HOT PURSUIT

Journalists often get asked about famous or notable people they meet during the course of covering stories and reporting. And while I have met some who certainly fit that category, there is something more prominent and memorable in my view that often gets overlooked.

For the most part, we meet normal, average citizens that are doing great deeds and extraordinary things for their communities. They can be just as exhilarating as famous people. It doesn’t have to be governors, senators, presidents, high ranking officials, top business leaders or people who often quite honestly think they are better than everyone else.

Over my career of 40 plus years, there are many people I would consider “Normal Joes” or “Ordinary Janes” that have touched my life and had a profound impact on me and the way I look at life.

One of those that falls onto that list is Mary Schroeder. In 2013, I profiled her as an untraditional farmer with a traditional farm. At the time, she was a woman farmer whose full-time life work was caring for her family’s dairy operation south of Owatonna.

For decades, men have dominated farming. But Schroeder was part of a growing phenomenon that changed the landscape of America’s farms with women having a growing presence in U.S. agriculture.

I was always impressed with how Schroeder embraced her life’s work on the dairy farm. She had a small herd by today’s standards of only 35 cows. But she had great knowledge and significant amount of common sense to run a first-class operation. While her husband and children helped out from time to time, it was definitely Mary’s show.

Immense pride became obvious with her in producing milk and other dairy products. “Everybody eats. If there were no farmers, they wouldn’t have any food,” she told me. “People don’t realize the commitment and the hard work that goes into getting a glass of milk or milk in cereal.”

Schroeder displayed a strong commitment and hard work that quite frankly would put some men to shame. She was small but mighty in handling a tough job.

“I’m proud to be a part of the dairy industry,” she said.

Things got emotional for her when she described her lifestyle. When asked about her greatest achievement, she told me, “Having my kids involved with my lifestyle. I want them to know (begins crying and wipes tears away) how hard in life that my grandparents had to work. It’s just emotional for me. There is so much pride of being a part of it.”

Working alongside her father, Bernard Jirele, until he died in 2015, Schroeder was passionate about dairy cows and the farm was the only job she ever had.

She continued in that role until five years ago when she was diagnosed with a life changing brain disease called frontotemporal dementia. It causes parts of your brain to deteriorate and stop working. Depending on where it starts in the brain, the condition affects your behavior or ability to speak and understand others. It’s not curable or treatable.

When Schroeder came down with the disease, she was forced to sell the family’s dairy operation. It’s sad to see how small family farms are disappearing from the rural landscape, especially when a medical condition forces it.

A few years ago, the Steele County American Dairy Association honored Schroeder with its lifetime award for 30 years of dedication to the group.

Sadly, Schroeder lost her battle with dementia last week. She was 59. She is survived by her husband and four children.

Funeral services were held Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Owatonna.

She kept a family legacy going as long as she could until physically, she couldn’t any longer. Our world is definitely a better place because of hard working and passionate “Ordinary Janes” like Mary Schroeder.

Mary is one that will always be etched in my mind as someone who went in hot pursuit of doing remarkable things for the dairy industry and the greater community.