James V. Schroeder

James V. Schroeder, 77, Beatrice, NE died June 6, 2016 at the Good Samaritan Society in Beatrice.  He was born May 24, 1939 to Glen and Hilda Schroeder. He grew up on the family farm southwest of Plymouth, NE and was the youngest of three children. Jim attended elementary school at St. Paul’s Lutheran and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1956. He joined the Nebraska National Guard at Crete, NE in 1957 and served six months active duty at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Fort Chaffee, AR.

 Jim married Jeanette Gronemeyer on January 4, 1960 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Parsonage in Plymouth. He farmed on the family farm and worked part-time for an electrician, Milton Hueske.  He also worked at the service station in Plymouth for Jay Preston. They moved into Plymouth in 1968 after Jim went to work for the Phillips Fertilizer Plant at Hoag, NE in operations and in the later years as a welder.  He continued to work at that same facility for 34 years until retirement. Jim and Jeanette moved to Beatrice, NE after his retirement in 2001. In retirement he helped his son, Joel, with farming and drove cars for Spady-Runcie dealership in Beatrice. His hobbies were fishing and hunting.

Jim was a lifelong member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Plymouth and was baptized and confirmed there.  He served on the church council as elder, treasurer, conference delegate and on the endowment committee. He also served on the Jefferson County Zoning Board, the Jefferson County Economic Development Board, and the Plymouth Town Board.  He was a Plymouth Volunteer Fireman and an EMT for Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department.

Survivors include his wife, Jeanette of Beatrice; children, Jay of Plymouth, Joel and wife Karen of rural DeWitt, NE, and Jenae Lewis and husband James of Germantown, TN; grandchildren, Ben Schroeder and wife Kaelyn of Lincoln, Tom Schroeder and Fiancée Krystal of Olathe, KS, Amy Schroeder of Lincoln, Sam, Maddie and Sophie Lewis of Germantown, TN; great-grandchildren, James and Emma Schroeder of Lincoln; sister, Loretta Smith of Beatrice; sister-in-law, Wanieta Schroeder of Plymouth; sister-in-law, Jenell (Cordell) Koch; brother-in-law, Jim Gronemeyer and many nieces and nephews.

 He was preceded in death by his parents, Glen A. Schroeder and Hilda Zimmerman Schroeder; brother, Glenn D. Schroeder; father-in-law, Orvel Gronemeyer; and mother-in-law, Esther Peters Gronemeyer.

 Funeral Services will be held 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 10, 2016 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Plymouth with Pastor Fred Berger officiating. Burial will be in the St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery of rural Plymouth. A family prayer service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Friday at the church. The body will lie in state at the Harman-Wright Mortuary of Beatrice from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Thursday, June 9, 2016 with the family greeting friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and at the church one hour preceding the services on Friday. A memorial has been established to the St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church with the church elders in charge. A guestbook for signatures and messages of condolence is available online at www.harmanwrightmortuary.com.

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