Harold A Schroeder

Harold (Hal) Arthur Schroeder, age 84 years, went home to rest with his Lord on Dec. 27, 2016. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, January 2, 2017 at St. Paul''s Lutheran Church in Blue Earth, MN. Visitation will be 4-8 pm Sunday night, January 1, at the Patton Funeral Home in Blue Earth and one hour before the service at the church. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery.Harold was born on December 13, 1932 in Rochester, MN to William and Agnes Schroeder, an only child. Bill was a German immigrant who came to Rochester for surgery and ended up a lifetime employee of the Mayo Clinic directly working with both Mayo brothers. Harold attended Trinity Lutheran School and Rochester Public Schools where he graduated in 1950. He attended Rochester Community College where he played basketball and tennis. He then finished at Mankato State with a degree in Mathematics and Biology and was captain of the tennis team. He completed a Masters in Mathematics at Madison, WI. In 1955 he acquired a teaching position in Blue Earth, where he met Elaine Krukenberg, whom he married November 23, 1956. They had four children all of whom took math classes, played tennis and worked in the family tennis shop stringing rackets with Dad. Mark (Sandy) Schroeder, Rochester, MN, Sharon Schroeder, Circle Pines, MN, Laurie (Shannon) Bender, Tulsa, OK, Paul (Gretchen) Schroeder, Bloomington, MN. Harold has five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Harold was an avid sports enthusiast, playing semi pro baseball, basketball, tennis, and golf throughout his career. He started the golf program and coached and refereed several sports but found his niche and notoriety in coaching tennis from 1956 until 1991. The tennis program started with 2 roughshod tennis courts and in 1978 dedicated six new "Harold Schroeder" courts. He achieved four state team Championships. Harold''s 1977 boys team was the "Hoosiers" story of Minnesota tennis history, the only class A public school to win a team championship with only one division. The 1985 girls team beat 2 private school powerhouses win the state title. His astonishing 641 career dual match wins is a feat that is a state record that may not ever be broken. Hal was inducted in the MN High School Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame in 1993 and the MN State Coaches Hall of Fame in 2000. He was state coach of the year in 1976, ''77 and ''89. He was nominated for the National Coach of the Year in 1978 was given several sectional tennis development awards. Golf was Harold''s retirement passion. He really enjoyed the Minnesota Golf Association Senior Tour, of which he was something of an ambassador, recruiting and promoting the game. He won several state wide events and has the distinction of scoring an eagle on every hole at Riverside Golf and Country Club. Hal also touched most students to have graduated from Blue Earth, having taught the last three years of math; Geometry, Algebra, and Advanced Math 12. He was a popular and well liked teacher that always enjoyed showing up at class reunions. Harold was a member of St. Paul''s Lutheran Church, active with Lion''s Club, and the Food Shelf. Hal was a consummate people person; a husband, father, grandpa plus, teacher, coach, golf and tennis partner. Even Santa Claus. He was very caring, concerned, and known to propel many students to achieve career goals with his encouragement and patience. He will be sorely missed.