Rev. Dr. Daniel K Schroeder

Rev. Dr. Daniel Konrad Schroeder, lovingly known as “Pastor Dan” was born on December 14, 1954 in Wakefield, Nebraska, the eldest son of the Rev. Daniel Clifford and Barbara Ann (Hankey) Schroeder.  He entered God’s family through the sacrament of Holy Baptism on February 13, 1955 at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran church in Emerson, Nebraska, administered by his grandfather, the Rev. Dr. Martin A. Schroeder. He was confirmed in his Christian faith on May 18, 1969 at St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Dan spent his early years growing up in Emerson, Nebraska where he attended the Emerson-Hubbard Community School.  In 1967, he moved with his family to Lincoln, Nebraska where he attended Charles Culler Junior High School and Lincoln East High School, graduating in 1972.  During high school he participated in the Learning Exchange Program with the Nebraska National Guard.

He then went to work at Notifier Corporation where he installed and inspected fire and security alarm systems, promoted later to Customer Service Manager.  When his Notifier division was sold, he worked for a short time for the new owner, the John F. Barone Company in Omaha. Following that, he worked as an agent for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company for a very short time, and then in various capacities at Alarm Systems of Nebraska.

In 1982 at the age of 27, he began studying for the ministry at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota, graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree in 1984. Concurrently with this, he attended Mankato State University, receiving his B.A. Degree in 1987, with a Psychology major and a Sociology minor. He entered Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1984, and graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 1988. On August 28, 1988 he was ordained into the office of the public ministry at Bethany Lutheran Church in Princeton, Minnesota and commissioned as a missionary to Australia.

During his college and seminary days, he had several campus jobs. He worked in the Maintenance Department as an electrician, in the school library and operated a small bistro in the student union. He also served as an organist at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in North Mankato, Minnesota. He also did maintenance and custodial work at these churches.

In 1985, he did a summer vicarage in Grass Valley, California. In 1987-1988 he served Bethany Lutheran Church in Princeton, Minnesota as a Vicar. After seminary graduation, he became a pastor in Australia from 1989-1994, serving Our Redeemer Lutheran in Kallangur, Queensland and St. Paul’s Lutheran in Maryborough, Queensland. He also distantly served Prince of Peace Lutheran in South Australia. From 1994-1998 he served Resurrection Lutheran in Kennesaw, Georgia and a vacancy position at Lamb of God Lutheran in Cartersville, Georgia.

He returned to Lincoln, Nebraska in December of 1998 and in May of 1999 he became a commissioned chaplain for the Lincoln Police Department and Lincoln Fire & Rescue. After a hiatus from the pulpit ministry, he accepted the call to serve Mighty Fortress Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seward, Nebraska in 2004. During his time, he worked on his doctorate and earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Biblical Studies in 2010 from St. Luke’s in Dearing, Georgia. He retired from the public ministry in 2020 but continued to be active doing occasional pulpit supply and in other areas of church work as time and health permitted.

During his ministry, he served in several synodical positions. He is the past president of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Australia. He is also the chairman of the Commission on Doctrine and Church Relations and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Association of Lutheran Churches (AALC). He was also a member of the Lancaster County Mental Health Board, retiring from that position in December 2011.

He had a lot of varied interests. He took a locksmith course, and did lock work as an avocation. He also served as the president of the Nebraska Locksmiths’ Association for a time. He spent time working as a front desk clerk at a hotel and a cashier at a convenience store. In his younger years, he delivered the Lincoln Star, worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken and Romano’s Pizza. He enjoyed various handyman projects, did electrical work and some wood work. He traveled various places and enjoyed his camper as his health permitted. He also enjoyed playing organ and piano and had a special love for pipe organs. His final project was spearheading the pipe organ installation project at Mighty Fortress Lutheran Church in Seward, which is a memorial dedicated in loving memory of his parents. 

Dan passed away on October 10, 2024 in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 69.  He is survived by a number of maternal and paternal cousins, spouses and families.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Jeffrey.

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