Leading from the Front...a mother carries on




How can you go on when you’re told your son was killed on the frontline in Afghanistan? What can you do with your broken heart? What happens when all you see are the shattered dreams of what no longer can be? 

No mother wants to answer these questions, yet Betsy Schultz answered each one. And because Betsy responded in a powerful way, hurting families across our nation will be helped.

Captain Joseph Schultz died on Memorial Day Weekend 2011. 








Ruggedly handsome with an engaging  smile and an even bigger heart, whenever he was home, he loved rolling up his sleeves and helping his mom at her bed and breakfast lodge.

Captain Schultz was fully committed to serve his nation. Leading from the front was his motto.






Sadly, his life ended much too soon. For his mother, alone and suffering heart-wrenching grief, she just wished it could have been her life and not his.

Shattered, but not defeated, Betsy recognized how other families of fallen soldiers must feel. Living on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, surrounded by pristine views of serene lakes, rivers, and towering forests against the backdrop off the majestic Olympic Mountains, Betsy was able to heal from her tragic loss. 






Photo Credit: Rick Crimmel


Rising from despair’s grip, she knew she wanted to share her beloved home with those who were struggling to put their own fragmented lives back together. 


Her century-old Tudor styled inn was donated so families could visit and seek solace in the very place she’d found her own. But, renovating the Captain Joseph House would take far more resources than she had, but like anything graced by love and mercy, people willingly volunteered to help make her vision a reality.



Photo by Ernst-Ulrich Schafer



Realizing that hurting families can’t always afford to travel to this perfect sanctuary, the Captain Joseph House Foundation  will offer an-all expense paid stay at the Captain Joseph House—which includes transportation to and from the Olympic Peninsula and the opportunity to spend time in the area’s beautiful countryside.











There’s still much to be done, and Betsy has worked tirelessly to help raise the needed financial
resources to complete the project.

As we celebrate Memorial Day and honor those we’ve lost, consider a donation to the Captain Joseph House Foundation. Like her heroic son, Betsy Schultz is leading from the front. She picked up the broken pieces of her heart and wants to help others do the same. 

Please give generously because the families who’ve lost loved ones most certainly already have.

Click Here for Website and Donation information 

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