LTC Carl Martin Schroeder, Jr., US Army (Ret.), 83, of Columbia, died Wednesday, November 16, 2016. Born January 7, 1933 in Mountain View, OK, he was the son of the late Carl Martin Schroeder, Sr., and Amy Barrett Schroeder. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Betty Ann Turner Schroeder, as well as his sons, David (Lisa), Michael (Phyllis), and Eric (Charlotte), and his grandchildren Christopher and Cameron; Cooper, Ciara, and Josh; and Isabelle and Martin. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his two brothers and three sisters. He was the runt of the litter, but he outlived them all.

Carl (or Dad, or Grandpa, or Baba) was born to dirt farmers in the midst of the Great Depression and at the epicenter of the Dust Bowl. But he survived, and overcame that humble beginning to become a man of many accomplishments.

Carl was an athlete. He was a four-year letterman in baseball, and passed his love for things athletic to his children and grandchildren, playing baseball, and teaching them to swim, ride bikes, hunt, fish, and water ski, among other pursuits. He even taught his boys how to snow ski, and skied with them for decades…this from a man born and raised where the biggest hill was probably a pile of manure and the nearest ski resort wasn't conceivable to a product of the Great Depression. That athleticism can be seen in his grandchildren today.

Carl was a soldier. Drafted during the Korean Conflict in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army around the world. During two tours in Korea, active combat in Vietnam, and many years spent in Germany, Turkey, and Norway, he distinguished himself. He was honored with two Bronze Star Medals, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and multiple Meritorious Service Medals, among others. He served his country for 20 years as a mustang, and men like him do our country proud.

Carl was an entrepreneur. Following his military service, Carl and his wife, Betty, opened several successful small businesses, along with a few flops. He worked hard, he worked smart, and he had a talent for squeezing three nickels out of a dime. They had fun doing it together, and when it wasn't fun, it was mostly his fault.

Carl was a husband, and a father, and a loving grandfather. He had a long and happy marriage of 57 years, during most of which they managed to avoid strangling each other. Of his three sons, he felt blessed that only one of them became a Democrat (possibly his biggest regret), but in all other respects, he was proud of the men and fathers they became. They had a good role model. He adored his grandchildren, and the twinkle in his eye belied his words when he told them otherwise. They adored their Baba as well.

Carl was a man of infinite skills. He could fix cars, fix boats, fix anything. He could drive 18-wheelers, operate heavy machinery, build houses, lay brick, pour concrete, fell trees. He moved creeks. He raised hogs and sugar-cured the meat himself. In Columbia. Who does that?
A graveside service with full military honors will be held at 2 o'clock sharp, Monday, November 21st, at Fort Jackson National Cemetery. We'll receive friends from 4 until 6 o'clock, Sunday, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Extension, Columbia. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.