Herman John Schrader's Obituary
Herman John Schrader, 86, graduated from a life well lived on October 9, 2024. He was surrounded by his family who adored him and did their very best to honor him. Like many people who had a big life, his had three distinct parts: Childhood, Young man, and Family man. Herman was a lifelong resident of San Antonio, Florida, having been proudly born there in his parents’ house on Pompanic Street, on September 1, 1938. He was the fourth and youngest child of A.H. Schrader, Senior and Theresa Greif Schrader. A lifelong Catholic, he attended St. Anthony's Parochial School in San Antonio and later St. Leo Preparatory School in St. Leo. He was a rambunctious youth, with a big smile, and a noteworthy nose rub when he laughed. He was known for having strong opinions on right and wrong, hard work, and learning responsibility from a young age.
He loved growing up on the lake and bought his first boat as a teenager with his own money earned from raising poultry. He loved swimming, boating, water skiing and especially cooking chicken with friends and family. He successfully showed cattle as a young man and notably won grand champion at the Pasco County Fair for his steer. This is a legacy that his descendants hope to emulate someday. As an adult he was a Citrus Grower, more like a grove protector and caretaker, with the characteristics of that farmer that we know and love as described by Paul Harvey in "So God Made a Farmer". He had his own groves and worked as part of the Schrader family businesses. He later taught the love of farming to his children and grandchildren. Herman was an avid hunter, enthusiastic fisherman, fearless snow skier, adventuring both locally and in many states out west including, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Alaska with friends and later his sons. He was a member of both St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in San Antonio and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in St. Joe, a member of the Knights of Columbus where an Honorary Life Membership was bestowed upon him in 2011. He was a long-time member and Lieutenant of the San Antonio Volunteer Fire Department and a member and officer of the San Antonio Jaycees. He was known community wide for cooking chicken with his special recipe for 40 years for the Rattlesnake Roundup. Later in life, if he really loved you he taught you his recipe and remarkable chicken making tricks. If you know it, you were chosen on purpose because he loved you and trusted you to continue it when he couldn't.
He always loved sports and was a big fan of the former Brooklyn Dodgers, the Florida State Seminoles, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and more recently, Texas A & M. Herman loved to run as a young man. However, later in life he started to power walk everyday instead. For decades he could be seen walking "the loop" with his cousins and friends. Always animated in his conversations, laughing along the way. Then in March of 1990 Herman's life changed. While taking his walk he saw a lady that he had been seeing walking on her own lately. Monica was a Barthle. They knew of each other because it is a small community, but otherwise were strangers to each other. They were going opposite directions, turning the same corner, at the same time, to merge onto the same road. She almost ran into him, when she suddenly asked if they could walk together. He said yes. It was the start of a friendship, turned love story, that no-one but God could have imagined. When they discovered they had the same birthday, only 13 years apart, they shared their first hug. Later on down the road they began to date. Herman had no biological children, something he had always wanted and missed. Monica had five children, a wild bunch who called themselves the Zoo-Krewe, from the ages of 5 to 16, with three girls and two boys. It was clear this was the real deal and he wasn't going anywhere. Herman and Monica were married in a rainy, laughter filled, Christmas themed wedding in Herman's beloved house. It was the beginning of a 27 year long loving friendship, marriage partnership, the journey of two people dedicated to each other, an example to respected, and applauded. During their 35 years together, Herman became Pop. He did not just belong to Monica anymore. He became more than a Step-Father to the Zoo-Krewe. He became the keeper of the standards, the stars and smiles, and a second father. We learned from him daily. How to be better people. How to love each other well. How to enjoy the lake and a beer. How to drive, dock, and trailer his beloved pontoon boat (did I mention he was fearless). How to live big and love wide. He loved spending time with his friends (he had a wild bunch that he adored and we also think of as family) and his family above all else. Over the years we grew as a family with each grandchild and great grandchild being welcomed and loved by Pop. Every relationship was different, all treasured by Pop, and valued by his grands, who he doted on regularly. He played hide & seek and board games, hosted Easter egg hunts and Christmas celebrations, spent time teaching them about business and work ethics, and cooked chicken with love for decades simply because he wanted to and loved sharing "his" lake with us. We respected him, adored him, and his graduation leaves a massive wake in the lake of our lives. We were honored to call him ours and he was proud to call us his. We were blessed beyond measure in a way that only God himself could have designed because He knew we all needed each other. 2 Corinthians 6:18 says "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty". Pop did exactly as instructed.
He is survived by his wife, Monica (Barthle) Schrader; children, Shelley Oliver, Natalie (Chris) Cusker, Amanda (Billy) Milam, Joseph (Anne) Zeranski and William (Jasmine) Zeranski; his thirteen grandchildren, Luke (Sarah) Oliver, Tyler (Deidra) Helms, Joshua Lane Milam, Dylan (Kacie) Helms, Hunter (Victoria) Oliver, Chase Milam, Jayden Parsons, Sarah Oliver, Megan Milam, Aubrie Zeranski, Liam Zeranski, Owen Zeranski and Hallie Zeranski; his five great grandchildren, Anna Beth Oliver, Hayden Helms, Houston Helms, Magnolia Oliver and Harper Jane Oliver; one sister, Maxine Cortese of Charlotte, NC, numerous nieces, nephews and Godchildren who loved him deeply as their own. He was predeceased by his sister, Virginia Schrader, and his brother, Arthur H. Schrader, Jr. both of San Antonio, FL.
A Rosary and Visitation will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, on Thursday, October 17 from 4 to 6pm, where the family will receive friends, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, October 18 at 10 am followed immediately by graveside services. In lieu of flowers donations could be made in his name to: Knights of Columbus #1768, St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 32852 Rhode Island Avenue, San Antonio, FL 33576 or Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 32145 St, Joe Road, Dade City, FL 33525
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