Draft:E.C. Schroeder

Edward Carl Adolph Schroeder (June 14, 1880 – July 20, 1971) was a German-American breeder of Holstein Friesian cattle and potato farmer. Schroeder continued his father's potato farm, and became a cattle breeder in his own right.

Family
E. C. Schroeder's father, Heinrich Ernst Markus Schroeder, was born in Rendsburg, Germany to a family of tanners. He immigrated to the United States at age 16 in 1871. The elder Schroeder worked as a grocer in New York and St. Paul before purchasing a plot of land in Minnesota from the Northern Pacific Railroad to start his farm.

Holstein Herd
In November, 1909, Schroeder purchased 28 Holstein-Friesian cows, including, Spring Brook Bess Burke, and 1 bull, Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes. These purchases were vital to the breeding between two notable Holstein dynasties, the Bess Burkes and the Ormsbys. Spring Brook Bess Burke and Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes begot the record setting cow Spring Brook Bess Burke 2nd.

Purchase by Du Pont
After his succession to the Winterthur Estate in 1914, Henry Francis du Pont sought to develop a perfect breed of Holstein cattle. Du Pont approached Schroeder and purchased six cattle from him in 1917 including Spring Brook Bess Burke 2nd and her son King of the Ormsbys. From these cattle Du Pont began his breeding process and produced many record setting and award winning cattle.