Reuel Schnelle

Reuel Elmer Schnelle, Jr. was born in Lucerne, Missouri on January 21, 1938. He was born at home in the middle of a snow storm, and when the doctor finally made it to the court house in his horse and sleigh, his birth was registered as the 23rd. Reuel loved to tell this story. When he was about 3 years old, his dad and he moved to Washington State. His dad [Reuel Elmer Schnelle, Sr] was a teacher and taught in Eastern Washington. When Reuel was about 5 years old, he and his dad “married Connie” Peterson of Missoula, Montana. [his words]. He attended Farmington High School, but his last year was finished in Starbuck, WA where he graduated in 1956 as Salutatorian. He attended 2 years at Eastern Washington College at Cheney, which is where he met his future wife, Judy Weeks. Reuel enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1958 and served for 4 years. During that time he and Judy married on March 21, 1959 in Everett, WA. They lived in Groton, CT, and Mukilteo, WA during his service. After being honorably discharged, they bought their first home in Edmonds, WA where he worked in retail carpet as an installer, then later as a Salesman. Their 2 children, April Lynn and Todd Benjamin were born here. They moved to the Wenatchee Valley in 1978, which has been their home for the last 48 years. Reuel worked in sales for several years, but then the entrepreneurial bug hit and they purchased a donut shop named “Dandy Dunker Donuts” located on Wenatchee Ave across from the Center. In 1986 they sold the donut shop and bought a Sandwich/Deli which they named “Judy’s Lunch Basket,” located in the Morris Building. While they owned that business, they also purchased and ran a cookie shop in the East Wenatchee Mall. After the businesses were sold in 1992, he went to work for Tree Top Cashmere plant in the Parts Department, retiring in 2006. After retirement, Reuel and Judy took to the road, traveling as far east as Missouri and covering much of the West Coast. They purchased a 2nd home in Henderson, NV, where their daughter and son-in-law lived and became ‘snow-birds’ enjoying the milder winter there, but coming back to Washington for the summers. Reuel is survived by his wife of 67 years, Judy, of Wenatchee; 1 daughter, April Platz and son-in-law Jim Platz of Henderson, NV; a son Todd and fiancé Tracy Martin of St. Maries, ID, 4 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compassionate Ministries of the Nazarene Church at https://give.ncm.org/category/project-types/all-projects Arrangements by Chapel of the Valley of East Wenatchee.

Reuel Schnelle

January 23, 1938 - July 25, 2026