Gloria Pearl (Keating) Schroeder, 95, of Litchfield, died peacefully on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, in Litchfield.
A memorial service will be held Friday, July 29, beginning at 12 p.m. at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield. Litchfield Family Funeral Service is assisting the family.
Mrs. Schroeder was born Nov. 16, 1926, in Gillespie, to James and Mildred (Cottingham) Keating. She married Carl Schroeder in 1946, and he preceded her in death on Oct. 27, 2022, after 74 years of marriage.
When the Gillespie coal mines closed in 1929, her family moved to Chicago. There, she attended Lucy Flower Technical High School, where she met the love of her life at a high school dance. Little did they know they would still be dancing together almost 80 years thereafter.
Following high school, Mrs. Schroeder began an accelerated nursing course, but classroom resources were cut short due to World War II. She, along with most of the other students, had to discontinue the course. She then worked in insurance offices and at Marshall Field’s. Her time at Field’s must have inspired her love of shopping. Although she never used her nursing training professionally, caretaking was an innate, lifelong quality.
Her husband was drafted into the U.S. Army Airforce in 1943. While he was stationed in India, he wrote to her every day, without fail. He did not let this special lady slip away, and the couple married upon his return in 1946.
Mrs. Schroeder and her husband danced through life, swinging to the big bands like the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Aragon Ballroom and square dancing throughout the Midwest. They were ideally matched partners on and off of the dance floor, able to chasse through whatever life put in their path. They had four sons.
In retirement, she and her husband moved to Shipman, where she was active in the United Methodist Church, Home Extension, United Methodist Women’s Club, and was one of the co-founders of Martha’s Pantry.
Mrs. Schroeder enjoyed a variety of crafts, including needlepoint and sewing. She always had a warm smile with a twinkle in her eye, encouraging words that made everyone feel special, and a seemingly never-ending supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies.
She is survived by her son, David Schroeder; daughters-in-law, Sherry Schroeder and Elizabeth Schroeder; grandchildren, Laura (Dan) Kunze, Sean (Kelli) Schroeder, Scott Schroeder, Amanda Schroeder and Kyle Schroeder; great-grandchildren, Isabelle Kunze, Greta Kunze, Blake Schroeder and Brynlee Schroeder; sister-in-law, Carol Keating; nieces and nephews, Bill (Susan) Keating, Michael (Beth) Keating, John (Carol) Schroeder, Linda Schroeder and Kurt Schroeder.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Schroeder was preceded in death by her parents; sons, Paul, Richard and Dan; brothers, Jim Keating and William Keating; brothers-in-law, Walter Schroeder and Paul Schroeder; sisters-in-law, Marilyn Schroeder, Charlotte Schroeder and Rita Keating; and nieces, Cathy Keating and Jennifer Kenel.
Memorials may be directed to Martha’s Pantry, Shipman United Methodist Church, 278 Keating St., Shipman, IL 62685.
Online condolences to the family may be left at www.litchfieldffs.com.
