Alvin Schaefer

Our most gentle, kind and loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather left us early Saturday morning, February 14, 2009 to meet his savior. He was very much a people person as he never met anyone whose company he didn't enjoy. Al was born on February 12, 1921 in Fort Collins to Alexander (Aleck) and Marie (Mary Funk) Schaefer. Al and Edna (Minch) were married on February 9, 1947 at Trinity Lutheran Church and celebrated their 62nd Wedding Anniversary on February 9, 2009 with their family. When Al was nine years old, he began working the beet fields in Colorado. At age 17 he joined the Buckeye Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In September 1940 when the National Guard Units were mobilized he enlisted as a one year volunteer in the Army Co. H. 157th Infantry, 45 Thunderbird Division. Al was honorably discharged at the end of his enlistment, returned to Fort Collins in 1941 and began working at the Great Western Sugar Company. In May 1942, after Pearl Harbor was attacked, he was drafted back into the Army Infantry. He fought battles as a Platoon Sgt. (Tech Sgt.) in Anguar, Peleliu, the Southern Carolines and the Philippines in the Southwest Pacific. His division was one of the first to occupy Northern Honshu Island, Japan after the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Al served 4½ years altogether, a year and a half which were in overseas combat. He was honorably discharged on December 7, 1945. He and his family have always been very proud of his army service. Following the war, Al returned to Fort Collins and trained as an electric motor repairman under the G.I. Bill with McCoy Electric (the first electric repair shop in Fort Collins). He was recruited by his next employers Ideal Cement Company, LaPorte, in 1950 and then Al Ray Electric where he worked from 1951 to 1955. Al owned his own electric repair shop, from 1955 to 1961. Later he was employed as a foreman at the Physical Plant at Colorado State University where he set up the electric motor shop. Twenty years later, in June 1982, he retired from CSU. Al and Edna were blessed with two daughters, Deborah and Nanette. The family enjoyed many vacations fishing and visiting National Parks throughout the Western States. Al loved his chosen occupation as well as camping, fishing, and of course his "childrens." He worked very hard all of his life and performed all of the maintenance on his homes and automobiles. He was truly a self-made man. Even though his education was interrupted at an early age, Al was determined to get his high school diploma which he did in 1966. He also completed several correspondence courses and went to night school to learn drafting. In his 80s he enjoyed researching World War II on the computer and playing the Free Cell game – the computer didn't seem to scare him. He enjoyed recording music onto minidisks and CDs and enjoyed recording Grand Ole Opry shows on DVDs. Al was preceded in death by his parents Aleck and Mary Schaefer and all of his siblings, Clifton, Edna, Shirden, Mary Ann and Delila. He is survived by his wife, Edna; daughters Deborah Berard (Gary) of Roseville, CA, and Nanette Quarnberg (Rick), of Westminster, CO; two grandsons, Lee Wolfe (Katie) of Laramie, WY and Alex Quarnberg of Fort Collins; two great-grandsons, Roady Lee and Wyatt Alexander Wolfe of Laramie, and two step children, James (and Erin) Berard of San Diego, CA, and Carol (and Michael) of San Francisco, CA. The Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 17th, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 E. Stuart, Ft. Collins, where Al was a charter member. Interment, with full military honors, will be at Grandview Cemetery. A reception will follow back at Trinity Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests those wishing to contribute to do so to Pathways Hospice in care of Goes Funeral Care.