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ELOUISE SCHROEDER obituary

Elouise (Cleary) Schroeder peacefully passed away Dec. 8, 2009, with her children at her side. Elouise (Ellie), was born Aug. 5, 1929, in Havre, Mont., to Richard Cleary and Beulah (Carruthers) Cleary.

She was the eldest of three children; her sister Betty and brother Richard.Throughout her childhood she had very close ties to her church, the people in her community and to her school classmates. Youth in a small town during the Depression created bonds of a generation that continued throughout her life. Friends, families and classmates continued to keep in touch, have class reunions and get-togethers even after 60 years. She met our dad, Jim Schroeder of Leavenworth, Kan., at Havre Stampede Das in 1948. He had recently taken a job at the local radio station as an engineer. They married six months later, on Feb. 20, 1949. She was his cheerleader, support group and biggest fan as he first started a television station in Moses Lake, Wash., then later a radio station in Boise, Idaho. Then she began her own 26-year career with Idaho Barber and Beauty Supply, retiring as the manager of Tri- State Beauty Supply (a sister company) in 1990. Jim and Ellie were partners in life, raising three children Janis, Jeri and Mike. In her busy world, she made time to teach us, love us and pass her love for education and art onto each of us. As parents ourselves, we often reflect on how one person could do so much in a day. It would take a book to explain how she guided each of us through our childhood, she was passionate about the arts and steadfast in her commitment to our education, all while instilling the value of simple things and family. Mom enjoyed time at the cabin, Shakespeare under the stars and European history. Not a moment was wasted, she was always teaching us something regardless of place or time. Looking back, our family vacations were her classroom, though we didn't know it until later in life. Even down time was filled with interesting facts we thought were trivia, later to find we knew an answer during a test or somehow knew all about something that we hadn't even read about. What a gift. Though our hearts feel empty, we know she is with family and Dad and has left her tired body behind. She was preceded in death by our Dad in 1988; and her parents. She is survived by her sister, Betty Grant; and brother, Richard Cleary of Havre; and her children, Dr. Janis Eells (Susan) of Madison, Wis., Jeri St. Clair (Robert) of Boise and Mike Schroeder (Becky) of Boise. She continued her crafty teaching ways with her grandchildren, James, Anna, Matt, Angie, Tyler, Taige, Taylor and Connor guiding them, as she did us, and great-grandchildren; Alex, Andrew, Tomi, Jesse, Matthew, Jadon, Hadley and Mailee. Her legacy is more than love and family, it's the gift of living every moment to its fullest, which she did herself. Memorials can be made in her name to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, cards and stories can be sent to her home address for all of us to read and enjoy. 5649 W Drawbridge, Boise 83703. A celebration of her life will be held in two weeks as we wait for family to arrive. Please join us at 4 p.m., on Sunday, Dec. 27 at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 3430 N. Maple Grove Road, Boise, Idaho, with a reception to follow.

 

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