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In 2018, Schroeder moved to Fayetteville, bringing that same spirit with her. She and her husband, Kurt, are deeply involved with the American Legion and VFW. Friday nights are for gathering at the post \u2014 a space where veterans don\u2019t need to explain themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou feel like you belong just by walking in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her work with the American Legion and VFW, Schroeder helps with the local veterans angel tree program, joins in cleaning gravesites year-round, and helps make memorial crosses that are placed with flags each Memorial Day and Veterans Day in honor of veterans who have died \u2014 quiet work, done with care and a desire to help others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That help comes wrapped in empathy. When others are hurting, Schroeder looks for ways to bring relief and encouragement, asking herself, \u201cIf I were in their place, how would I want to be treated?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her compassion runs deep, shaped and strengthened by real trials: a son\u2019s open-heart surgery, another child\u2019s leukemia diagnosis, and a serious motorcycle accident of her own. Through it all, she leaned on faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy church lifted us up. Prayer lifted the burden,\u201d she shared. \u201cEverything I\u2019ve gone through, we\u2019ve had people praying for us, and it just lifts that weight right from your shoulders. I literally can feel that weight being lifted. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n These days, her mornings begin with Bible study \u2014 the quiet time that keeps her grounded. Between family visits and local commitments, she stays in touch with others who need a lift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a rhythm reflecting a deeper calling that\u2019s never really let go. What began with a restless search for purpose has become a steady life of service, sustained by faith and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her strength is quiet, steady, and rooted in a lifetime of choosing to serve. She\u2019s still answering the call with a heart shaped by service and softened by faith. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE PHONE rang, but Deb Schroeder barely glanced up. Another call. Another message to take. She sat behind the reception desk at the University of Michigan, watching the clock and wondering if this was all life had to offer. \u201cLord,\u201d she thought, \u201cthis can\u2019t be it.\u201d Not long after, she walked into an Air Force […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":24237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/07\/3-1-1024x683.jpg\")