Elizabeth H. Schroeder

Elizabeth H. Schroeder, 91, died Thursday, Sept. 17 at home. Known to many of her friends as ""Betty,"" she lived in Hendersonville for nearly 18 years, at Cummings Cove, before moving to Wilmington four years ago. She was born on July 6, 1918 in Whitman, Massachusetts to Harrison and Vera Soule. She married Paul H. Schroeder on October 26, 1940. They had been together for 65 years when he died in February, 2006. Her life was rooted in old New England traditions, and being a direct descendant of Mayflower Pilgrim George Soule gave her pleasure and ample opportunities for storytelling. Yet throughout her nine decades, she proved herself a ""contemporary woman,"" adaptable at a pace of her own choosing to changing circumstances and standards. Evidence of her resilience can be seen in her career transitions, numbering at least three over the years. She attended Tufts University, where classmates voted her the ""Girl with the Best Figure."" She maintained that figure throughout her life, and she also possessed style and a fashion sense that served her well in her third career which began in the 1950s and continued for some 30 years: women's apparel retailing. Her first career, following graduation from Tufts, was in line with her academic degree in mathematics, as she joined the actuarial department of John Hancock Life Insurance Company. Her second career was as a homemaker and stay-at-home Mom, when she and her husband and their growing family moved from New England to the Midwest, settling first in the Chicago suburb of Riverside and then in Burlington, Wis. Paul and Betty traveled throughout the United States pursuing a shared love of tournament bridge-playing. They also played in local games in Hendersonville. Both were recognized as Life Masters by the American Contract Bridge League in 1980. Survivors include three sons: Paul and his wife Lynn, of Wind Lake, Wis.; Steve, of Wilmington; and Dean and his wife Carol, of Madison, Wis. There are three grandchildren: Susan, of Tampa, Fla.; Erik, of Chicago, Ill.; and Katrina, of Boston, Mass. Son Paul inherited her affinity for mathematics, her card sense and bridge-playing ability; Steve her knack for written expression and love of crossword puzzles; and Dean her talent for retailing -- knowing what the customers want and how to satisfy their needs. Her sons may have divergent interests but are as alike as can be in their inherited zest for learning. Late in life, Betty met the challenge of Alzheimer's disease with characteristic on-my-own-terms adaptability and courage. Several health care professionals and caregivers who came to know her during this period chose the adjective ""feisty"" to describe her. Services celebrating her life will be held in late October at the First Congregational Church in Hendersonville with burial of the cremains in the church garden where her late husband's cremains are also buried. The exact date and time, to be announced later, will be close to Paul and Betty's 69th wedding anniversary, signifying their reunion in both the spiritual and the physical sense. Rather than flowers, the family suggests memorials in the name of Elizabeth Schroeder to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physicians Dr., Wilmington, NC 28401.