Darwin Schrage (left) and Ron Schute discuss their late wives, Barb Schrage and Julie Schute, both of whom died of ovarian cancer. Schrage is the organizer of the upcoming Eighth Annual Dance For Life fundraiser, which will be held at the West Union Events Center on Hwy 18 East on Sunday, Nov. 4.
Loss: Not something you get over, but something you get through
By Meagan Molseed
mmolseed@thefayettecountyunion.com
“When you lose the one you love, you think your world has ended,” sings Willie Nelson in “Not Something You Get Over.”
The song, which was featured on Nelson’s most recent studio album, struck a chord for Darwin Schrage as he prepares for the Eighth Annual "Dance For Life" benefit in honor of his late wife, Barb, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2011.
“The next words are what get me,” Darwin said thoughtfully. “He sings, ‘It's not somethin' you get over, but it's somethin' you get through.’ That says it all, for me. You’ll never get over losing someone you love, but with faith, it is something you can get through. Sometimes it feels like you are barely hanging on, but it’s possible.”
“That is exactly what it’s like,” agreed fellow West Union resident Ron Schute, who lost his own wife, Julie, to ovarian cancer in 2017.
“You need the faith to know you can get through it, every step of the way. It may seem impossible, but faith will lead you through.”
As the two widowers met for a quick breakfast, the atmosphere is simultaneously light and heavy-hearted as the two share happy and sometimes humorous memories of the women they loved so deeply.
The laughs fill the restaurant as Schute remembers his last Christmas with his beloved wife. “She loved every minute of Christmas,” Ron related with a smile. “That one was no exception. She and our granddaughter spent days baking cookies and lefse.”
The jovial memories continue as Darwin recalls the time he got an entire crowd at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo to say “hi” to Barb over the phone during the annual Steel Guitar Show.
“I just put the phone to the mic and told everyone to say ‘hi’ to Barb,” he said with a laugh. “And they did not disappoint!”
At other times the mood shifts to a much more somber note as the two men remember the illness that took their loved ones far too soon.
