Darlene Ann Schroeder, 95, of Laurel, died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020 at Hillcrest Care Center in Laurel.
Private family services will be held at 2 p.m., on Monday, Dec. 28 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Laurel with the Rev. Jeffery Warner officiating. Burial will be in the Laurel Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz Funeral Home in Laurel. The funeral will be live streamed on Darlene’s obituary page at www.wintzfuneralhome.com or on our YouTube channel, Wintz Funeral Home.
Pallbearers are all of her grandsons and honorary pallbearers are all of her granddaughters.
Darlene Ann Schroeder was born to Henry and Edna (Clausen) Wacker at Laurel on Dec. 8, 1925. She was baptized and confirmed in her faith at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Laurel, where she was a lifetime member. Darlene attended country school and graduated from Laurel High School in 1943. She attended the teachers' college in Wayne and then taught for several years in country school in the Laurel area. She married Clayton Schroeder of Concord on Nov. 22, 1946. They farmed in the Concord/Laurel area while raising their seven children. In 1996 they retired and moved into Laurel. Darlene was an active volunteer in many church and community organizations. She and Clayton were always at the events of their children and then their 30 grandchildren who they were so proud of. It was known that a note would be on the table telling whoever stopped by where they were. Darlene had been a resident at Hillcrest Care Center in Laurel since 2014.
Survivors include her seven children: Connie (David) Schutte of Laurel, John (Sally) Schroeder of Yankton, South Dakota, Jerry (Diane) Schroeder of Laurel, James (Susie) Schroeder of Laurel, George (Kris) Schroeder of Belden, Susan (Jerry) Richards of Omaha, and Lisa (Randy) Papenhausen of Coleridge; 30 grandchildren: Julie (Tim) Schmidt, John (Stacie) Schutte, Kyle (Stephanie) Schutte, Lana (Jake) Bartos, Ben (Erin) Schroeder, Clayton (Kelly) Schroeder, Holly (Paul) Wintz, Leslie (Justin) Noehren, Seth (Lauren) Schroeder, Shelby (Colin) Churchill, Holli (Bennie) Surber, Jennifer Schroeder, Kari (Michael) Patefield, Lukas (Abbey) Schroeder, Timothy (Jenan) Schroeder, Mindee (Nick) Schleppenbach, Adam Schroeder, Rebecca (Jason) Carr, Laurie (Matt) Price, Matthew (Melyssa) Schroeder, Emily (Dustin) Jones, Christina (Troy) Nelson, Nathan (Emily) Richards, Spencer Richards, Alec (Laura) Richards, McCaffrey Richards, Kendra (John) Meuret, Rachel (Nick) Hanson, Lindsay (Ryan) Schmuecker, Marcus (Mandy) Papenhausen; and 62 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clayton on Aug. 20, 2014 at the age of 88; two brothers, Kenneth (Susy) Wacker and Darryl (Ruth) Wacker, brother-in-law, Cleo (Virginia) Schroeder; and sister-in-law, Bonnie (Sydney) Haakenstad.
To send an online message to the family, please visit www.wintzfuneralhome.com.
