William Bill Schafer

William “Bill” Dean Schafer, the son of Roy “Foxy” Fredrick and Mildred Francis (Ginn) Schafer, was born in Stringtown, Adams County, Iowa, on August 29, 1928. Bill entered eternal rest on Saturday , June 17, 2017, at Corning Specialty Care, at the age of eighty-eight years, nine months, and nineteen days.
Bill attended Lenox High School where he played football and he attended Cromwell High School where he played basketball. He graduated from Cromwell High School, Cromwell, Iowa, with the Class of 1948. Bill served his country as a veteran of the Korean War from September 11, 1954 till his honorable discharge on March 24, 1955. Following the war, he ran a tiling machine and backhoe for ten years, for Franklin Kinkade in Creston, Iowa.
Bill was united in marriage to Wilma Coleen Coleman on August 25, 1956, in the Methodist Church in Prescott, Iowa. They started their farming operation near Prescott, Iowa, following Bill’s work for Kinkade Industries . Bill raised hogs and cattle and grew hay, corn, and soybeans.
Bill was a member of the Prescott United Church and a former member of the Prescott American Legion. He was an avid participant in area tractor pulls. He loved playing the guitar and singing, as well as playing cards, trapping, and attending auctions. Family meant everything to Bill and he especially enjoyed time spent with his grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Left to cherish Bill’s memory is his loving wife of sixty years, Wilma, Prescott, Iowa; children: Sheila (Kirk) O’Riley, Lenox, Iowa; Rick (Julie) Schafer, Prescott, Iowa; Kevin (Crystal) Schafer, Prescott, Iowa; Karen (Dan) Carl, Corning, Iowa; Dennis Green, Osceola, Iowa; grandchildren: Clint (Becky) and Jared O’Riley; Wendi (Jason) Boswell and Allison King; Drew, Bryce (Abbey) , and Cole Ray Schafer; Dray and Kallyn Carl; eight great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law: Leatha Archer; Janet (David) Guthmiller; Anne (Jim) Kesterson; Wilma Mae Schafer, Mt. Ayr, Iowa; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Preceding Bill in death were his grandson: Brett Schafer; parents; mother/father-in-law: Merna and Chris Coleman; brother: Bob Schafer; sisters: Lois Ann Swanke; Helen Jo Schafer; brothers-in-law: Toby Wilber; Bill Brown; sister-in-law: LuLu Brown.