Kindness has a lot of forms and it can be shown in many ways. And when we talk about kindness, there are a lot of people, they’re too many of them. But for those who do not know Dale Schroeder, he’s one of the kindest and most selfless people in America.
This story will make you tear up so get your tissues ready.
Sadly, Dale Schroeder passed away in 2005.
There were no family members who mourned for Dale after his death.
Surprisingly, though, 33 people showed up all claiming to be his children.
Dale, a carpenter who lived in Iowa, was an incredibly hard-working man throughout his entire life. He devoted his working time to his profession, and his private time for his religion. Steve Nielsen, his friend and attorney, said the following about him:
“[He] went to work every day, worked really hard, was frugal like a lot of Iowans…. He had church jeans and work jeans.”
Steve painted a picture of Dale’s simple life, explaining that he worked for the same company in Des Moines for 67 years.
Naturally, Dale had accumulated some savings from his job, and one day, he presented Steve with an idea he’d been brewing: he wanted to put some of his money towards helping people go to college.
Today, tuition funding and scholarships are already available, however, going to college still costs a fortune. Tuition fees alone can cost more than $30,000!
Steve expected Dale to have a small percentage of his past earnings that he was willing to part with – but it was much more than that.
In fact, Dale had over $3 million in funds that he wanted to give away.
Though Steve was momentarily astonished by Dale’s fortune, he was more than happy to help his friend help other people.
Dale’s savings were used to fund the education of 33 young Iowans – many who became important figures in the education and medical industries.
Dale’s funding was designed to help people who couldn’t afford college, though they had achieved the right grades and had the desire to further their education.
He was supporting young adults who otherwise would have had no choice but to abandon their dreams.
Kira Conrad is one of these lucky people.
Her family couldn’t send her to college because of the pricey tuition fees, even loans would be too tough to pay for them.
Kira thought that college simply couldn’t be a part of her life – until Steve gave her a call on Dale’s behalf. She burst into tears at the news, and said in a later interview:
“For a man that would never meet me…to give me, basically, a full ride to college…. That’s incredible. That doesn’t happen.”
Dale’s savings ran out in 2019, 14 years after his death. In that time, his funding had touched the hearts of so many young people, and all of them wanted to pay their respects to the stranger who had given them so much.
According to Steve, Dale had no conditions whatsoever.
He also didn’t have a preference about the person or the course they’re taking.
He did say one thing, though:
“All he asked was that you pay it forward. You can’t pay it back ’cause Dale’s gone. But you can remember him, and you can emulate him.”
Dale’s generosity inspired so many people. His “children” will be forever grateful for his support.
During these difficult times, hearing another Dale Schroeder’s story is almost close to impossible. But who knows, this story might inspire someone and will continue his legacy.
Watch the video below to see how Dale changed these people’s lives.
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