My Wife, My Friend, My Love, My Treasure Lost         To God's Great Heaven!

This site is for my wife Carol Schneider that God took on his day, March 28, 1997, Good Friday." The Header Photograph is of Gold Valley in the California High Sierra Mountains where Carol's ashes were taken as promised. A Promise Made, A Promise Kept. Carol's ashes were scattered 12:00 pm, August 3, 1997 in a place that we always went to in the evenings to watch God's Shooting Star's and Comets.    The evening after scattering Carol's ashes we went across the creek to where we scattered her ashes to watch the shooting stars, which were many. Shortly later a big beautiful comet went over heading south. Later I learned we had seen the Comet, "Hale Bopp." It was if Carol saying, "I am here, happy without pain and having fun, enjoy my show.           I return every year to Gold Valley on August first to be there for August third  when Carol's ashes were scattered.           Our son Vic and his family and my brother Irv often  make the trip with me. They were also there when Carol's ashes were scattered. I was told by a Cherokee Indian Chief friend that the area we scattered her ashes is now Sacred Ground and we call the area, Sacred Ridge. The Cherokee Chief also told me that Carol soars with Eagle's now. Carol's favorite bird's are the Eagle, Hawk, Falcon and Owl. It is most fitting that she soar with them           I first met Carol in 1974 and we were married on Novenber 29, 1975 in Carson City, Nevada. We spent our honeymoon in Sierra City, California close to Gold Valley. We tried to get into Gold Valley, but because of the snow pack and putting tire chains on all four tires of our CJ-5 Jeep we were plowing up to 3 feet of snow in some places. We were halfway there when I decided we had better turn back because it was getting late and I did not want to chance the trail in the dark.           I married a ready made family. Carol had three children from a previous marriage. Vicky the oldest, Connie and Victor. The first time I took them to Gold Valley was July 1, 1975 before we were married. Carol, Connie and Vic fell in love with Gold Valley the minute they saw it. Vicky didn't make the trip with us because she was married and could not make it. I would so much like to take her and her husband Dale there.           I had first found Gold Valley in 1967 when I headed out for a vacation to anywhere. I followed an old gold miner highway and then turned off on a smaller road and traveled it for a few miles and then saw Gold Lake, the starting point into Gold Valley. The trail into the Valley is very rough and a good four wheel drive vechicle with plenty of clearance underneath is needed. The trail is full of large rocks and boulders and the drive is very slow. There are several other trails in and around the Valley. One trail which we now refer to as Mom's or Carol's Little Deer Lake Run is the roughest. A large four wheel drive would be destroyed on this trail. We named the trail in Honor of Carol because it was her favorite. The rougher the trail got the better she enjoyed it. A person walking would make better time than the Jeeps. The trails are not maintained and every year they get rougher and we like it better that way.

In 1978 we moved To Oregon and did not return to Gold Valley until 1997 when we took Carol to where she wanted to be.           We left home August 1, 1997 and got into the Valley late at night and I couldn't remember where our hidden traill to our old camp site was. We made camp at another spot for the night and the next morning our son Vic and I jumped into my Jeep and went looking. We parked the Jeep close to where the trail should be and walked toward the direction of the old camp site. Shortly after we found the old trail and followed it to our old site. We were both amazed at what we saw. After being away for 20 years we found the site the same as we left it in 1977. We both turned to each other and I said, "We found it" and we both jumped at the same time and hugged each other and then hurried back to the Jeep to get the rest of the family and hook up the trailor and make tracks to our camp.           This was my brother Irv's first time to Gold Valley and the first time for my son Vic's family. This was also a new venture for Vic at rock crawling with his Jeep in Gold Valley because he was 16 years old when we were there last. He did an excellent job at his first rock crawling and did not make a Boo Boo and hurt his Jeep the seven days we were there. He even passed with flying color's on the roughest trail there, the Little Deer Lake Run which we renamed Mom's Run.           The trip to Gold Valley in 1998, Vic and his family, Connie and her family, my brother Irv, grandaughter Clair and her friend John joined me. This time we stayed for two weeks. A week later our good friends Lee and Dorothy arrived. They had brought their daughter Karen's ashes to be scattered on Sacred Ridge. Karen was wrongfully killed. She had told her parents and her husband that when she died that she wanted to be taken to Gold Valley and her wishes were kept. Karen's husband Wally was also there. When it came time to leave for home, as before I did not want to leave.           In 1998 a Forest Ranger I met told me news that set me at ease, after telling him that years ago that I had taught our kids to respect the land and now I was teaching our grandkids and also that Carol's ashes were in Gold Valley. He told me that Gold Valley would never be logged of her beautiful old trees because the land was too pristine. Over 100 different wild flowers abound in and around the area. Some of the trees are well over 400 years old.

Carol had cancer surgury 2 1/2 years before God took her. It was a major operation and we were told then if the cancer returned that nothing could be done. Carol was free from cancer for two years and when it returned, it returned in full force. Carol had suspected it had returned six months before saying anything to anyone. We took her to the doctor's for tests and x-rays and was told that nothing could be done. Later when the cancer progressed to where she couldn't eat any longer we made her as comfortable as we could at home. Our daughter Vicky was one of the best nurses around and took a leave of absence from work and moved in to give her Mom the best care that could be given by anyone. Her husband Dale was very loving and understanding and did not complain being alone so long with Vicky just stopping by once in awhile. Their bills soared, but Carol was number one on Vicky's priority list. I can never thank her enough. Our daughter Connie moved in with us two weeks before Carol was taken. Her family was 350 miles away. They missed her, but her husband Dan told Connie not to worry about them and that they were alright and to stay with her Mom. Our son Victor and his family lived around the corner from us and were often always there to visit and spend time with his Mom. The kids often came over too.           Carol worried more about us instead of herself. Vicky's youngest daughter Clair was also almost always there too and was a great comfort for Carol and me. My brother Irv came up from California for well over a month. After Carol left he stayed a month to make sure I would be alright. My grandsons, Jerimie and Brandon would take turns staying week-ends with me after my brother went back home. The kids were a great comfort. My Mom and Dad also came up a week before Carol left, but couldn't stay long because of long awaited doctor's appointments. Our good friend Nancy from California came up and spent a week with us in Febuary. Nancy is better known by the kids as Auntie Nancy and she is more like a sister to my brother and me. Irv and Carol were more like brother and sister instead of brother and sister inlaws.           My brother Irv and I were with Carol when she crossed over. I had Carol's left hand and Irv had her right hand. She went to sleep in peace. Carol passed away without pain and in great peace as we had all prayed for. A few minutes after Carol left us the rest of the family arrived.           The following pages will have backgrounds created by me and photographs taken by me. There are poems written by me and other family members, poems found by me and others of the family. Carol's Love Lives On In Us All.                                                       ~Bob Schneider

This page was last updated on: March 7, 2006

Song, I will remember you by Sarah McLachlan