Judge Gaylan Lewis Schroeder, born October 4, 1939, in Ft.Worth, Texas, exchanged his old rugged cross for a crown on Thursday, June 6, 2013. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Cherry Schroeder; daughter Jimi along with her husband Steve Driskill and two grandchildren, Tyler and Landri; son Steve along with his wife Elena and four grandchildren, Shiloh, Malachi, Zechariah, and Benaiah; and siblings Bill Schroeder, Roma Kline, Annie Driver, and Katy Schroeder.
Judge Schroeder wore many hats, not just cowboy ones, in his lifetime. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, butcher, business owner, rancher, judge, advocate for his community and friend to all those who knew him.
After marrying his Grand Prairie High School sweetheart at 19, he went to work for the Coleman Company's air conditioning division which took him to Kansas and California. He returned with his family of four to Texas as quickly as he could, settling down in San Antonio in 1968 and began working for Comfort Supply. Shortly thereafter, he moved his family to Boerne where in 1973, he opened his own company, Kendall County Air.
Devoting his energy and leadership to building this company, he soon became an integral member of this Hill Country community that he embraced as his chosen home. In his 43 years of Boerne residency, he touched many lives through KCA, his service and leadership at First Baptist Church and Faith Bible Church, Rotary International, Bank Director at Texas Heritage Bank, and most recently as Kendall County Judge since 2007.
In his six years as Kendall County Judge, he embraced unique and powerful opportunities to impact, promote, and improve his community, most gratifyingly through the opening of Joshua Springs Park and Reserve. His passion for service grew deeper as his relationship with The Lord thrived. Mornings meant black coffee, Oswald Chambers, the Holy Bible, and conversations with Cherry so that he was firmly grounded for a day ministering to all those he was fortunate enough to meet. Though not formally trained as a pastor, Gaylan freely shared the love of Christ locally in nursing homes and hospitals and abroad through mission trips to Haiti reaching out internationally through the Fellowship with the National Prayer Breakfast. Gaylan seized opportunities, whenever they appeared and wherever they took him, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.
Through his peaceful passing, surrounded by family and only a stone's throw from our state's capital, this world now has a Gaylan-sized hole filled with precious memories of this man who will be profoundly missed. His legacy will continue on in this world as those who knew and loved him strive to walk in his boot-sized footsteps fully assured that Gaylan -- Beloved, Poppy, Peepaw, Judge, and friend-- is now eternally taking that closer walk with Jesus.
Visitation will take place Tuesday, June 11, 2013, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Kendall County Courthouse. The funeral will be Wednesday, June 12, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Boerne. To honor Judge Schroeder at the funeral, forego your suits and wear your boots. Interment will be a private family service at the Boerne Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Kendall County EMS Memorial Fund, 1175 N. Main, Boerne, TX 78006. To leave condolences for the family, please visit www.ebensberger-fisher.com and select the Obituaries tab.
Arrangements with Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne, TX.