florida at Camp Blondery."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - January 23, 1945]

"S-Sgt. William Schell is still in No. Africa.  Bub says the food was not very good but seems to improve slightly.  For a time he says the best eats were oranges they picked there right off the trees.  Bub had a three day pass recently and hunted wild boar but without results."

    [S-Sgt. is the abbreviation for his rank of Staff Sergeant.]

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - April 23, 1946]

"New Lebanon

     William Schell Jr. returned to work at the G. E. yesterday after five years absence in the Army."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - October 1, 1946]

"Classified Column

     RADIO REPAIRS & SERVICING  - Army trained in radio work.  William Schell, New Lebanon.  Tel: 143-F-12."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - December 24, 1946]

     "RADIO REPAIRS & SALES

     Electrical Appliances, Esso Servicing

     William Schell, New Lebanon.  Tel: 143-F-12."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - November 9, 1948]

"William Schell, Jr., is attending refrigeration school each day in Troy."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - November 28, 1950]

Lebanon Springs

    "William Schell Jr. bagged a fine buck while hunting on West Hill the Monday before Thanksgiving."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - January 17, 1956]

"At the last meeting of the Lions Club, on January 9th, past president, William F. Hartigan inducted two new members, Eugene Bjorkman and William Schell, Jr., into membership.  This makes the present membership stand at 31 active members."

     [Published in The Echo, New Lebanon, NY - May 28,1957]

"Rod & Gun Club Meets Tonite, To See Movies

     The Lebanon Valley Rod and Gun Club will meet at 8:00 o'clock tonight, Tuesday, at the American Legion rooms in Lebanon Springs.  Movies will be shown and president William Schell, Jr., will report on his attendance at the meeting of the Columbia County Federation of Sportsmen last week."

FROM RECENT NEWSPAPERS & VIDEO (2009-2020)

    [Published by the Eastwick Press, July 31, 2009.]  (link)  Excerpt & photo below.

"New Lebanon Central High School 2009 Alumni Dinner 

    The earliest class represented was the Class of 1935 and Bud Schell was its sole representative. Schell is a World War II veteran of the US Army and US Air Force. He was a flight engineer engaged in transporting B-24 and B-25 bombers and a variety of other aircraft to various theaters of operation, though much of his time was spent in the legendary city of Casablanca in Morocco.  After the war Schell went back to work for GE in Pittsfield, MA, but later became the owner and operator for many years of the Esso (later Exxon) station on route 22 in New Lebanon.
    It was Schell who paid for the music for the evening in the person of “One Man Band” Paul Slusar of Philmont."

The two elder statesmen at the New Lebanon Central High School

2009 Alumni Dinner held last Saturday at the Stephentown Fire Hall

 are William “Bud” Schell (l), Class of 1935, and his younger classmate,

Art Koepp, Class of 1936. Both are residents of Stephentown.

(David Flint photo)

New Lebanon High School Reunion 2014   (link)
    [Published by the Eastwick Press, July 18, 2014.]  Excerpt & photo below.

"William “Bud” Schell, Class of 1935, was again the senior graduate at the Reunion. Schell, a WW II veteran – a flight  engineer on B-24 and B-25 bombers – and later owner of the Esso station on Route 22 in New Lebanon, once again provided the music at the Reunion in the person of “One Man Band” Paul Slusar of Philmont."

Richard Burns, Class of 1949, who has footed the bill

for the dinner each year since 2006, is visiting with

the oldest NL alum. (David Flint photo)

Photo extracted from YouTube video of 103rd Birthday  (link to video)

Bud was waving at people and vehicles, including a fire engine, that were passing by.

Bud's first (incomplete) Obituary

"William J Schell Jr.
April 23, 1917 – June 25, 2020
William J Schell was born on April 23, 1917 in New Lebanon, NY and passed away on June 25, 2020 and is under the care of Beach Memorial Chapel."  (link)

For Bud's complete Obituary with photos, see table below