Audrey Christine Schroeder (Cheatham)

Audrey Christine Schroeder, a woman of deep passion, fierce dedication, and a boundless, adventurous spirit, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2026, at the age of 86, following a courageous battle with mixed dementia. In Audrey's own words, the purpose of her life was simply "to love and to be loved"-a mission she fulfilled beautifully every single day.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on November 8, 1939, to Bob and Hildegarde Cheatham, Audrey was the fourth of six children. She grew up in a bustling household, first on Stinson Boulevard and later on Arlington Avenue, right across from the beauty of Como Park. She graduated from Murray High School in 1957, carrying with her a lifelong curiosity and a desire to heal and help others.

During her final year of nursing school, Audrey gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Tacey. Though Tacey was placed for adoption and grew up in a nearby suburb, both mother and daughter held a quiet hope of finding one another. Decades later, that shared wish became a reality. Audrey and Tacey reunited, and the half-siblings connected with open hearts.

Audrey attained her Registered Nurse designation from the Hamline School of Nursing in 1961. The following year, she met and married Ernie Schroeder. She knew he was the one, not just because he was handsome, strong and ambitious but because he always made her laugh. Together, they built a beautiful life and welcomed three children: Ernie Jr., Susie, and Mary.

Audrey worked as an ER nurse but often felt unfulfilled. While volunteering at the Roseville Youth Services Bureau, she realized her true calling lay in helping people heal their minds and spirits rather than their physical bodies. Driven by an innate desire to help people navigate their inner landscapes, heal their relationships, and find personal peace, she went back to school and attained her Master's Degree in Psychology in 1978. While she remained a Registered Nurse, she thrived in her second career as a licensed Individual and Marriage Counseling Psychologist in private practice. She was a natural teacher and loved offering workshops and traveling to professional conferences.

Audrey's compassion knew no borders. She expanded her practice into crisis intervention with CISM, debriefing emergency services workers after traumatic calls. She also volunteered for the Red Cross Disaster Response Team, keeping a bag packed at a moment's notice to fly into the aftermath of hurricanes, floods, and national emergencies. On September 11, 2001, Audrey bought a one-way ticket to Washington, D.C., to serve as a frontline mental health worker outside the Pentagon. This ticket purchase flagged her as suspicious and hilariously resulted in her being profiled at every airport security checkpoint for years to come.

Audrey and Ernie were a legendary couple. Both Scorpios, born just twelve days apart, they shared a passionate, loyal, and fiercely independent nature. They shared a deep love of the outdoors, time at their Gunflint Lake cabin, and their grandchildren. Their marriage was not one of codependency, but of mutual encouragement; they cheered each other on to develop independent friendships, pursuits, and travels, reuniting full of stories that only enriched their 64-and-a-half-year marriage. Ernie, a natural storyteller, kept the family laughing with tales of their honeymoon canoeing in Canada, the themed cruises Audrey convinced him to take, and the loving "ultimatums" she served him over the years which resulted in such monumental events as him wearing a shirt to the dinner table in the summer, getting air conditioning installed, and, with the most far-reaching effects, to stop drinking. He was the bread and butter; she was the variety and flavor. They always had each other's backs, but they never held each other back. For their children, witnessing their relationship grow and ripen was a priceless gift.

At age 40, Audrey decided to challenge herself to run a mile. She started by walking around the block once, then twice, then turning those walks into runs. Her very first race was the women-only "Bonne Bell" 10K. This single step ignited a thirty-year passion for distance running. Audrey went on to complete countless marathons, qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon three times, winning her age group to become the fastest Minnesota marathoner at age 52, tackling high-altitude trail races, running ultramarathons, and coaching other runners. Ernie estimates that for twenty years, she completed a marathon every three to four months.

Her thirst for knowledge led her to study spiritual and self-development thought leaders, traveling to India, France, Africa, China, and all over the U.S. Later in life, she volunteered for Freedom Farm, a therapeutic equine riding school founded by her daughter Susie, facilitating support groups for Veterans and side-walking with special needs children.

After surviving a "widow-maker" heart attack in 2010, Audrey began to notice the cognitive changes she had long dreaded. She described being diagnosed with dementia was the most devastating event of her life. Because of the heavy stigma with an Alzheimer's diagnosis, she faced this battle with quiet, internal grief, eventually retiring from her travels and volunteer work to focus her energy on piano lessons, reading, and her beloved family. Though she withdrew from the wider world, she was never alone; her husband Ernie never ceased being her best friend and the children she had spent a lifetime loving and protecting stepped forward to love and protect her in return.

Audrey was welcomed into heaven by her parents, Bob and Hildagarde; her Aunt, Lyda; her brother, Don; her sister, Barbara; her beloved granddaughters, Alyssa and Leah; her son-in-law, Bruce; and many treasured friends and extended family members.

She leaves behind her devoted husband of 64.5 years, Ernie Schroeder Sr.; her brothers, Bob, Walter, and Roger; her children, Ernie Schroeder Jr. (Kathy), Susie Bjorklund (Tom), Mary Johnson (the late Bruce Johnson), and Tacey Schmidt; her beloved grandchildren, Pete, Sarah, Andrea, Colton, Troy, Holly, Jocelyn, and Sean; as well as their spouses, numerous cherished great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, friends, and colleagues.

Memorial Details:
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 11:00 AM, at Bradshaw ,4600 Greenhaven Dr., White Bear Lake, MN 55127. Visitation will begin one hour prior. A luncheon and interment at will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations in loving memory of Audrey are gratefully appreciated at the Freedom Farm Therapeutic Riding Center.

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