Larry Lee Schroeder

Larry Lee Schroeder, 86, passed away on July 28, 2022, surrounded by his sons, wife and daughter-in-law at the Frankfort Community Care Home.
Visitation was Sunday, July 31, 2022, from noon until 8 p.m., at Padden Funeral Chapel, Frankfort. The family received friends from 5 to 7 p.m.
A funeral service was held in the Frankfort High School gym on Monday, August 1, 2022, at 1 p.m.
Burial was in the Frankfort Cemetery.
Larry was born on April 29, 1936, in Wakefield, Neb., the first of four children born to Maynard and Helen (Rahfaldt) Schroeder. He grew up on the family farm south of Allen, Neb., and attended country school, South Valley, until the eighth grade. In 1954, he graduated from Allen High School. In 1958, Larry graduated from Wayne State Teachers College in Wayne, Neb., earning a bachelor’s degree in education.
Larry was united in marriage to Sally Lutt on August 9, 1964, in Wayne, Neb. They were both heavily involved with school events, spending over 30 years teaching and coaching side by side at Soldier and Frankfort Schools. The state track meet was one event they always looked forward to attending with the students they coached. Sally passed away from cancer in 1997.
Larry began his teaching career in Wisner, Neb., and then to Narka, Kan. He moved to Soldier and taught and coached from 1962-1967, then moved to Frankfort. He taught and coached from 1967 to 2000 when he retired from teaching. He taught physical education, government, drafting and driver's education. He continued to coach football and track and was the athletic director until 2004. Larry led the 1983 and 1996 Frankfort football teams to state championships and led the 1995 and 1998 teams to state runner-up titles. He was the Manhattan Mercury Flint Hills Coach of the Year five times, in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2003. At the time of his retirement, Larry was the fourth winningest coach in the history of Kansas high school football. He was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2011; the ceremony occurred at the state track meet at Wichita State University. In 2003, Larry was quoted in the Topeka paper, “I doubt if there’s any time I haven’t looked forward to going to work. I don’t think you can stay in this job and not like what you are doing. You get rewarded seeing kids you coached 25-30 years ago and they’re successful and they remember the good old days.” In his retirement, he continued to support Frankfort schools.
In 2002, Larry married Vonis Behrends and they spent many years traveling, visiting places near and far, including Alaska, Germany, Ha Why Ah (Hawaii). For 18 winters, he and Vonis would drive to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for the season. Larry enjoyed camping, hunting, and fishing, including summers at Milford Lake, hunting trips to Argentina and Wyoming and fishing trips to Canada. In 2000, the local Civic Club named the Frankfort Field “Schroeder Field” after Larry and his late wife Sally, for their many years of dedication to the Frankfort schools. Larry was a member of Salem Lutheran Church, he enjoyed small town life, the coffee shop, driving around town, trips to the casino and spending time with his family.
Preceding him in death were his parents; wife, Sally; and brother, Ronnie.
Survivors include wife, Vonis; sons, Tom Schroeder, Frankfort, Steve (Jennifer) Schroeder, Concordia; step-daughters, Beth (Mark) Gardner, Rochester, Minn., Dawn Freeman, Seattle, Wash., Jill (John) Wallert, Princeton, Minn.; and grandchildren, Mitchell, Addie, Laken, Hunter, Kale and great-granddaughter, Avy; step-grandchildren, Samantha (Mike) Kraushaar, Abby Nixt, Grace Wallert, Beau Wallert, Henrik Freeman and step-great-grandson, Augie Kraushaar; and siblings, Al (Cathy) Schroeder, Allen, Neb., Kay (Roger) Anderson, Sioux City, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to Larry and Sally Schroeder Memorial Fund, which will benefit the Frankfort schools and community. Contributions may be sent in care of Padden Funeral Chapel, Frankfort, Kansas.