Wife of missing Onalaska man asks him to come home
ONALASKA, Wis. — It has been a week since an Onalaska man walked away from his home, and he hasn’t been seen since.
Investigators, family members and friends continue to search for him.
Now, his wife is speaking out for the first time, pleading for him to come home.
“It’s been very hard on all of us,” said Karla Schroeder. “Dave if you’re listening, please come home. We need you.”
Dave and Karla Schroeder just celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary a week before Dave disappeared.
Now she and their three sons want to know why he is missing, and they want him back home.
“They all miss him very much,” said Schroeder. “Especially our youngest son, Jacob [who] has special needs, and he needs his dad.”
16791698The day her husband went missing, Schroeder said she could sense something was bothering him.
“He seemed to be pretty distraught about things, like some of us have bad days,” said Schroeder. “We have a special-needs son, and he brings a lot of stress in our life, but we also love him very dearly, and Dave was just really stressed about things.”
She said they had been through bouts like this before, and it was nothing out of the ordinary.
When they did feel stressed, they’d find comfort at church.
“He’s a very strong Christian man, and our family is very joyous,” said Schroeder. “I had been at church with him [that day] for a while, and an hour later I brought him home, and within the next hour, I came back home, and he was already gone.”
Dave Schroeder had disappeared with no traces of where he might have gone or who he might have been with.
More than 100 people have helped with the searches organized by Journey Lutheran Church. The searches have taken place throughout the past week to find answers, but so far no luck.
“Lots more questions and answers right now,” said Pastor Steve Meyer of Journey Lutheran Church. “Nothing really makes sense from the scenario. That’s why we’re hoping for some type of clue that might put this story together and figure out what may be was going on.”
Search efforts will continue this week. As the family wait for answers, they hope faith will bring Dave Schroeder home.
“We don’t care what has happened in the last week, we just want him here with us,” said Karla Schroeder. “Dave, if you’re watching, Jacob needs you. Jacob really needs you right now.”
The Schroeder’s have set up an emergency fund to help cover living expenses for the family. Anyone who wants to help can donate at the Park Bank in Holmen.
Dave Schroeder is 45 years old. He is 6 feet 5 inches tall and 300 pounds with graying hair and glasses. His family said he is diabetic and does not have his medication.
He was last seen in a bright blue t-shirt, jeans and black shoes.
Anyone with information should contact the La Crosse County Sheriff Department at 608-785-5942 or Journey Lutheran Church at 608-783-1892.
