On May 31, 2006 the Lord called my father to his home in heaven after a battle with pancreatic cancer. During this time, I must confess that I have had to reach "into the barrel" for sermons for a couple of weeks. This has been a very busy and full time for me, attending to all of the various details.

Dad was a Lutheran pastor for 54 years, and a true contender for the faith. I am posting his obituary here for your perusal. If you knew him, or you would otherwise like a copy of the worship folder from his funeral, please contact me.

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OBITUARY

Daniel Clifford Schroeder was born on October 31st, 1927 in rural Leigh, Platte County, Nebraska; the youngest son of Martin Adolf Wilhelm Schroeder and Florence Mary nee’ Davis.

Just a month after his birth, his family moved to Bloomfield, Nebraska where he attended elementary school. In March of 1938, he moved with his family to Lincoln Nebraska where he attended Capitol Elementary School, Irving Junior High School, and Teachers’ College High School, graduating in 1946.

During his early years in Lincoln, he delivered the morning Lincoln Star in the Capitol area. He also worked at the Varsity Theatre as a doorman and usher, and spent some time working for the Burlington-Northern Railroad.

While he was completing his senior year in High School, he began his course work at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska in the fall of 1945. He graduated from college in 1949, and began studying at Central Lutheran Theological Seminary also in Fremont, graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree in 1952.

During his college and seminary years, he worked as a farm laborer for August Valentine in Glenvil, Nebraska. He also drove a delivery truck for Ideal Laundry, worked as an electrician for Burt Newman Electric, and played the string bass for the Dick Mango band, all in Fremont. As part of his seminary training, he served as an intern (or vicar) for Dr. Leland Soker at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

While he was attending school in Fremont, he met and subsequently married Barbara Ann Hankey at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fremont on June 23, 1951. To this union, two children were born.

Following his seminary graduation in 1952, he was ordained into the office of the public ministry in the old Midwest Synod together with Fred Wolff at Frieden’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lincoln.

In 1952, he accepted the pastoral call at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Emerson, Nebraska. During his time in Emerson, he was involved with many community and civic activities. He served as the chairman of the city park board, and was instrumental in the construction of a community swimming pool. He took the school census for several years. Every Christmas, he organized the town’s Christmas celebration with the arrival of Santa Claus. He also implemented the CARE program among the business community, where businesses gave CARE trading stamps; the filled books were then redeemed for dollars given to CARE. For many years, he served as the camp director for the synod’s Bible Camp in Niobrara, Nebraska. He also built the first pipe organ at St. Paul’s.

In 1967, he accepted the pastoral call at St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. During his time in Lincoln, he had many different activities. He served on various boards and committees for the Nebraska Synod LCA, including the board of directors for his alma mater, Midland Lutheran College. He served on both the LOMR and CARC organizations for the mentally retarded. During his time at St. Andrew’s, he spent time over a number of years accumulating the various parts which would be later assembled into their pipe organ.

In 1980, even though he continued to live in Lincoln, he accepted the pastoral call at First English Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rising City, Nebraska which he served until 1986. Also in 1980, he began full time employment with Church World Service/CROP, where he became the regional director in Nebraska and western Iowa. He visited every congregation in his territory to promote the cause of world hunger, and to organize CROP walks. In connection with this, he visited numerous foreign countries and observed the various relief efforts being carried out.

He retired from CROP and the full-time ministry in 1990, but not from his devotion to world hunger and his love for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He continued to do many slide show presentations for world hunger. He also supplied many vacant pulpits and filled in for vacationing pastors throughout his retirement years. And when he wasn’t preaching, he could be found attending worship at a variety of different congregations, singing the hymns with his unique and robust style.

For the past 25 years, he served on the Lancaster County Mental Health board. And for the past 20 years, he actively served as a chaplain for the Lincoln Police Department and Lincoln Fire/Rescue, also serving for a time on their Board of Directors.

He had many hobbies and interests. In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting, skeet shooting, and shell reloading. He also kept honey bees, and had a special affinity for dogs. He liked tending his flowers and plants. He appreciated classical music, and amassed a huge collection of classical music CD’s. He enjoyed taking photographs, and accumulated slides and prints by the thousands. He especially loved to travel, and he did so extensively in the United States as well as to 52 foreign countries. He could often be found scouring second-hand shops, pawn shops, auctions, and rummage sales; and as a result he accumulated many and various “treasures.” If you wanted it, he either had it or knew where to get it. He had the uncanny ability to sense a bargain a mile away. He loved people, socializing with them and getting to know them. And whatever the occasion, he always had at least one story to tell.

On May 31st, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Lincoln, after an unsuccessful battle with pancreatic cancer, the Lord called Pastor Dan Schroeder to his mansion prepared for him in heaven at the age of 78 years and 7 months.

He is survived by his wife Barbara; sons Rev. Daniel K. Schroeder and Jeffery A. Schroeder, both of Lincoln; brothers and sisters-in-law Rev. Martin G. and Jean Schroeder of Denver, Colorado; Ralph F. and Betty Schroeder of Clear Lake, Iowa; sister Florence L. Mayfield of Costa Mesa, California; sister-in-law Lois Schroeder of Marina del Ray, California; nieces and nephews; and many, many friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and one brother Holmes Konrad (Konnie) Schroeder.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
According to thy Word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.
A light to enlighten the Gentiles,
And the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen