Jean Yamagishi Schroeder was born on February 15th, 1928 in Hong Kong, China to Margaret Wilson and Joji Yamagishi. She was called heavenward on Thursday, April 13th in Port Arthur, Texas.
Jean spent her childhood and teen years as an orphan before and during the Second World War. Her mother died when she was four and her father passed away when she was seven. She recounted orphans being the faceless ones during war. Her compassion to help others originated here. Many times, she told of hiding during bombing raids and finding safety in abandoned prisoner of war camps. At the conclusion of the Second World War, she found employment as the secretary to the chaplain at Ashiya Air Force Base in Japan. It was here she met her future husband Arnold V. Schroeder from San Antonio. They were married on July 17th, 1956 in Japan.
Jean moved to the United States and resided in San Antonio. She was the office secretary at Peace Lutheran Church in San Antonio and later served as the secretary at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Houston, and was a pre-school teacher at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Houston. Jean served joyfully with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League for most of her life. She faithfully saved her “mites” for mission projects both here and around the world.
Jean is survived by her son, Reverend Francis Schroeder and his wife, Sandra of Nederland; granddaughters, Helen Simmons and her husband, James, of Port Neches and Hanna Richmond and her husband, Michael, of Dickinson; and great-granddaughter, Isabelle Simmons.
Benevolences designated for Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, 2711 Helena Avenue, Nederland, Texas 77627.
A gathering of Mrs. Schroeder's family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at Broussard's, 505 North 12th Street, Nederland. A private committal will be at a later time.
