I just read about this late last night, and have been thinking about him and his wife all day long. I have to admit, most of my exchanges on the board with him were usually confrontational, and I pretty much decided several years ago I would never like him. We were pretty much polar oposites on nearly every position.
After reading that he was trying to save his wife, and was a good family man, also a lover of animals, I realized being an internet board advisary is not knowing anybody, this was a man of substance, and would have liked and admired if I had known him.

After reading that he was trying to save his wife, and was a good family man, also a lover of animals, I realized being an internet board advisary is not knowing anybody, this was a man of substance, and would have liked and admired if I had known him

Well said, jamma. I think we do lose sight of that truth.

I would like to thank those who have posted kind words with regards to the passing of my father, Lothar Schweder. Many of you knew him as 'Pomeranian' and many of you referred to him as 'pom'. He often spoke of the KUsports.com 'Hawks on Politics' board and his many battles with those whose views that were different from his. I often followed what he had to say.

Some of you may not know why he chose to call himself 'Pomeranian'. I'm sure many of you know that he was born in Germany. He was from the region of Pomerania, formerly part of Germany, now part of northwestern Poland. I heard many stories of his youth and growing up in Nazi Germany, especially being apart of the Hitler Youth. He spoke of his intense hatred of the Nazis and the Hitler Youth. His stories of this time were always interesting.

In the late 50s, he came to the United States and for a time lived in New York. He then came to Lawrence and taught at KU in the mid 60s. He married my mother around this time. Shortly after they married, I was born. We then moved to Georgia and he taught at the University of Georgia. At this time my brother was born. Unfortunately, he and my mother divorced in the early 70s. He then headed back to Kansas where he worked for a time in Salina and then later moved to Hutchinson. He retired in the late 90s from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. To those of you who are familiar with Hutchinson, he would often hang out at Carl's Bar, all the while, arguing about politics and talking about KU basketball with anyone who would listen, just like with you all here.

All this time, he and my mother continued to be good friends. Eventually, he bought a house in Lexington, Georgia and they remarried. Him and my mother owned 6 acres of wooded land. My father enjoyed creating trails through the woods and he and my mother would walk through them almost everyday with their many dogs. My mother was known for taking strays and giving them good homes before they remarried and my father continued this after they remarried.

While all of story will probably never be known, it seems that my mother was attacked by wild dogs and later died and then my father drove to check on her and he was also attacked. He died fighting. Unfortunately, the sheer number of dogs overwhelmed them.

I would like to thank those who he went back and forth with daily. I would also like to thank 'Shirley' who I spoke to on the phone the other day for taking the time to call and express his condolences. You guys meant a lot to him.

Sincerely,
York Schweder

Thanks a lot for stopping by and we're all very sorry for your loss.

I feel terrible about this and it has been heavy on my mind all day. I am so very sorry for your loss.

Thanks for the post. Good thoughts and prayers for you and your family during this difficult time.

Thank you for sharing those remembrances of your father. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Thanks for his story. Few leave a positive mark the way your father has on here.

Thank you so much, York, for coming here and telling us about your dad.

Pom mentioned Carl's Bar a couple of times that I can remember. Glad that we could serve as his online version of Carl's after he moved to Georgia.

When I first "met" your dad online, he talked about what a brilliant woman your mother was. His affection and esteem for her were obvious, even in an electronic medium. I was touched by his respect for your mother's professional abilities, as men of his generation were not necessarily reared to hold women with his level of appreciation. As a woman, I always gave kudos to your dad for that.

Listening to their story, it sounds like after spending so much time apart and then getting back together, your parents must have enjoyed a special sweetness in those years together in Georgia.

My heart goes out to you and your brother in this time of sadness.

Thanks York and my sincerest condolences. My sister, it turns out, knew your father when she was working as a probation officer and taking kids up to Hutchinson. She had nothing but good things to say about him, including that he took his job seriously. That hardly surprises me. Pom appeared to be a very serious, very passionate man who we often tweaked for being TOO serious sometimes. But he clearly thought the very serious matters of the day required serious consideration.

I'm very sorry for your loss. Thank you for offering us some words in memory and condolence for the loss of a good board companion.

Thanks York, Well said.

Don't be a stranger. Feel free to stick around and help keep some of the crazies around here in line. We need all the help we can get.

I'm glad I took another look at this thread today. Thank you, York for sharing some of your memories of your parents with us. As you can no doubt tell, word of your parents' passing has greatly affected a lot of us.

If anything, the impact of losing pom in this little corner of the internet should tell you volumes about your father's ability to enrich the lives and experiences of those around him, even those with whom he disagreed.

I know I am not alone in keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers and I can only hope that the profound sense of loss around here can somehow be solace to you in remembering your father as a great and honorable man.

Thank you, York. All my best to you and your family.