Austin Lane Schroder was born April 22, 1992 to Brent and Coleen Schroder. He grew into manhood on the family farm and ranch in Baca County. He started driving tractors and helping with fieldwork at the young age of 9 years old. He learned to be a hard-working and caring man. Faith was a part of his life from an early age. Caring for others came natural for Austin. He would give the shirt off his back to anyone that was in need. His compassionate nature made it easy for anyone and everyone to call him when they needed help or just someone to talk too. He always made sure everyone's needs around him were met. Friends and family could count on him for help when they needed it most. He dearly honored his mother and father.

Austin attended school in Campo where he played football, basketball, baseball, and track. He grew up with an abundance of cousins. At one point, there were 15 cousins living within fifteen miles of each other. Austin loved anything that had a motor and went fast. From Wheels to wings, he used all means necessary to fulfill his passion for living life to the fullest. Taking into account his love for motors and mechanics, it was destined that he would go to Seward County Community College to study Diesel Mechanics. During this time, he trained for his pilot's license and passed his test while in college. He was very proud of this achievement. He enjoyed taking his family and friends up for an eventful ride or a cross-country trip to the east coast to pick up puppies. While at Seward County Community College, Austin made a lot of friends that became lifelong friends.

After college, things on the farm were in full swing. Brother Rafe was committed to the farm and Austin was right there with him. Both of the boys had a strong will to carry-on and add to the family legacy of farming and ranching. Brent and Coleen welcomed both of the boys back at the family operation with open arms.

While devoting most of his time to the family operation, he found time to persuade Bailey West to become his bride. In 2016, on a cold and windy day in a pasture on the family ranch, Bailey and Austin said their wedding vows. It was a package deal. He got both Bailey and a son Kagen. Austin always had a strong desire to become a husband and a father.  A year later, Krey Allen arrived followed by Kandlyn Mae in 2020.

Austin loved doing things with his family. Some of the activities included, four wheelers and motorcycles, having miniature Scottish highlander cattle and a pot belly pig, cooking steaks on the grill, braiding Kandlyn's hair, or taking a family trip. It wasn't unusual for Kagen, Krey or Kandlyn to be on a cattle hauling adventure. Each kid would take their turns riding shotgun.

Austin was teaching the boys the things he had had to learn as a young man. In 2022, he parked Kagen on a tractor with a disk and left him to work the field. When he returned to check on him, he proudly posted on FB that Kagen had finished the field on his own.

Farming was a fulltime job, but Austin found time to enjoy life. He found time to ride his motorcycle to Sturgis with family and friends. He went to OSU football games with the entire family. One of the last big trips was a fishing trip to Lake Texoma with his dad, brother, and a few friends.

Austin was involved in two major accidents that required flight for life to Denver. The first was a car accident that broke his back. The second was a farming accident that was much more severe and forever changed his life. He suffered with chemical burns on more than 50% of his body and also re-broke his back again as he tried to escape from the tractor. Austin's life would never be the same from that point forward. He had daily struggles of trying to live through the pain of permanent nerve damage to his skin all over his body and a comprised back that limited his movements and functions. All through his pain and suffering, he continued to smile and sacrifice his body to make sure the operation was successful. Rafe always pushed his brother to do things past the capabilities of most and knew he could count on his brother to make things happen. At the age of 32, Austin had many great accomplishments to be proud of on the family operation. He grew a variety of crops from alfalfa to corn to pumpkins to potatoes to hemp. He was never afraid to try anything. Austin loved developing and turning dryland farms into irrigated farm land. He engineered and built a house for his family along with multiple sets of corrals all over the ranch. Alongside his brother, they bought the Bishop Feedlot and have been feeding cattle for last 5 years. As a true descendant of the Schroder Family, Austin produced true value and true wealth managing the land God provided him.

Austin had a big chest with an even bigger heart on the inside. On the outside, he wore a necklace with a big cross to show his devotion to his lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Austin Lane Schroder departed this earth on Thursday, July 11, 2024 at Southeast Colorado Hospital surrounded by his family, at the age of 32. He is survived by his wife Bailey, sons Kagen and Krey, and daughter Kandlyn, his parents Brent and Coleen Schroder, brother Rafe and Chelsea, Nephew Bryar, and Niece Breckyn. Other survivors include grandparents Vance and Beverly Alfrey, grandfather-in-law Bill Shettron, in-laws Mike and Tiffany West, Brother in Law Tucker and Samantha West, Sister in Law Madi and Kelby Sharpe. Nieces Addie and Taylor West, & nephews Elliott and Sawyer Sharpe. Surviving also are numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death with his grandparents Roy and Virginia Findley, grandfather Billy Schroder, Cousins Shannon Rivale and Cinch Bullock.