John Winblade retires after two decades as 'face' of Shaul Cemetery
Feb. 23—OTTUMWA — Of all the ways that John Winblade thought he might pass his time after he took early retirement, being the face of Shaul Cemetery was not one of them.
He went to work knowing nothing about the business, while the cemetery itself — one of the few nonprofit cemeteries in Iowa — was in chaos after being badly mismanaged. But in the 21 years since he took over at the graveyard's front office, he's become an expert in the field, while finding a rewarding experience in helping grieving families.
"You just get a feeling of, 'I helped these folks.' They come in here heartbroken and you work with them, give them our condolences and ask them what place they'd like to have their loved one buried, or anybody — relation — we try our best to do that," Winblade said." We can't always do that, but we're here to help them."
Winblade, 81, got his first job while working at Winblade Groceries with his father, Howard. And whether he was selling produce or selling lots, Winblade says the first rule of business always applied.
"I grew up taught by my dad that the customer... is always right," he said.
Winblade retired from Land O'Lakes in March of 2003, only to be approached two days later about working part-time at Shaul Cemetery as the secretary and treasurer. He took the job, but when he arrived, he found it to be in disarray.
When a lot is sold, a cemetery is required by Iowa law to put away 20% in savings for a perpetual care fund. However, it was found that Shaul's bank account hadn't seen a cent in two years. The financial records for the cemetery were also gone.
"That started off right off the bat," Winblade said. "We had to revamp everything and we had no records to go by as far as monetary."
Combined with his inexperience, Winblade had his work cut out for him. However, he was able to get the cemetery financially squared away. Meanwhile, he had "a lot of good teachers" to help him through his initial inexperience. He also took on the task of gradually modernizing recordkeeping from paper to digital.
Winblade's knowledge of Shaul Cemetery — as well as his standing in the Ottumwa community — made him a reassuring presence for families and mourners. It's something he's trying to help his successor, Denise Rabbass, learn as she takes the helm.
"John has taught Denise how to operate and everything, but... the knowledge that he has of the cemetery is someone walks in and he knows where their parents are buried, their uncle is buried and they're very familiar with John," said Bill Ansley, president of the Board of Trustees. "So they're somewhat comforted when they see John here when they come in."
"I think it'll be an interesting experience and there's a lot more to this than I ever thought," Rabbass said. "You drive by cemeteries and you think about the people that are buried there and the families of those loved ones, but when you're dealing with it day-to-day, it puts it in a different perspective."
There will be a reception on Feb. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Shaul Cemetery front office for those wishing to congratulate Winblade on his retirement. He will remain on the board as a trustee.
