Kenneth Schult

Kenneth Eugene Schult, 84, Belton, MO passed awary June 12, 2008. A memorial gathering will be held 5-7 PM, Saturday, June 21, 2008 at Heartland Cremation & Burial Society, 6113 Blue Ridge Blvd, Raytown, MO. Military graveside services will be held 2:30 PM, Friday, June 20, 2008 at Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS. Born as Robert Eugene Murphy on 06/07/1924 to the Murphy family of Wichita, KS. Adopted by Rudolph Charles Schult and Ora Cook Schult of Eureka, Kansas, in 1924. Robert had a younger brother Charles Alton Schult who was born April 25, 1925 and preceded him in death on May 22, 2008. Both brothers graduated from Eureka High School of Eureka, Kansas, in May 1943. Kenneth was inducted into the US Army, June, 1943, and discharged December, 1945 with four battle stars: Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Northern Europe. He enrolled January 1946 at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia, Kansas (now known as Emporia State University). While he was in college he married Shirley Jean Hyden of Eureka, Kansas on August 25, 1946. He graduated from KSTC in May, 1949, with a B.S. in Music Education He enjoyed careers as a music teacher in Kansas from 1949-1958, then moved on to the U.S. Post Office in Emporia, Kansas 1958-1962, and finally back music as a teacher in Kansas from 1962-1975. In childhood he began painting pictures. This continued throughout his life and during the 1950’s it accelerated, first by being self-taught; then taking, and graduating from, the course offered by the Famous Artists School of New York. At first interested mostly in watercolors, he eventually shifted to oils, which became his preferred medium. Over the next 50 years he painted landscapes, portraits, and still lifes. He exhibited his work at many art shows and sold many of his paintings around the area. He joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Boston, Massachusetts, in June,1953. He became 1st Reader of First Church of Christ, Scientist, of Emporia, Kansas from 1956-1959 . In June,1962, he received class instruction in Christian Science from William Reid Johnson of Tulsa, OK. Mr. Johnson had been taught by Bliss Knapp, one of the early students of Chrsitian Science who had himself taken class instruction from Mary Baker Eddy. This experience eventually led to Kenneth’s switch, from teaching in the public schools, to his Christian Science practice in 1975. In the summer of 1964 Kenneth moved the family to Kansas City, Kansas, to begin an 11 year stint with the Kansas City, Kansas, Public School District. In the summer of 1965 he founded the Kansas Boys Chorus which he led and directed until it disbanded in 1971. During these years the Chorus gained a well-deserved reputation for musical excellence. The Kansas Boys Chorus made many appearances in the KC area, including FM radio, the Carriage Club of Kansas City, the KSTC Music festival, the Chapel of Park University, as well as performing the 1966 world premiere of the People to People theme song at its convention held at the Muehlebach Hotel, attended by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bob Hope, and Walt Disney. Additionally, it was the only local organization selected to participate in the 1967 professional production of “Orpheus in the Underworld”, staged in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, MO. The professionalism of the Boys Chorus was so apparent that during one performance Reese Stevens, a world-renowned opera singer of the day, mistook the Chorus for the Vienna Boys Choir. In the summer of 1975 he retired from teaching and became a full-time practitioner of Christian Science. In 1976 he helped his three sons with their initial efforts to found their own business. After several months of this he began the research and writing of his final book: God’s Zion, a treatise on the illustrations used in the Holy Bible to describe and define God’s eternal kingdom. God’s Zion was published in 1998. During these three decades of full time practitioner work Kenneth endeavored to help, and healed, many cases of injuries, diseases, and complications. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Charles Alton. Kenneth is survived by; wife, Shirley Jean; sons: Keith and his wife, Johnnie; Robert and his wife, Carol; and, Jeffrey and his wife, Tracy; daughter, Jeanine Hartenbower, and her husband, Jerry; eleven grandchildren, Ethan Sprague and his wife, Shirley; Michael Schult, Melissa Schult, Allison Schult, Lauren Schult, Ian Schult, Karen Schult, Sean Schult, Heather Schult, Dane Hartenbower, and Derek Hartenbower. (arr. Heartland Cremation & Burial Society, 816-313-1677)