Betty Schroeder Obituary

Our beloved Mother, Wife and Grandmother Betty passed March 1, 2014 at the age of 88 after a successful five decade battle with a rare metabolic disorder "Formiminotransferase Deficiency." She is survived by her three sons Groff Martin Schroeder, Dr. William Robert Schroeder and Roger Raybun Schoeder, her grandson Maxwell Neil Schroeder (Groff), her daughter-in-laws Kristin (Skoog) Schroeder (Groff), Paula Rose (Heckman) Schroeder (William) and her loving poodle Bruno. Awaiting her in her new journey is her loving husband of 41 years Lt. Colonel George "Roll me over - I'm not dead" Schroeder, mother Marie (Gates) Groff, father Elmer John Groff, brothers William Groff and Robert E. Groff, as well as, "Nugget" and the three "Taffys."

The first human to receive "Toyal Parenteral Nutrition" in 1967 as intracardiac fractionated horse serum, her determination to live under terrible suffering also assisted in the development of elemental diets, both technologies now saving the lives of critically ill patients. She was a fine artist, outstanding author, biologist, historian and genealogist. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. During the cold war, as secretary to the famed rocket scientist, Werner VonBraun, she uncovered a foreign spy! She married her handsome soldier George, the love of her life, 11 days after meeting him in China Lake, California in 1951. Together they were surrogate parents to Air Force Academy Cadets, Adopted a Nun (they were Protestant) as well as a Pediatrician (Dr. Lawrence Smith, MD) and the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture under Anwar Sadat.

Our family would like to thank Colonel Robert H. Herman MD (US Army) for his brilliance in diagnosing her mysterious disease and the other fine physicians (Drs Green, Rosenweig, Barrick and Blonder) whose compassion made her miraculous and long life possible. We would also like to thank the staff and physicians of Evercare for their assistance during her final days. We also thank Ruthie and Larry Hartle, Kurt Wheeler, and John and Esther Lucero for their loving care. Finally, we thank her youngest son Roger who made great sacrifices to allow her to pass in her home of 50 years. Mom, we love you and will always love you. Now you can eat whatever you want!

Betty

No you didn't die and chose to live.

To many unknown names life you did give.

No force on Earth could burden lift.

No gift can measure what your suffering did.

I know there were times you wanted to leave

And escape the bodily prison over which now we grieve

There is no answer when the flesh does betray

And now I wonder what it was that made you stay.

In a world of sickness, madness and horrid pain

How can one woman's bravery ever be explained?

I many times shared in those of your darkest hours

Where hope seemed gone and your faith was devoured.

As your illness deepened with each passing day

I often cried and wondered why did you stay.

You fought for many, chose to live, now pass away.

They will not know of you but I know your name… Betty