Roll Call Tribute

Ernest Gerhardt Schluter, Jr.
October 5, 1943 - June 26, 2022

Ernest Gerhardt Schluter, Jr., 78, of Beaumont, passed away on Sunday, June 26 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ernest, called “Ernie,” was born on October 5 in Wharton, Texas, the oldest of three boys. He was a little league baseball pitcher and a Boy Scout earning his God and Country and Eagle Scout Awards. As an adult, Ernie was the leader of a Cub Scout troop and was tapped out for Order of the Arrow – Scouting’s National Honor Society. As a high school student, Ernie was in the Wharton High School marching band, and this is where the trajectory of his life changed. He was a coronet player and became enamored with a freshman clarinet player. On their first date to the county fair, Ernie fell in love. He pursued Betty long distance while attending Texas A&M University where he was a coronet player in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Occasionally, Ernie hitchhiked home from A&M surprising Betty. On one such occasion, Betty was on a date, so Ernie decided to marry her.

Ernie and Betty married in 1964 in Wharton and moved to Houston. Ernie began a career with Firestone that would last 46 years. He worked in various capacities, even becoming an owner of a Texas unit of the business. He was transferred to Beaumont in the late 60s and Firestone and Ernie became synonymous. People in the community were known to say they were taking their cars to Ernie, not taking them to Firestone, because Ernie loved working with customers and cared for people and their cars. He provided rides for customers back to their homes or offices before it was a service. Through his dedication to customer service, he created life-long friendships.

On weekends, Ernie played golf and spent time with family. He and Betty enjoyed playing Bridge, and they loved to dance. They had taken ballroom dance as children and took those skills to the country and western halls of Texas.

Ernie’s other big love was music. He sang bass with the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Choir for 40 years. He rarely missed a rehearsal or a Sunday service. In retirement, he also sang with Volunteer Voices of Beaumont, a local traveling senior citizen choir.

Ernie was as generous as he was gregarious. He shared his resources with his family and friends, benevolently giving financial support and time to people and causes including St. Mark’s Episcopal Church where he cooked chili for their annual chili supper and took tickets for the event for many years. He also enjoyed the Friday chapel service at St. Mark’s Church. Pre-Covid, Ernie attended chapel service at All Saints Episcopal School with his grandchildren. He and Betty were selected as “Grandparents of the Year” at All Saints.

Betty and Ernie spent their retirement years in Florida and Wisconsin. There in the small town of Fish Creek, WI Ernie loved playing golf, Bridge, Cry Canasta, salmon fishing and riding bicycles. Betty and Ernie were active members of Church of the Atonement in Fish Creek, and Ernie formed a group of men for a coffee hour every Thursday. When in Texas, he frequented the Health & Wellness Center where he also had a group of men friends.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife, Betty Mays Strickland Schluter; daughter, Shelly Schluter Vitanza, her husband, Carl Anthony Vitanza and their three children, Joshua Clayton Capps, Elizabeth Nicole Vitanza and Christian Anthony Vitanza; brother, Carl Richard Schluter, his wife, Carolyn Marchant Schluter, their two children, Shelby Marchant Schluter, his wife, Robin Allen Schluter and Shauna Schluter Gerlach, her husband, David Chace Gerlach; Betty’s sister, Jo Ann Slemons and her husband, Steve Vance Slemons; Betty’s brother, Carson Mart Strickland; and many great nieces, nephews, and friends, who were like family.

Ernest is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Gerhardt Schluter, Sr. and Bertha Krueger Schluter; brother, Marvin Ray Schluter and son, Steven Ray Schluter.

A memorial service for Mr. Schluter will be at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 30, 2022, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 680 Calder Avenue, Beaumont, under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. His cremation arrangements were handled through Broussard’s Crematorium and the interment of his cremated body will be at a later date.

The service will be livestreamed on St. Mark’s Episcopal – Beaumont Facebook page.

Memorial contributions in memory of Ernie can be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 680 Calder Avenue, Beaumont, Texas 77701 or to Church of the Atonement, P.O. Box 241, Fish Creek, Wisconsin, 54212 or to All Saints Episcopal School, 4108 Delaware, Beaumont, Texas, 77706.

The Schluter and Vitanza families greatly appreciate the caregivers – Christy Burnham, Emmanuel Abella, Paolo Querol and Mark Joshua “MJ” Gloria, who cared for Ernie with compassion and gentleness.