Alfred G. Schroeder

Alfred G. Schroeder

EMPORIA -- Alfred G. Schroeder, 82, formerly of Newton died Sunday (Sept. 6, 1998) at Newman Hospital in Emporia.

Schroeder was born June 5, 1916, in Newton to Gustav and Grete Janzen Schroeder. He married Katheryn M. Diehl Aug. 8, 1942. She survives.

He graduated from Newton High School, attended Bethel College for two years and graduated with honors from Kansas State University.

He earned his law degree from Harvard University, and was admitted to the Kansas bar on Feb. 12, 1941. He opened a law office in Newton and practiced for a little more than a year before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in May 1942. He served 30 years on the Kansas Supreme Court, including 10 years as chief justice.

After being discharged from the Army in March 1946 with the rank of captain, he returned to Newton and was elected Harvey County probate judge. He served for six years as probate and juvenile judge, then was elected district court judge for Harvey and McPherson counties in 1952.

Schroeder, who did not have party backing, won a five-way primary in 1956 to claim Republican nomination to the Supreme Court. He then won the general election.

Schroeder, the last justice elected to the state Supreme Court before Kansas adopted a nonpartisan selection system for appointing its justicesin 1958, served on the court from January 1957 until his retirement in September 1987. He was chief justice from September 1977 until he retired.

Schroeder became chief justice when the late Harold Fatzer retired. He was succeeded, in turn, by David Prager.

Other survivors include: two daughters, Hedy Williams of Topeka and Marilyn Davis of Winfield; a son, John Schroeder of Madison; a brother, Warren Schroeder of Washington, D.C.; two sisters, Dorothea Schroeder of Newton, and Margrete Hartman of Lawrence; and two grandchildren.

He was buried during a private family service Tuesday at Andrews Cemetery southwest of Madison. Traditionally, the Supreme Court conducts a memorial service for deceased justices, but none had been scheduled as of Wednesday.