Esther Hilma Schroeder age 92, a resident of Newport News died on May 24, 2021. Esther was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 20, 1928. She lived there with her family until the depression. She and her family moved to Floodwood, Minnesota to live with her great uncle on his farm. She worked hard on the family farm helping with gardening, dairy cows, and chickens.

Esther attended Floodwood High School and later attended Grace Bible Institute. It was at Grace where she fell in love with Loyd Schroeder. Loyd and Esther were married on June 18, 1949. Once they finished Bible College, they felt called to the mission field. Loyd and Esther were commissioned as missionaries by the Gospel Missionary Union in 1951. They served as missionaries in Ecuador for 20 years.
After returning to the United States Loyd, Esther and their five kids settled in Kansas. Esther went back to college at this time and became a registered nurse. She was a registered nurse until retirement. She enjoyed that line of work because she always felt she could be of service to the people she took care of.

Esther is survived by her five children, Sharon Clifford (Mike), Phil Schroeder (Sylvia), Geri Simmons, Nate Schroeder (Phyllis), and Mark Schroeder (Laura); 39 grandchildren; and over 40 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will start at 9:30 AM Friday, May 28, 2021 at Menchville Baptist Church in Newport News, followed by a funeral service at 10:00 AM. Burial will be at 1:00 PM at Hampton National Cemetery, Phoebus Side.

The greatest thing we can say about Esther is that she loved and served the Lord with all her heart.