A poor Midwestern carpenter who worked hard day and night for 67 years lived below his means. He had just two pairs of pants and spent less to nothing from his earnings. But before his death, he revealed a jaw-dropping $3 million secret fortune that he wanted to give away for an important mission.
Heroes are not born. They are made out of circumstances. And some are genuinely selfless people that leave an impact on history. Such is the story of Dale Schroeder—a shy and humble Iowan carpenter. He had no close family members even to mourn his death. However, his one thoughtful deed brought 33 different strangers to honor his obituary in 2019, 14 years after he di-ed!
Dale lived a simple life like a lot of Iowans. He owned just two pairs of jeans: one for work and one for church, and nothing much to spare or share. Those close to him only recognized him as a poor frugal carpenter who pinched his pennies. But until he died in 2005, nobody guessed how rich Dale really was. Dale Schroeder was born in 1919.
His friends called him a “quiet and shy” man. For 67 years, he had worked in the same company in Des Moines. Hard work got the best of Dale, but he loved what he did. He lived most of his life thriftily and cared less about his desires. He was poor and had no immediate family to take over after him. She had practically given up, and that’s when her phone rang…she couldn’t believe her ears and immediately burst into tears.
Dale devoted all his time to work and religious activities. Unlike those who enjoyed their earnings, he never even bought a new pair of pants. Instead, all he had were only two pairs of jeans. Didn’t he have enough money to buy nice clothes? What was he doing with his earnings? The surprising answers came in 2005, just before his death.
For over six decades, Dale busted his chops to save a massive chunk of money. Although he could have lived the life of his dreams with this money, he didn’t. Instead, he had some other plans in his mind. Before his death, Dale met his friend and lawyer, Steve Nielson, with a plan for his secret fortune. Steve recounted:
“He said, ‘I never got the opportunity to go to college. So, I’d like to help kids go to college.” Deep inside, Steve surmised that Dale just had a small percentage of savings that he was willing to part with. Curious and astonished, he asked Dale how much precisely he had saved to be given away as a scholarship. But then came the jaw-dropping revelation.
All Dale said to astonish his buddy was, “Oh, just shy of $3 million!” Steve was startled by Dale’s 67 years of secret fortune. “I nearly fell out of my chair,” he recounted. Before his passing, Dale had decided to set up a scholarship to help poor students who couldn’t afford college. He mainly focused on those with good grades and the desire to propel their education further.
Eventually, Dale wanted his fortune to be parted between young Iowan adults who otherwise would have abandoned their studies if it weren’t for his help. Kira Conard was among the 33 random strangers to receive a piece from his secret fortune, and it felt like a dream come true experience for her.Conrad was a bright student, and she had bigger dreams in life.
She wanted to become a therapist, but her family’s financial crisis came in the way of her endeavors. Without money, her dreams came to a colossal standstill, and she thought it was the end of her aspirations. Her parents could not afford to send her to college. Opting for a student loan was out of the question, and Conrad knew it would be too difficult to repay even if they took a loan.
“I grew up in a single-parent household, and I had three older sisters, so paying for all four of us was never an option,” she recalled. Conrad’s dreams slowly started to crumble. After her high school graduation party, she had almost decided that college was not meant for her. She had practically given up, and that’s when her phone rang.
When Steve on the other end told her about his best friend Dale, things changed for her. He also said that Dale’s money would be used to send kids from small towns in Iowa to college. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing and cried right away. Conrad said: “For a man, I’d never meet to basically pay for my whole college education… That is amazing. That doesn’t happen.
“In the end, Dale’s money was used to pay for college for 33 kids. The kids finished college without having to pay back any loans, and they used scholarships to follow their dreams. Surprisingly, a few of them went on to become some of the most famous people in education and medicine. Dale’s secret fortune ran out in 2019, 14 years after he died. Everything up to the last dime was gone.
During this time, his kind act touched the hearts of the 33 young people who took full advantage of his help. The group of people who call themselves “Dale’s kids” got together in July 2019 to honor the stranger who helped them shape their lives and reach their goals. The 33 people in the cohort were doctors, therapists, and teachers. They also became close friends, and they were the only ones who came to Dale’s memorial.
Dale, on the other hand, never said where he wanted his money to go or why. But before he died, he did have one thing he wanted in return. Steve said, “All he asked was that you help someone else. Dale is gone, so you can’t pay it back. But you can think about him and try to be like him.”
Dale Schroeder’s kindness moved a lot of people and left a mark on the sands of time about what it means to be truly kind.
His “kids” would always be grateful to him for the help he gave them and the difference he made in their lives. In the video below, you can find out more about Dale’s life. How would you feel if someone you barely know helped you out of the blue?