Ronald Schneider

Through the life of Ronald Schneider we learn that our journey is not really about how much money we have or about the sort of things we accumulate, but that it is in sharing our lives and our love with those around us that we are richly blessed. He loved being a father, but he really came into his own as a grandfather, and he considered his family to be his greatest source of pride and joy. Ron was a jack of all trades who could make us laugh like crazy, even when he was being stubborn. He spent his entire life in the community he loved, making a deeply embedded footprint in the lives of so many within his reach. Life will never be the same without Ron here, but the memories he created with his family and friends will remain forever near and dear to all their hearts.

The decade of the 1950s was a colorful time in American history. We were enjoying prosperity once again with the end of WWII during the prior decade and a baby boom that was well underway. This was the decade that saw the explosion of rock ‘n roll and introduced us to shows like I Love Lucy while we celebrated the additions of Alaska and Hawaii as our 49th and 50th states. It was amidst this vibrant time that a young couple from Fowler, Michigan, greeted their newborn son on September 2, 1952, in St. John’s. Baby Ronald was the second of thirteen children and the oldest son born to his parents, Donald and Alice (Schafer) Schneider, and was raised in the family home alongside his bustling brood of siblings. He and his brothers were known to get into their fair share of mischief, although they also knew what it meant to work hard. Ron’s father was a farmer and worked long hours at General Motors while his mother had more than enough to keep her busy at home.

For the most part Ron experienced a childhood that was reflective of the times. He was a student at local schools despite walking home from school on the first day of kindergarten because he didn’t like it. His high school years found him at Fowler High School where he was an average student. In addition to holding down his studies Ron ran track and worked at Schmitz gas station after school.

Not long after he graduated from high school Ron worked at Moriarty Builders for a time and then at Bee’s Chevrolet. This proved to be a fateful job change for him as it was through his work that Ron met the woman who stole his heart. Her name was Eileen Thelen, and they met when he needed to pick up some parts from Shapiro Automotive. They were smitten with one another and began dating, but it wasn’t long before they were separated while Ron was shipped off to Vietnam after having joined the Navy. He was stationed in San Diego for a time, which is where he fell in love with riding motorcycles through the area mountains and deserts. Ron was stationed on the USS Schenectady, and it was while home on leave one time that his mother and sister asked him if he and Eileen were going get married. Imagine Eileen’s surprise when she found out that he had already told his mother and his sister that marriage plans were on the horizon before he even officially asked her! Soon after, Ron and Eileen were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns on September 15, 1973. Together Ron and Eileen were blessed with three sons, Ken, Mike, and Kurt, and one daughter, Kim. To support his family, Ron worked at General Motors where he remained for 32 years.

Although there was nothing more important to Ron than his family, he enriched his life in so many other ways as well. A motorcycle enthusiast, he and Eileen traveled through 30 states and the Canadian Rockies on their motorcycles, logging over 100,000 miles in the process. On every vacation they took they were either pulling a boat or riding motorcycles. Ron was a member the Gold Wing Road Riders since 1996, and he also rode the Del-Mac 12 times with family and friends. He loved walleye fishing, frequently doing so on Burt Lake, Saginaw Bay, and Lake Erie. Ron was known as a jack of all trades who could fix just about anything, and he always seemed to have some sort of remodeling project in the works. Later in life he was thrilled to become a grandfather, and his grandchildren loved spending time in “grandpa’s chair.”

Through the years Ron was actively involved in his community. He was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church of St. Johns and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Ron was also a coach and past president for the St. Johns youth baseball, chapter director for the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, a Red Cross volunteer, and a bus driver for the St. Johns Public Schools. At the end of his life Ron and his family shared his selflessness through donations of many of his organs. Lives were changed and lives were saved.

So many people will miss Ronald Schneider’s goofy side, his spirit of generosity, and his outgoing personality, but most of all we will all miss his love. He was hard-working and competitive, too, yet he was also a humble and gracious man. Ron was the sort of man who could talk to anyone and someone who never met a stranger – a truly remarkable person in every way. The list of things we will miss about him is extensive including all the simple things that just made Ron who he was. Taken from his loved ones much too soon, he will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.

Ronald S, Schneider died on October 21. 2012. Ron’s family includes his wife, Eileen; three sons, Ken (Candi) Schneider, Mike (Kari) Schneider, and Kurt (Wendy) Schneider, daughter, Kim (David) Hunt; grandchildren, Connor, Colin, Michael, Jordan, Tyler, Blake, Easton, Avery and Kaelyn Schneider’; sisters, Joanne (Chuck) Miller of Fowler, Joyce (Mike) Bond of Everett, WA, Patty (Kurt) Koenigsknecht of St. Johns; brothers, Leon (Stef) Schneider of Fowler, Jim (Sue) of Eagle, MI, Gary (Luanne) of Fowler, Mark (Marilyn) of Pewamo, Joe (Ann) of McKinney, TX, Bob Schneider of Portland, MI, Mike (Dawn) of Mt. Pleasant, and Terry (Carrie) of St. Johns. Ron was preceded in death by his brother, Tom Schneider. Funeral Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11:00 a.m., Thursday, October 25, 2012, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Johns, with Fr. Michael Williams officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Rest Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday, from 2-4 p.m. & 6-8 p.m., at the Osgood Funeral Home, 104 E. Cass St., St. Johns, MI 48879. Rosary will be prayed at 3 p.m. and a scripture service will be held at 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Military Services provided by V.F.W. #3733. Memorial donations may be made in Ron’s honor to the American Red Cross or Sparrow Foundation for the Neurosciences. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory.