About the Family

On a spring day in 1987, Chris and Mary Grace Schaper welcomed their third baby, of eventually nine, Lowell. He was raised in the Byzantine Rite, was homeschooled through the elementary years, attended a small junior highschool that was put together by homeschooling families, and went on to follow in his dad’s footsteps (class of ’79) at St. Michael’s Prepatory High School in Silverado, CA. During his 4-year attendance, he participated in all the sports (basketball, cross country, soccer, baseball, and his most beloved, football where he played quaterback), he was a room leader, and student body president his senior year. But, it was at the end of the first semester his sophomore year that he met Joanna.

Joanna was born on an autumn evening in 1985, and is the first born of Pat and Kris Schroeder’s 15 children. Joanna was raised in a Roman Catholic home, and was also homeschooled. Unlike Lowell, however, she was homeschooled all the way through. Graduating at 16, she helped homeschool the younger kids, worked full time, and went on to community college when she was 18 to further her knowledge and persue the possibilities of a teaching degree. It was a few months before starting her college quest that she met Lowell. Although they only met the one time, Joanna went on to pray for Lowell every day for reasons unknown to her at the time. “He just always popped in my head when I prayed,” she says. It is apparent now that God had a plan for these young people!

As time went on, and they found themselves traveling in more of the same circles, they grew very close. Sharing similar interests in Faith, music, and even football, they slowly fell in love without even realizing it. During his senior year, Lowell decided that he was going to ask Joanna to marry him. After a little rollercoaster of a ride, and a few issues were worked out, Lowell finally made his feelings known to Joanna and in so many words asked her to marry him. She accepted, but they kept it under wraps until they knew just when exactly they were going to tie the knot. Joanna, afterward, moved to Texas to be closer to Lowell after he graduated while finishing their college plans, but when those plans kept falling through the cracks, they decided to make their engagement known to the world. They set the date, bought the ring, and planned what turned out to be one of the most beautiful weddings ever!

Lowell and Joanna were married on a spring afternoon in 2006 at San Secondo d’ Asti Roman Catholic Church in Guasti, CA. Faith arrived in 2007,  Felicity in 2008, George in 2009, Phillip in 2011, Karolina in 2013, Anastasia in 2016, Boyd in 2018, and Otto in 2021.

Shortly after they married, Lowell enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear mechanic. He served on the USS Harry S Truman and was an MM1 (Machinist Mate, First Class) at his discharge in March 2013. He is now an Estimator and Project Manager for an industrial fuel company. Joanna is a stay at home mom, keeping busy with raising babies, house keeping, laundry, and perfecting her being chef extraordinaire. Her extracurricular activity talents are pro-texter, stuffed animal doctor, want-to-be scrapper, and a bookworm.

**the pictures of the family posted and shared on the entirety of this blog are the personal property of the family. You are not permitted to copy and share them for your personal or professional use.**