Delwin Schroeder
Obituary
Delwin Kent Schroeder was born on March
28, 1955, at Bethel Deaconess Hospital in Newton to Norman Edward
Schroeder and LuEtta Katherine (Pankratz) Schroeder. He was raised on
the Schroeder family farm in rural Canton with his older brother,
Jim, and younger sister, Kathy. The family attended Alexanderwohl
Mennonite Church and Del accepted Jesus as his savior after attending
a church camp when he was 15. Soon after, he was baptized and became
a member of Alexanderwohl.
When Del was 17, he was diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This diagnosis required the family to travel
to San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, for many years seeking
treatment. Del underwent radiation and chemotherapy that helped
attack the disease. He would be in remission for 30 years, but these
treatments would eventually cause numerous health problems in his
later years.
Del attended Sunny Hill Rural Country
School in rural Canton. Later, while attending school in Goessel, Del
was involved in football, basketball and school leadership. He also
made friendships that would last through the rest of his life. Del
graduated from Goessel High School in 1973. He continued his
education at Bethel College in North Newton, graduating in 1977.
Though Del was there to major in business administration with a minor
in history, he managed to get himself into a few notable adventures
along the way.
After attending a career fair, Del was
hired at Farm Credit and eventually settled in Wichita. While working
at Farm Credit, a young secretary caught his eye. Del and DaLonna
were married on Sept. 11, 1982, at First Mennonite Brethren Church in
Wichita. Del and DaLonna lived in Wichita, where they welcomed their
daughter, Erin, in 1985. In 2017, the couple celebrated their 35th
wedding anniversary.
Every summer of Del's life was
carefully planned around wheat harvest at the family farm. Del
enjoyed spending a hot, windy week out in the field with his dad,
brother and nephew.
Del started every fall with the
cautious optimism that only a seasoned Chiefs fan knows. Countless
Sunday afternoons were spent shouting at the TV, followed by a quiet,
dark cloud of disappointment.
In 1993, the family moved to their
current home in Hesston. They began attending Whitestone Mennonite
Church and Del established many connections through serving the
church as a treasurer, elder, usher and stewardship chair.
In 2004, Del was diagnosed with
radiation-induced osteosarcoma. Del and DaLonna spent eight months in
Houston so Del could receive treatment from M.D. Anderson.
Del continued to work at Farm Credit
for the rest of his career. After 39 years, he retired right before
his 60th birthday in March 2016.
Del intended to enjoy his retirement by
pursuing several of his interests. He was interested in traveling and
exploring historical places that he had researched extensively. Some
recent travel highlights include a Mediterranean cruise with DaLonna
and Erin in 2015 and a trip to Israel with a church group in 2016.
DaLonna and Erin are grateful for the trip to California enjoyed by
the family this past July. Del loved being a father and was looking
forward to walking Erin down the aisle at her wedding this October.
The family will miss his dry wit,
contagious, shoulder-shaking laugher fits, quiet generosity, endless
curiosity and persistent will to overcome the challenges life threw
at him.
By the end of his life, both Del's body
and spirit had fought hard to overcome numerous health struggles. In
recent months, Del was recovering from complications due to an
infected pacemaker. Though his death was unexpected, his family is
choosing to take comfort in knowing that his tired body is now
restored.
Del is preceded in death by his mother,
LuEtta Schroeder.
He is survived by his wife, DaLonna
Schroeder of Hesston; daughter, Erin Schroeder and her fiancé Sam
Hathaway of Overland Park; father, Norman and Leona Schroeder of
Canton; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Janice Schroeder of
Newton; sister and brother-in-law, Bob and Kathy Woelk of Hillsboro,
sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Ernie and DaNaye Aragon of Newton;
and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8
p.m. Thursday (Feb. 1, 2018), with family present from 6 to 8 p.m.,
and service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday (Feb. 2, 2018), both at
Whitestone Mennonite Church in Hesston. Baker Funeral Home, Peabody,
has charge.
