Ernie F. Chaplain Schoenborn

Chaplain Ernie F. Schoenborn was born Dec. 26, 1928 at Rugby, ND, the geographical center of North America. He and his twin brother Eric (Buck) attended 8 grades in a one-room school near Willow City, ND. He grew up in a very poor family of 7 children. He met a young pastor and decided that he wanted to become a pastor. His second year of high school was spent "at home," where he learned to cook, bake and clean because his mother was very ill during that time. His sister, who was 2 years older than him was married, and came in the evenings to help.

Concordia, St. Paul, MN, invited him to finish his high school and college education there. During his high school and college years, he was in the Army Reserves but was exempt from active duty in the Korean War since he was a ministerial student. His internship, or vicarage, was a successful year in Layton, Utah. He graduated, in 1955, from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri and received a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Southern California, in Athens, Greece in 1971.

His parish assignments included Trinity Lutheran Church, Albany, TX; Zion Lutheran Church, Sagerton, TX, and Grace Lutheran Church, Durham, NC. In 1961 he entered the U.S. Air Force Chaplaincy. He had the following assignments: Stead AFB, Nevada; Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan; Lackland AFB, TX; radar sites as traveling chaplain in Oregon, California, and Nevada; Athenai AB, Athens, Greece; Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; Clark AB, Philippines; England AFB, LA; and retired in 1981, at Lackland, AFB, TX. Ernie and Ginny moved to San Antonio, Texas where he was a real estate agent and served on the staff at Concordia Lutheran Church as a pastor with Dr. Guido Merkens. During his years at Concordia he helped Dr. Merkens with his Break-Thru program and also counsel. Then Ernie took a call to Holy Cross Lutheran Church in San Antonio until he retired in 1994 and did supply preaching in Zapata, Laredo and various other areas.

In Chaplain's early years in the Air Force, he worked closely with the medics and base police department. Chaplain Schoenborn and the base psychiatrist group devised a program to help the airmen with PTSD and the plan is still being used in all branches of the service and in other countries as well. Even in death, he was concerned about others and made arrangements to donate his useable organs.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Emil and Adolphine Schoenborn; three older brothers, Arthur, Bob and Reinhold; and his only sister, Lila.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia of 59 years; son, Dean, of Kyle, TX; twin brother Eric (Buck); younger brother, Berny; and numerous other relatives.

Chaplain Schoenborn and his family would like to thank the ushers, golf cart drivers and all other individuals for their help, when they attended church. He would also like to recognize his sweet and friendly four-legged friend, Mr. Savoy, the missionary dog.

SERVICE

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

11:00 A.M.

CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH

16801 HUEBNER

Pastor Zach McIntosh will officiate. Interment will follow in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org) or to Fisher House (www.fisherhouse.org).