Hans Christian Schroeder

MASON CITY - Hans, 34, recently of 109 Ingram Place, White Salmon, Wash., died on July 11, 2010, at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Portland, Ore., two days after a motorcycle accident. Those last two days he was surrounded by friends and family.
A memorial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 31, 2010, at First Christian Church, 318 N. Adams Ave., Mason City. Interment of Hans' ashes will follow after memorial and lunch at the church. Interment will be at Memorial Park, west of Mason City, on Highway 122.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Hans C. Schroeder Memorial Fund at US Bank.
Hans was born on May 11, 1976, to Kathy and Charlie Schroeder of Mason City. Hans' life would be one of travel and enjoying the outdoors. During his father's time in the Air Force, Hans lived in California in 1979 where he enjoyed visiting Pinnacles National Monument, Point Lobos, and the big redwoods near Felton, Calif. It was in Germany that Hans found three of his passions - exploring, biking and skiing. Hans loved to explore castles, especially the ruined ones.
Hans met his great-grandmother, Frieda in northern Germany. His travels took him to Legoland in Denmark, the Parthenon in Greece, the beaches of Normandy with his Aunt Marie and Uncle Denny, Paris (four times), Bavaria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland with his grandparents, Dorothy and Richard Green. In 1992 he spent nearly two months in Austria where he fell in love with the mountains.
At the age of 2 ½ Hans was playing Fooshball and throwing Frisbee. With the advent of disc golf, Hans soon mastered the East Park course. At the Ronald McDonald Charity Challenge of June 11, 2006, at East Park, Hans won his division. Hans also won the Humboldt Tournament twice. Hans also enjoyed fishing with his Grandpa Green and driving vehicles at his Grandpa Schroeder's farm.
Hans graduated from Mason City High in 1994. He had various jobs until finding his calling with wind turbines in 2001. He worked with Chris Mejia, a longtime friend, assembling bikes and grills for Huffy. Hans and Chris also did a lot biking together. Hans traveled extensively doing store setups for PIMMS and Gage. In 2001 he completed a Building Trades course at Fort Dodge, and very soon found himself putting up wind turbines at the Top of Iowa site near Joice. Hans was hired as tech by NEG Micon, later Vestas, when the site was finished. He was hired by Suzlon in 2007 as a site manager with his office in Humboldt. In 2008 he accepted the position of site manager at Arlington, Ore., where he worked until his passing.
Hans loved the mountains of Oregon and Washington and that's where he spent his free time. Everyone he met was drawn to Hans' thirst for adventure, taken along on his hikes, biking narrow mountain trails, visiting hundreds of waterfalls, camping beneath Mount Adams, riding four-wheelers, skiing Mount Hood, and, for a break, a punishing game of Fooshball or pool.
Hans leaves three sons. Christian, born in 2001 to Janelle, who lives in Rhode Island. Rowen, born in 2007, and Weston Hans, born in 2008, to Brandi Hochstein, who lives in Oregon. Hans loved his boys very much. He would take them on many hikes and take them for rides on his four-wheeler. Hans' fellow wind turbine techs and supervisors considered him a very good friend. Many said their goodbyes in the hospital and left in tears.
A memorial service was held at a favorite lookout spot from where he could see both his mountains, Mount Adams in Washington and Mount Hood in Oregon. About 85 people came and shared their stories and love for Hans. We never imagined that Hans was so loved and that he will be missed by so many people. Hans lived 100 years in 34. His only regret would be leaving his boys behind.
Left to cherish his memories are his sons - Christian, Rowen, and Weston; his grandparents, Hans and Nora Schroeder, of Clear Lake, and Dorothy Green, of Mason City; his cousins, Katie, Amy, Sarah, Patty, Ben, Aaron, Adam, Nicole, and Molly; his aunts and uncles, Richard and Denise Green, Marie and Denny Roberts, Helen and Kurt Mackey, Sue and Kirk Knudtson, Angie Plainte, of Kent City, Mich., and Patty Callahan; his parents, Kathy and Charlie Schroeder; dear friends, Brandi Hochstein, of Mosier, Ore.; Chris Mejia, of Mason City; Lenore Thornquist, of Abilene, Texas; Andy Lukes, of Mason City; Michelle Montague and Willem Van Der Ven, of Portland, Ore.; Rick, Gina, and Pat Chenoweth; and his technicians, and many other friends.