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In loving memory of
Rufus Schroeder
May 2, 1931 - January 14, 2006
Rufus was born May 2, 1931, to Herbert and Hermina (Nesselhuf) Schroeder at Rocky Ford. He was a lifetime resident of Crowley and Otero Counties, and passed away Jan. 14, 2006, at his home in Rocky Ford.
He married Joy Geeseka on Feb. 14, 1953 at San Luis Obispo, CA. Four children were born to them: Teresa, Craig, Carl, and Bill. They divorced in 1980. He married Bonnie (Wilcox) Page on July 19, 1982 at Raton, NM. He acquired four step-children: Doug, Lee, Tim, and Falisa. Rufus is survived by: wife Bonnie Schroeder of the home daughter Teresa (Mike) Wadleigh of Cheraw sons Craig Schroeder of Ordway Carl Schroeder of Ordway Bill (Kim) Schroeder of Rocky Ford five grandchildren: Tim Weiss Heather Wadleigh Andrew Schroeder Luke Schroeder Mark Schroeder sister Bonnie (Clark) Craig of Riverside, IL niece Jan (Mike Miller) Bennett nephew C.A. (Sophia) Craig four step-children: Doug Page Lee Page Tim Page Falisa Page 11 step-grandchildren 3 step great-grandchilren aunts, an uncle, several cousins, and numerous friends. Rufus grew up west of Ordway and attended Numa and Ordway schools, graduating in 1950. He worked for Schroeder Construction before joining the Army in 1952, serving in Korea. He served originally in the Signal Corps because he was one of the few guys who could type. He hated being in the office, but because typists were so rare, getting a transfer wasn't likely. But those of you who knew Rufus remember that he liked to figure things out. And it wasn't long before he figured out that he could type up his own transfer papers, get an officer to sign them, and he was soon doing what he loved - running the big construction equipment in the Combat Engineers division. After his return from Korea in 1954, he attended CSU in Ft. Collins until returning to the family farm in 1957. In 1961, Rufus and his father Herb started H & R Farm Equipment while continuing the family farming and feedlot operations. He served on the Numa School Board in the 1960's and, after the irrigation water was sold in Crowley County, served on the Proxy Committee. Rufus sold equipment throughout the Arkansas Valley and occasionally in other states and even Mexico. Some of the main lines were:
When customers would ask how much money they could save on a purchase, Rufus told them, "I'm not here to save you money …. I'm here to help you MAKE money!" Rufus also knew how to deal with people who took advantage. The H&R office was in the family home so when a customer or salesman was in the office around meal time, they would often get invited to stay. One fellow caught on really quickly and began scheduling his visits for meal time. After one meal, the man remarked how good the meat was. Rufus replied, "Yeah, not bad for a cancer-eye cow." The guy's schedule changed immediately after that. Rufus earned his private pilot's license and enjoyed flying his own plane for business as well as pleasure. One time someone remarked on a rather bouncy landing he made in bad weather. Ever the quick wit, he commented, "Didn't you know we're the state basketball champs? I just dribbled it down the court!" Another time someone told him they'd heard it was easier to take off than to land. Rufus said, "Naw. Landing's easy. Just turn off the key. It'll come right down." In 1977 H & R Farm Equipment became H & R Tire & Auto and moved to Rocky Ford. During the late 1980's and early 1990's he operated La Junta Conoco and Rufus' Muffler in La Junta. His family and friends recall what could happen when Rufus said, "Jump in the car; I want to show you something." Bonnie tells of a time he told her they were going for a "Sunday drive." They ended up in New Orleans! They hadn't packed anything so they had to buy a few clothes and supplies. Their "Sunday drive" took about a week! After closing the service station in La Junta, he did custom hay baling for several years, spending the winter months studying ways to make a better bale. He loved farming and when he moved to town, continued on a smaller scale with a garden that covered his back yard. He was always trying new watering techniques and new fertilizing methods. Rufus was very sharp with financial matters and he loved to gig other people. One day one of the fellas at the coffee shop came in telling about his new pickup - including telling them about his payments. The next day Rufus came in and announced that he had gotten a free tank of gas. Of course, everyone wanted to know how he did that! He said, "Well, I figured up what the interest on a new pickup is. What he's paying for interest is enough to buy a tank of gas for my old one, so I'll just keep it and drive for free." Rufus could also spend hours talking to family and friends on the phone. Some of us remember 1 and 2 hour phone calls. But he had also perfected the shortest answering machine message. We'd see the machine blinking, punch the button, and hear, "75-75" (his phone number). As a child Rufus saw the first power lines laid in Ordway. While he loved the old values, he also embraced the best of the new. In later years he connected to the internet, learning to set up e-mail and surfing websites for information. Not many 70-year-old guys set up their daughter's e-mail, but Rufus did. Those of us who knew him would agree that Rufus was quite a character. He considered hard work, honesty, and providing for his family of great importance. He could find enjoyment and humor in almost everything. When asked a few years ago what he considered the reason for his success, he said that "Making money is a by-product of having fun!" He had fun and lived life to the fullest every day.
Contact Address:
The Family of Rufus Schroeder c/o H & R Tire, 18551 Hwy 50 W, Rocky Ford, CO 81067 or send e-mail to: teresa @ trustinghimwebdesign.com (without the spaces).
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