Vernon Arthur Schroeder was born on January 18, 1926, a cold day in Austin, TX. He was born to Katherine and Emil Schroeder at 900 E. 7th St. and was delivered by Dr. Krueger who arrived in a horse and buggy. As a child, he was confirmed into the Lutheran faith at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
Vernon attended elementary, middle and high school in Austin, graduating from Austin High School in 1941 where he was a member of both the baseball and track teams. After high school, Vernon attended the University of Texas where he played on the Longhorn baseball team. He loved everything Longhorn throughout his life.
In 1942, he enlisted in the US Navy and served in the Pacific. He saw firsthand the devastating aftermath of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to the University of Texas for further studies in Chemical Engineering. He began working for the US Postal Service in 1949 and remained there for more than 36 years where he held numerous managerial positions.
On January 28, 1959 Vernon married the love of his life, Doris Ellason. They were happily married for more than 61 years. During this time, he remained an avid fisherman and baseball aficionado.
Vernon was injured when he fell at his home on February 14, 2020 and was unable to recover. He died peacefully on March 5, 2020. Vernon lived a long, happy and productive life.
He is survived by his wife Doris; sons, Gene Goff (wife Lou Ann) of Tucson AZ, Steve Goff of
Austin; grandsons, Jason Goff (wife Nikki) of Tucson AZ, Brian Goff of Georgetown TX; great grandchildren, Teagan, Sofia and Gus; brother, Dutch Schroeder of Waco TX and many adoring nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday, March 9, 2020, at the Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville.
Memorial services will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 beginning at 11:00 a.m. All other services are private.
Donations in Vernon’s name may be made to the Longhorn Foundation.
Please visit Vernon’s memorial page at www.cookwaldencapitalparksfuneralhome.com where you can share memories and leave condolences.
