Mary Valene (Lahr) Schnieders

Mary Valene Schnieders, 84, of Manchester, Iowa, went to be with her Lord surrounded by family on Saturday, August 4, 2018, at the Regional Medical Center in Manchester.  She was born on April 2, 1934, in Gilbertville, Iowa, the daughter of Pete and Irene (Braun) Lahr. The family moved to the Manchester area.

On September 9, 1954, Valene was united in marriage to LeRoy John Schnieders. They were blessed with nine children.   Together they farmed and raised their children in Oneida and Delaware before moving to Dundee in 1969.  Valene was a very active farmwife and partner.  They farmed in Dundee until they retired in 1997, and then they built their retirement home outside of Manchester.

Valene was a longtime member of St. Mary Catholic Church.  She was active in Delaware County Cowbells, Catholic Daughters, 4-H leader, Delaware County Pork and Beef Grilling teams, and the Heartland Quilters. Valene’s hobbies included gardening, sewing, quilting, bird watching, genealogy and cooking.  She loved being with her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.  

Survivors include her husband of 63 years, LeRoy Schnieders of Manchester; eight children, Julie (Larry) Beaman of Delhi, Dan Schnieders of Manchester, Jean Smith of Dundee, Joellyn (Tony) Helmrich of Masonville, Lori (Tim Tacy) Snyder of Manchester, Connie White of Manchester, Carol (Troy) Collins of Potosi, Wisconsin, and Michael (Sue) Schnieders of Dundee; 21 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; siblings, Donald “Bud” Lahr of Manchester, Mary Ann (Donald) Digman of Hopkinton, LaVern “Tuff” (Mary) Lahr of Cedar Rapids, Joan Heyer of Manchester, and Charles (Nancy) Lahr of Manchester; sisters-and-brother-in-law, Ilene O’Connell of Earlville, Merrell (MaryAnn) Schnieders of Masonville, Mary Lou Parkinson of Edgewood, and Shirley Hallett of Cedar Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.

Valene was preceded in death by her parents, Pete and Irene Lahr; her parent-in-laws, Aloysius and Eleanor Schnieders; her son, Gregory Richard Schnieders; one granddaughter Kasey Kehrli; a great-grandson Tyler Ainsworth; four sisters, Betty and Teresa Lahr, Patricia Pierce and Linda McDowell; brothers-and-sister-in-law, Jerry Heyer, LaVern and Mary Schneider, Joseph O’Connell, Darryl Parkinson, and Al Hallett; and a son-in-law, David White.

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