James E. Schramm

James E. Schramm, 85, of Bettendorf, Iowa, passed Friday, May 15, 2026, at Bettendorf Health Care Center.

Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, Moline, under the direction of Cremation Society of the Quad Cities. Burial is 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 22, at Rock Island National Cemetery, where the Vietnam Veterans of the Quad Cities will present military honors. Those wishing to attend are invited to meet in the parking lot at Trimble Pointe between 2:00 and 2:15 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Henry County Humane Society – Geneseo.

James Edward Schramm was born on August 12, 1940, in Bellaire, Ohio, the son of Phillip Clarence and Mary Alice (Padgett) Schramm. He married Katherine Elizabeth Kirk on October 1, 1962, at McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento, California. He proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1964. Following his discharge, Jim built a career that took him to many places and professions, including Newark Air Force Base, Bendix-DECAS as a government inspector, and the Rock Island Arsenal, where he worked for AMCOM as a logistics management specialist on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle program. He retired in 1995 and returned to the family home in Thornville, Ohio. There, he opened a hobby shop in Zanesville, where he happily spent much of his free time.

He was a determined and stubborn man who never stopped fighting the medical odds. He insisted on having the very best care and faithfully made trips to the Cleveland Clinic every six months for checkups. Those visits also gave him the chance to see his daughter Erin’s dog; whom he firmly claimed belonged to him and frequently attempted to “dognap.” He had a lifelong love of trains in all forms, from model trains and live steam engines to railroads themselves. He was also an avid fan of Ohio State Buckeyes football and basketball, and the Cleveland Indians. He especially enjoyed being able to say he was alive to witness the Indians’ 1948 World Series championship.

Jim is survived by his two children, Erin (Steven Charles) Schramm of Thornville, Ohio, and Matthew (Lynn) Schramm of Geneseo, Illinois; a granddaughter, Carya Schramm; his dog, Bif; and many grand dogs and cats. He was preceded in death by his wife, Katherine; parents, Phillip and Mary Schramm; and siblings, Jane, Phillip, and Charles Schramm.

Condolences may be shared at CremationQC.com.