Keith Schroeder
Keith O. Schroeder, 84, of Waukon died Thursday, April 8, 2021 at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI. Funeral services were held Monday, April 12 at Bible Baptist Church in Prairie du Chien, WI, with Pastor Andy Doll officiating. Burial with military honors was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon assisted the family with arrangements.
Keith Otto Schroeder was born April 26, 1936 in Postville, the son of Lloyd and Clara (Duwe) Schroeder. He graduated from Postville High School and entered the U.S. Air Force. He spent his first four years playing football for the Air Force in Florida and Japan, mostly with college and professional players. He left the service to try to play professional football, but due to an injury suffered in Japan, he could not pass the physical exam.
July 8, 1958, he married Jacqueline Lane in Las Vegas, NV. They had four children: Cherie, Alan, Kathy and David. Jacqueline died in 2005.
After his venture into professional football was sidelined due to that earlier injury, Keith entered the U.S. Air Force once again, serving four years with the USAF Thunderbirds, putting on air shows around the world, including a career highlight at the Paris Air Show in front of three million spectators. Keith then spent four years at the University of Southern California Air Force ROTC Unit as a non-commissioned Officer in Charge.
He served a tour in Vietnam and was in charge of closing out all the Air Force personnel centers and moving them to Hawaii, closing out records, and also accounting for all those Missing in Action (MIA). He then assisted in Operation Baby Lift from Vietnam before he retired from a 22-year military career.
Following his retirement from the military, Keith went to work for a moving and storage company in California. He served eight years on the California Moving and Storage Association Board, four years as president of 1,100 agents for a national organization, and four years as president of an international company.
Keith retired in California before moving to Des Moines, only to come out of retirement to manage a company for five years. In 1997, he moved to Waukon, where he served one term as mayor.
November 22, 2008, he married Janet Barker Hager at Bible Baptist Church in Prairie du Chien, WI. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, reading, fishing, working in his flower gardens, and taking several trips to Las Vegas, NV.
Survivors include his wife, Janet Schroeder of Waukon; two daughters, Cherie Ash of Decorah and Kathy Cox of Waukon; three step-sons: Michael (Jenny) Hager and Justin (Leah) Hager, both of Waukon, and Kyle Bugenhagen of Luana; six grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; 11 great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Marian Friederich of Montrose, CO.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Jacqueline; two sons, David and Alan Schroeder; and three brothers, Leo, Kenneth and Wayne Schroeder.
Casketbearers were Dustin Hartman, Carey Ash, Chad Seiberling, Kyle Bugenhagen, Michael Hager and Justin Hager.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
