Arlo E. Schroeder, 88, of Valley Center, passed away on Dec. 17, 2013.
Arlo was born in Hillsboro on Feb. 21, 1925, to Sarah and Henry Schroeder. He was married in 1947 to Kathryn Wilson, who survives him.
Arlo served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard Enterprise and Intrepid as a ball turret gunner in a torpedo bomber in the Pacific, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and other medals. He continued his interest in aviation throughout his life as a pilot and plane builder. His hobbies included scratch-building model airplanes, some of which are on display at the Smithsonian Museum, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, and the National Aviation Museum. Arlo was a 35-year employee of the Boeing Company in Wichita and a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church in Newton.
He was the father of Jan Schroeder (deceased), Alan Schroeder of Cambridge, Mass., and Ronald Schroeder of Bloomington, Minn., and the grandfather of four: Daniel Hammons of Allen, Texas; Kirsten Larkin of Bloomington, Minn.; Jennifer Dahlen of Minneapolis, Minn., and Carl Schroeder of Bloomington, Minn. Arlo was the great-grandfather of five. He had seven siblings, all of whom predeceased him: Augusta Penner, Frieda Franz, Martha McCloud, Hilda Evans, Peter Schroeder, Leonard Schroeder and Menno Schroeder.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at Zion Lutheran Church. A visitation is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, at Petersen Funeral Home. The family will be present to greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
