Obituary of Roger Lee Schroeder

Roger Lee Schroeder January 6, 1945 to November 14, 2017 Dad passed away peacefully at his home on November 14, 2017. Family was gathered by his side as he stepped into heaven following a courageous 13 year battle with prostate cancer. Roger was born to Arnold and Lucile Schroeder on January 6, 1945 in Twin Falls, ID. He grew up south of Buhl in the Clover community. He was baptized, confirmed and was a lifelong member of Clover Trinity Lutheran Church. He attended Clover Lutheran School through 8th grade and graduated from Buhl High School. During his teenage years, Dad and his brother Harold custom stacked hay from Buhl to Bruneau to Nevada and up to the Wood River Valley. He joined the Air National Guard in 1963 and after basic and technical training in Texas, he was stationed at Gowen Field as a crew chief on a F-102 Delta Dagger. He finished his service in 1969 as a staff sergeant. He met Lorene Martens of Eden, ID in 1969 and they were married on March 7, 1970. When he met Mom he had decided that someone should tame this woman before she hurt herself—although he tried this for the next 48 years, this was one thing he was never successful at. After they were married, Dad and Mom moved into the farmhouse that he was raised in and began to take over the family farm and sheep operation from his dad. They worked together as a team and both cherished the farm life. From a very early age, Roger followed his dad out to the sheep barns every chance he could get. His love of sheep farming continued throughout his life. He made an annual trip to Montana every fall to purchase ewe lambs that were raised over the winter to replace old ewes, with remainder sold to local sheep ranchers as breeding ewes. In the late-1990s, Dad began using donkeys as guard animals for the sheep to keep the coyotes at bay. The first two donkeys grew to a small herd and were a nice pastime for him. He enjoyed helping the large operations in the desert load lambs, and up until 2015 traveled to Bennett Mountain and the South Hills to help load lambs. In 2014, he received a long-time service award from the Idaho Wool Growers Association for his life-long commitment and dedication to the Idaho sheep industry. After retiring, Dad would fondly say that he did not miss farming, but did miss the sheep. In 2010, after 65 years of living in the house in which he grew up and raised a family in, Dad and Mom moved from the farm to Twin Falls, ID. Roger and Lorene have three sons (Kurt, Kent and Kyle) who he taught his values and love of life. He taught them about respect, hard work, and about the Christian faith. He relied on that faith until his very last day when he said he was ready for Jesus to come and take him home. Roger was so proud of his sons--the family traditions they maintained, the careers they pursued, the wonderful fathers they became. Dad also was incredibly proud of each grandchild and they knew they were loved and cherished. Dad and Mom often hosted large family events and enjoyed welcoming others into their home. He visited with everyone and loved to tease. There was always some type of game being played and laughter emanated through their home. The family fabric was woven with acceptance, joy, faith, love, and laughter. Dad enjoyed the outdoors and spent many days fishing during the summer and even some ice fishing in later years. He shared his passion for fishing with all three of his boys and all of the grand kids. He loved annual hunting trips to the mountains with his dad, his brothers and later with his sons. Hunting trips to the Sawtooth Mountains to chase deer and elk were a family tradition as was staying in the canvas wall tent that was affectionately called the Sawtooth Hilton. There are many stories (some tall) that came out of hunting camp over the years; Dad sometimes laughed until he cried as he reminisced over these treasured memories. He remembered every canyon, tree and rock in the mountains as he could recall his stories of the numerous hunting trips. Dad and Mom started making annual fishing trips to the Oregon coast every year starting in 1974 with his parents and later with their three sons. These were great family trips that were in many ways a hunter/gatherer expedition to collect salmon, deep sea fish, surf fish, crabs, mushrooms, and blackberries. Dad loved woodworking and building. He could repair just about anything and constructed numerous cabinets, a bookcase, and plant stands. He remodeled the old farm house, built sheds at the farm and a garage at the new home in Twin Falls. In retirement, he helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity and spent several years volunteering at ReStore. Dad was very active at Clover Trinity Lutheran Church, involved in many offices including treasurer, school board, trustee, and stewardship to name a few. He didn't know a stranger. Dad enjoyed visiting with people and getting to know just about everyone from the neighbor down the road to the random person in a restaurant to the nurses and doctors at MSTI. When Dad and Mom moved into town, he visited everyone in the neighborhood. Everyone knew Dad and all of the neighborhood kids would call him by name. One neighbor girl included him in a family picture she drew because, after all, he was part of their family. Dad was loved by all who met him. Roger is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lorene; his three sons, Kurt (Brenda), Kent (Shayna) and Kyle (Deydree); seven grandchildren, Eryka, Kayla, Ryanne, Kristopher, Blake, Katelyn and Madison; one great-grandson, Landon; his three brothers, Ivan (Diane), Harold (McKenzie) and Don (Eileen) and his sister Wanda Bowlin; plus sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law and many adoring nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Lucile Schroeder. The family would like to say a special thank you to St. Luke's MSTI for their wonderful care. From the receptionists to the schedulers to the nurses and doctors, they became like family over the past 13 years. Thanks to Heritage Hospice for the care of Dad in the last two weeks of his life. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be sent to Clover Trinity Lutheran Church or St. Luke's MSTI in Roger's name. A viewing will be held from 3:00 to 4:30 pm on Friday, November 24 at Rosenau Funeral Home in Twin Falls. The funeral and graveside service will take place at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 25 at Clover Trinity Lutheran Church. Family and friends are encouraged to share their memories at www.rosenaufuneralhome.com