On June 12, 2026, Alice Lucille (Anderson) Schroeder passed away in her sleep at the age of 101.
Alice was an indelible influence on those she loved. She will be deeply missed, and her family takes comfort knowing she is now reunited with two sons, Charles Schroeder and Curt Schroeder, and her granddaughter Erin Schroeder, who each preceded her in death. She is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Roy (Cathy) Schroeder and Dan (Mary) Schroeder, Susan Scaffidi and Jane Schneider; grandchildren and grandchildren-in-law Nicole Schroeder Kallio, Vince (Amy) Schroeder, Scott (LeeAnn) Schroeder, Jason Schroeder, Nathalie Schroeder, Kurt Kuss, and Alyssandra Scaffidi; and two great-granddaughters, Lola Schroeder and Maya Schroeder. She also is survived by many special nieces and nephews, including Joan Swessel, who was Alice’s lead caregiver for almost three years.

Alice was born Dec. 1, 1924 in West Allis, Wisconsin, to Ivan and Hilma Anderson, both Swedish immigrants. She had eight brothers and sisters, and Alice often shared memories of growing up with her family, especially her brother, Leonard, and her youngest sister, Marge. Alice met her husband, Don Schroeder, in high school, and one Sunday he gave her a cookbook for two, inscribed with the date: Dec. 7, 1941. They held a small wedding while he was home on leave from the U.S. Army and were married for almost 52 years until Don’s death in 1995.

During World War II, Alice worked at Allis-Chalmers, one of thousands of “Rosie the Riveters,” women who took on manufacturing jobs on the home front while men served overseas.

Alice was strongly devoted to her family, keeping scrapbooks filled with photos and any printed mention of her children or grandchildren. She was a very influential and important figure in her four sons’ lives, raising them with her strong faith and lived example of love. She often opened her home to those who needed a hot meal or a place to stay.

Her generosity is hard to match. She held lovely celebrations with great food. At Christmas Eve, she welcomed extended family and friends and ensured every guest had something to open. She was an accomplished seamstress, making many of her own clothes and gifts for her grandchildren, including favorite stuffed animals. Her granddaughters’ Barbies were the best dressed anywhere. She crocheted thousands of winter hats for local organizations, crocheting at least one per day, and sewed dozens of scapulars and prayer stoles for a monastic community, only ‘retiring’ after age 100.

She loved travel and took many bus trips with her sister-in-law, Grace Anderson, and she visited Sweden twice and was a VASA member for many years. She enjoyed card games and visiting with many devoted friends and family, and later in life enjoyed living in her apartment at Lexington Village, where she had many friends and visitors.

There are and will always be reminders of her everywhere. A cup of strong coffee, the smell of lilacs, hail of sunflower seeds scattering on the patio for her beloved chipmunks. Bags of yarn waiting to be made into hats, a winning hand at a card game, and laughter so consuming it takes your breath away.

Alice’s presence and love remain to all those who were blessed enough to know her.