В Северной Дакоте скончался основатель рок-группы и издатель газеты Линн Шредер

GRAND FORKS — Lynn Schroeder is being remembered for his humor, remarkable musical talent and dedication to his work as publisher of the weekly newspaper in Cavalier, North Dakota. Schroeder, a well-known musician who performed with several area bands, died from a heart attack Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Cavalier Chronicle office, “getting another edition ready for print,” according to the Aug. 12 issue. He was 67. ADVERTISEMENT The funeral is planned for 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at Trinity Methodist Church in Cavalier. Visitation is one hour before the funeral and 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19. Schroeder was one of the founders of Downtown Horns, a rock, rhythm and blues band, said Michael Wittgraf, Grand Forks, who joined the group in 2007 when it was formed. “He had a really nice loud laugh,” Wittgraf said. “His soloing was fun and he was hilarious back in the horn section. Generally, a guy you wanted to be around.” “(Schroeder) was one of the best trombonists I’ve ever heard play — his tone was perfect as far as I could tell.” Yet he was “super humble,” Wittgraf said. “In fact, kind of too humble. He would demur when (urged) to take a solo in the middle of a tune. … He didn’t want to be the center of attention.” Pete Berg, who played trumpet for many years in the Dick King Classic Swing Band, also praised Schroeder’s talents. “He was an astounding musician,” Berg said. “As a trombone player, he could have played anywhere in the world — he was of that caliber. … I’ve played with some astounding musicians, ones that played in Air Force jazz bands for 30 years, and Lynn could outplay them.” ADVERTISEMENT Berg, a Twin Cities resident, has kept in frequent contact with Schroeder. “The energy that he would bring to musical performances was really unmatched. … (It was with) such an energy and such a drive and so much fun to the group,” he said. Schroeder’s humor stands out in Berg’s recollections. “He was hysterical. No one could tell a story like Lynn.” Berg remembered Schroeder’s laugh “was one of those contagious laughters, and could have people just rolling in the aisles,” he said. “Just an astoundingly nice and good human being.” When he heard about his friend’s death, “it was completely a shock,” because he had just received “a clean bill of health” from his doctor. Bob Cary, a member of the Jazz On Tap ensemble, said, “Lynn was a great friend. We had more musical history than anyone could ever hope for. So many great times. An unbelievable number of great gigs together. He was a musical brother for sure. A fantastic trombone player, and an even better human being.” ADVERTISEMENT Cary, of Grand Forks, described Schroeder as “a hard-working guy” who performed with various bands. “He had a fantastic sense of humor. Being a musician, you have to have a sense of humor, and Lynn had that in spades.” His friend’s death “was a terrible shock,” Cary said. “We will miss him terribly.” ‘He loved playing’ Dave Christianson played in bands with Schroeder for more than 40 years, starting with a small brass group in Grafton and with the Dick King Classic Swing Band. Schroeder was “a friend to everybody — very warm personality, great sense of humor, and genuinely liked people,” Christianson said. And he was dedicated to his newspaper job, he said. “If he wasn’t playing he was usually working at the Chronicle. I don’t know that Lynn and Judy (his wife) ever took a real vacation.” “I’ll miss playing with him,” said Christianson, of Grand Forks. Schroeder retired from Downtown Horns last year, and “we worked really hard” to persuade him otherwise, “because we knew how passionate and what a big part of his life playing is and was. ADVERTISEMENT “And I’ll miss sharing stories with him about playing in bands and the people we met over the years, particularly with the Classic Swing Band — there was always a story to be told there.” In December 2024, Schroeder played one of his last gigs with Downtown Horns before retiring from the band. That was at Mayville State University, Wittgraf said. “To see the people who flocked (to the event), he might as well have been King of Mayville that night, it was amazing, everybody showed up. … Every musician in the area knows him," he said. "I have only known him since 2007, but from the stories I’ve heard, I wish I had known him since whenever.”