Helen Marie Schroeder

Helen Marie Schroeder was 93 years old upon her death that occurred on February 13, 2015. She was known to her family as Hajji, the nickname given to her by her grandson, Andy when he was a young boy. Though she had struggled with dementia for the last few years, her death was due to complications of hypertension coupled with a medication taken for arterial fibrillation.

Born in Kansas in 1921 to Rose Marie Carrow and Harold Hanson. Stricken with polio as a child, Helen was not expected to walk if she even survived. It was by the sheer determination and diligent attention from her father that she did walk and even became a dancer.

Having grown up to the sound of the big bands, she loved music. As a teenager, she was given many opportunities to sing on stage with some of the big bands when they visited; bands whose names include such greats as, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, and Glenn Miller.

Helen married Donald Allen Schroeder in 1945 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In December of 2014, they celebrated their 70th anniversary. They had three children: Daniel Allen Schroeder, Victoria Marie Schroeder, and Anthony Allen Schroeder, though Anthony died as an infant.

Helen was fascinated by legal proceedings and had wanted to become an attorney prior to her marriage. That dream never came to fruition but she was later offered an administrative position in a large Phoenix law firm during the 1960s. Though she only worked there a handful of years, they produced some of her fondest memories.

Helen enjoyed a wide variety of activities throughout her life that included tennis, golf, swimming, sewing, needlepoint, listening to music, and most of all, reading classic literature. She particularly enjoyed mystery stories and the works of Arthur Conan Doyle. She also played a good game of chess, and loved to play board games, and Gin Rummy.

Though she loved all animals, cats were her favorites of all. Helen cared for any and all strays that found their way to her door and once cared for as many as 17.

Helen is survived by her husband Donald, daughter Victoria, grandson Andrew, and granddaughter Jessica. No date has been set for her memorial service, which is expected to occur later this year.