Max G Schafer

Max G. Schafer, of Eckley, Colorado died Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at The Towers assisted living  in Wray at the age of 85. He was born to Clyde V. and Mae Allen Schafer at their farm home near Wray March 3, 1927 as the third of five children. He attended Radnor and Laird schools and graduated from Vernon High School in 1945. He worked with his family and other farmers when horses were still being used and tractors were just beginning to gain acceptance.

Max married Beverly B. Fix October 10, 1948 at the Presbyterian Church in Wray and they made their first home in Idalia where Max worked as a mechanic for a short time. When they had the opportunity to farm they moved north of Eckley and eventually settled on their own place where they raised wheat, corn and small grains and ran a small herd of cows.

Max and Beverly raised two sons, Randy bor in 1949 and Hal born in 1956. Max was a devoted family man who embodied the best of being a husband, father, grandpa and great-grandpa as well as a neighbor in the Pleasant Valley community.”Making do” was not just a necessity for him but a delight as he designed what he needed fro what was on hand whether he was constructing a homemade farm implement, a lawn mower or a go-cart. Max lived his life close to the earth and loved nature. He had a flair for drawing that was birthed when his first grade teacher cut pieces of paper for him to copy a collection of bird cards since he could not afford the ten cents to buy them. The teacher, impressed by his determined and talented effort later gave him his own collection.

Max was affliated with Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church north of Eckley and affirmed his hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ through a weekly Bible Study at The Towers.

He was preceded in death by wife, Beverly Schafer to who he was married for 61 years, his parents, Clyde and Mae Schafer, parents-in-law, George and Julia Fix, sister, Ethel Wingfield, and brother, Jack Schafer.

He is survived by sons, Randy Schafer and wife, Joy, of Haxtun and Hal Schafer and wife, Vicki of Rollinsville, grandchildren, Cameron Schafer of Wheat Ridge, Naomi Schafer of Holyoke, Kali Knight and husband, Jason of Littleton and Joshua Schafer and fiancee, Brechen Currier of Aurora, great-grandchildren, Jaspar and Taylor Schafer of Wheat Ridge, Sister, Earlene Edwards, brother, Kent Schafer of Pagosa Springs, brother-in-law, George A. Fix and wife, Cleora and nieces, nephews cousins and friends.

A Receiving of Family and Friends was held Sunday, April 8, 2012 from 6 -8 p.m. Funeral services were held on Monday, April 9, 2012, 10:30 a.m. at the Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church at County Road 53 and P in Rural Yuma Co., Colorado. with Rev. Sharon Strauss officiating. Interment was made in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery. Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.