Irma A. Schaefer

Irma A. Schaefer, 87, of 2060 S. Kentucky Avenue, died Monday, December 4, 2006 at Good Shepherd Health Center. Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Saturday at Faith Baptist Church, 1807 S. Kentucky Avenue with Pastor Miles Grismore officiating. Interment will be in Hillside Cemetery, Sheffield. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 6:00 PM Friday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue and continue on Saturday at the church one hour before services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Faith Baptist Church. Irma was born August 2, 1919 on the family farm near Sheffield the daughter of Henry and Lena (Koester) Boehlje. She attended a school near the farm for eight years and graduated from Sheffield High School in 1937, where she was active in music and completed normal school training. Upon graduation, Irma taught at a rural school north of Sheffield for three years. Her education continued in later years at Wheaton College and Iowa State Teachers College, UNI, which led her to a teaching position in Zearing, Iowa. On December 25, 1943, Irma married W. Wendell Schaefer, also of Sheffield, in Monterey, California. Following the war, Irma and Wendell taught in several Iowa schools and served as volunteer church musicians. Irma often additionally taught music lessons in her home. In Mason City, Irma worked as a teacher?s aide at Hoover School. Later she worked as a staff musician for the Mason City High School Music Department as an accompanist. Before her retirement, Irma served as organist and accompanist at Faith Baptist Church, worked as a music teacher in her home and performed as piano soloist for the Noon Rotary Club for many years. Irma retired from these positions less than six months ago. Irma is survived by her husband, W. Wendell of Mason City; sons and daughters-in-law, Phil and Carol of Liberty, Missouri, Paul and Barbara of Lincoln, Nebraska, Lee and Jill of Latimer; grandchildren, Joya Schaefer Edmonds and husband Brian of Kansas City, Missouri, Anthony of Minneapolis, MN, Elizabeth and Jonathan of Lincoln, Nebraska, Diedre and Shelby of Latimer; sister, Eunice Schoepf of Sheffield. Irma was preceded in death by her parents and an infant son.

Visitation:
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on December 8, 2006 (map/driving directions) 12:00 PM to 12:00 PM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on December 6, 2006 (map/driving directions)

Service:
10:00 AM at on December 9, 2006 (map/driving directions)