John Schnabel was a reality TV star who became known for a TV series Gold Rush aired on Discovery Channel. He died last year.
Early years
He was born on 11th February, 1920 in Kansas, USA. He had a very rough childhood because his family lived in the times of The Great Depression and that made them very poor. His father couldn’t keep his ranch to provide for his family. In search of a better life he decided that he must move to Alaska in hope he will be able to earn money to support his family.
His father was German and his mother was Dutch so this explains his unusual German surname.
He enrolled Gonzaga University in Spoukane in Washington, but never finished it.
As soon as he could, in 1939, at the age of 19, John went to Alaska to work along with his father. This was also an opportunity for him to escape from the authorities because he was known to be a bootlegger. When his father left he had worked anything just to get food for his family.
Career development
He served in World War II in US Air Force and after coming back from the front, he decided to buy a sawmill and open his own business. From a little sawmill, his firm Schnabel Lumber Co. grew to very big business. His success brought him the position of the town mayor in Haines, Alaska for several years. He was a very loveable person, gentle and kind, so he was a popular mayor.
In 1984 he invested his money in buying a mine called The Big Nugget Mine in the same town. He started his search for gold more as a hobby and because his doctor recommended him to get himself in shape after having big problems with his heart and after getting a triple bypass. He thought this mine can be the place for him and his family to run away from the town and relax in the nature.
John ended up in finding some great discoveries, meaning he found the golden gill and got richer. This discovery has put him in the spotlight and he became an actor in a reality show Gold Rush. On this TV show he showed his true gentle character so he was pretty favorite.
Personal life
He married Erma Dire in 1950 after returning from the war. They had five children and one of them, Patrick, followed his father’s steps in managing the gold mine. His marriage was always solid as a rock and he neverhad any big family issues to handle.
His grandson Parker appeared in the show with him and during that show he got his nickname Grandpa because of their strong bond.He was teaching Parker how to take care of the mine but also taught him how to become a greater man.
He stayed in the show for six seasons and became famous amongst the nation because of it. They even called him „America’s Grandpa“.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer which later led to his death. He died peacefully in his sleep on March 18, 2016 at the age of 96, in Oakland, California surrounded by his beloved family.
He was a great fan of bridge and played it approximately 15 hours a week.
Philantropic work
He wasn’t involved in working with some charity organization but was rather helping his town and their citizens with their problems and issues. As a mayor he helped a lot of families with lower incomes.
Quick summary
Full name: John Joseph Schnabel
Date of Birth: 11th February 1920
Birth Place: Kansas, USA
Age: 96 (when he died)
Proffession: Reality star, a businessman and a miner
Height: N/A
Weight: N/A
Net worth: $8 million
