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hen Robert
Schmerbeck ’64 was a small child in the ’40s, his
family lived right next to the campus on Rawson Street. Bob’s
earliest memories include Schreiner Institute traditions that planted
in him a deep desire to attend Schreiner someday.
“I
well remember hearing the bugler playing reveille and
taps and, of course, our family rarely missed a Sunday afternoon
parade. The Salters, Cowdens, Mayfields and my uncle and aunt, Garret
and Marium Schmerbeck, loved this
Sunday activity. Often, we would host a cadet to lunch at our home between
worship at First Presbyterian Church and
the parades.”
Actually, the Schmerbeck family’s relationship to
Schreiner goes back even before the school’s beginning.
“When I was invited to become a trustee of Schreiner College,
I felt as if my life had come full circle,” explains Bob. “Captain
Charles Schreiner’s personal attorney and close friend was my
great grandfather, William Gray Garrett. Judge Garrett served on the
first board of trustees.”
When Judge Garrett died, the 1935 yearbook was dedicated
to his memory. Further, Judge Garrett’s daughter, Harriet, started
the “Presbyterian Schreiner Sunday School Class” on campus
in
1926. Family stories say she had just nine students that first
year. By 1935, 160 Schreiner boys attended her class. She
was a popular and beloved teacher. “I remember that years later
grown men would return to Kerrville to visit and ask Aunt Hattie to
dinner,” reflects Bob. “It humbles our family that the Outstanding
Teaching Award at Schreiner to this day carries her name.”
When Shirley married into the Schmerbeck clan in 1975, she knew that
Schreiner and the First Presbyterian Church came with the wedding package.
“It was obvious from the very beginning that if I was going to
be a Schmerbeck, I would be invited to support Schreiner College every
way I could—as Bobby does,” she laughingly explains.
“There were times when I wanted to challenge that commitment…
to suggest other good projects in town might deserve as much of our
family’s attention. But then I would go with Bobby to a Schreiner
Former Students Association (SFSA) event and enjoy the
company of such wonderful people from all over the state. These people
are still some of our closest friends today. And, any time I am on campus
and get to talk to some students, I know our family’s priorities
are good ones!”
The Schmerbecks have invested in Schreiner University in every way possible.
Bob, with his patient wife’s understanding,
helped start the SFSA—an organization that today has more than
775 members and a full calendar of activities around the state. Bob
served as SFSA president during its first decade, giving that organization
stability and vision. Last May, Bob’s term on the Board of Trustees
ended, and he might have thought he would have a little time away from
leadership responsibilities. Instead, just a couple months after his
“retirement,” Bob agreed to co-chair the Hill Country College
Fund with his friend and fellow
Kerrville citizen, Sue Robertson. A big job for volunteers, the campaign
has a goal of $525,000 for local scholarships.
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