Paul Adolph Schaben

Paul “Osgood” Adolph Schaben, age 86, of Carroll, IA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at Gracewell in Denison, IA.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 A.M. on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at St. Lawrence Catholic Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. Fr. Patrick Behm will be the Celebrant. Lectors for the Mass will be Mary Porter and Rose Ditter. Music for the Mass will be by Kathy Halbur and Kathleen Macke. Casket bearers will be Colton Schaben, Scott Schaben, B.J. Schaben, Chris Schaben, Matthew Schaben, Jeff Sonderman, Kent Campbell, and Clay Haley. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery with military honors by the Carroll American Legion.

Visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll from 5 – 7 P.M. on Monday where there will be a Christian Wake Service held at 7 P.M. The casket will be moved to St. Lawrence Church at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday where visitation will resume until the time of Mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Anthony’s Regional Cancer Center, St. Croix Hospice, or the Rani Jane Schaben Family Foundation and may be left at the funeral home or the church. Contributions can be made to the foundation, which was created in Rani’s memory to assist nursing and health science students with their educational needs.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com

Paul was born on May 16, 1939 on his family’s farm west of Defiance, IA. He was the son of Anton and Lucille (Morrissey) Schaben. He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Irwin High School in 1959. Following high school, Paul became the youngest salesperson for Moorman Seed Company. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1961 and served in the Advanced Infantry and Artillery. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to Defiance and continued working for Moorman Seed and Iowa Beef. Paul was married to Jane Clary on November 28, 1964 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Defiance by Fr. Deere. The couple made their home in Council Bluffs while Paul attended the C.E. School of Commerce. They moved to Kearney, NE, where he worked for J.I. Case Company as a Credit Supervisor until 1967 when they moved to Carroll and he started Schaben Distributing which later became Agri-Bolt.

Paul was a pioneer in the pool and spa industry and was recognized worldwide. He started Hot Spring Spas in Carroll in 1983 which grew into stores in Arnolds Park/Okoboji, Des Moines, Ankeny, and three stores in the Twin Cities. He has won numerous dealer/retailer awards throughout the years for his commitment to quality and service. He later received the highest honor – The Ring of Honor in 2023 by Watkins Wellness for all his contributions to the industry. Paul was a member of the Carroll Knights of Columbus, the Carroll Jaycee’s, Rotary Club, and the Carroll American Legion serving as Commander in 2007 and 2008, and the American Legion Color Guard. He also coached Carroll Little League, and he was a Cub Scout Den Master. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, spending countless hours volunteering and traveling to many states and foreign countries. Visiting casinos where he loved his blackjack and poker along with the political scene. The past few years he and Jane enjoyed the winters in their home in Estero, FL, visiting with family and friends and going out to eat with Charlotte and Anders. Paul’s generosity, humor, wit, advise and countless stories he told will be missed by many.

Paul is survived by his wife Jane of Carroll; three sons: Ryan Schaben of Eagan, MN, Sean Schaben (Pam Cavanaugh) of Estero, FL, and Thad Schaben (Carmen) of Urbandale, IA; one grandson Colton Schaben; two granddaughters Ciara Schaben and Emma Schaben; two sisters: Mary Kay Campbell of Denison and Rose Ditter (Richard) Estero, FL; four brothers: Bernard Schaben of Denison, Mike Schaben (Jeanie) of Defiance, Dan Schaben (Georgene) of Harlan, and Henry Schaben (Coleen) of Elkhorn, NE; two sisters-in-law Cindy Schaben of Redondo Beach, CA and Jacqui Hollingsworth – Clary (Frazier) of Littleton, CO; his faithful and loyal furry companion Lexi; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Paul was preceded in death by his daughter Rani Jane Schaben on October 17, 2025; his parents Anton and Lucille Schaben; his in-laws Lyle and Bernice Clary; a sister Ruth Weis (Bob); four brothers Malachy Schaben, Robert Schaben (Ardith), Tony Jr. (Ella Mae), and Edward Schaben (Rita); brother-in-law Marvin Campbell, sisters-in-law Carol Schaben, and Darlene Schaben; and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.