William Wendall Schaefer

W. Wendell Schaefer, 95, of Sheffield, formerly of Mason City, died Friday, December 21, 2012 at the Sheffield Care Center. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, December 29, 2012 at Faith Baptist Church, 1807 S. Kentucky with Pastor Scott Onofrio, Rev. Dan Schoepf, and Rev. Steve Schoepf officiating. Interment will be in Hillside Cemetery, Sheffield. Visitation will be one hour prior to services Saturday at Faith Baptist Church. W. Wendell Schaefer was born November 30, 1917 in Sheffield, Iowa, to William and Nellie Schaefer. He attended school in Sheffield, and graduated in 1935. During his years in Sheffield he worked in Schaefer’s Store with his parents and brother Allardyce. Wendell graduated in 1939 from Drake University where he graduated with a teaching degree in instrumental music, with English as a minor. Following a time of teaching in New Virginia, Iowa, Wendell served in the United States Coast Guard, primarily in the San Francisco area. On December 25, 1943, Wendell married Irma Boehlje, of Sheffield, in Monterey, California. Following the war, Wendell taught instrumental music in several Iowa schools, and he and Irma served as church musicians in the communities where they lived. Following his retirement from public school teaching, Wendell volunteered teaching and working in church in Mason City. Wendell is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Phil and Carol of Liberty, Missouri, Paul and Barbara of Lincoln, Nebraska, Lee and Jill of Hampton; grandchildren Joya Schaefer Edmonds and husband Brian of Kansas City, Missouri, Anthony and Carrie Mahoney Schaefer of Duluth, Minnesota, Elizabeth and Jonathan of Lincoln, Deidre, of Cedar Rapids, and Shelby, of Hampton, and great-grandchildren Naomi and Tatum Edmonds of Kansas City. Wendell was preceded in death by Irma, his parents, his brother Allardyce, and an infant son.