[GreenKeys] K9POU Silent Key

[Don Robert House]

Vernon G. Schroeder,  K9POU

Born: Nov. 13, 1929; in Batavia, IL Died: Nov. 7, 2006; in Batavia, IL
Twice won worldwide design contests

BATAVIA, Illinois - Vernon G. Schroeder, 76, died peacefully Tuesday,  
Nov. 7, 2006, at his residence in Batavia. He was born Nov. 13, 1929,  
in Batavia, to Herman and Ruth (Hasenheyer) Schroeder. He was united  
in marriage to Renee Ferree on Oct. 14, 1966, in Batavia.He graduated  
from Batavia High School as a member of the class of 1947 and also is  
a graduate of Coyne Electrical School, the Signal School and  
Southeastern Signal School.He entered the U.S. Army Signal Corps in  
1952 and was stationed in Japan, where he was responsible for the HF  
radioteletype communications link between the Osaka/Kyoto area and  
Yokohama, the local AFRS satellite station and the radio repair  
shop.Hobbies were a very large part of Vern's life. He began building  
model airplanes at age 9 and, by the time he was in high school, was  
well known throughout the Fox Valley for his expertly built models. A  
friend once remarked, "Vern is not one to blow his own horn." He  
never talked or boasted about his accomplishments. Unknown to many of  
his family and friends, he authored many articles in the various  
model magazines and was twice the first place winner of the Radio  
Control Modeler magazine worldwide design contest.Vern's second hobby  
was electronics and amateur radio.

He acquired his HAM license, K9POU, in 1958 and was active until his  
death. Just as with models, he loved to build radio equipment. His  
main interest was RTTY, radioteletype, but, after retirement in 1997,  
he talked to his other retired friends around the country via SSB.  
Vern worked for Operadio/Dukane Corp. for many years and retired as a  
design engineer in the AV division. He often was introduced as a "man  
who wears many hats." He was able to do both mechanical and  
electrical design, was an expert draftsman, model and prototype  
builder, did artwork and a multiple of other tasks as required.