Shafer, Michelle Jean (1969-2010)

SHAFER, SIEPKER, SIEVERS, KELLY, SHEEHAN, AMES, STAMNESS, THORUP, EVANS, MAXWELL, EVERA

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 1/8/2011 at 01:47:19

Michelle Jean (Siepker) Shafer
June 8, 1969 - December 29, 2010

Michelle Jean (Siepker) Shafer, 41, of Edgerton, Kansas, passed away December 29, 2010, at the Kansas City Hospice House, Kansas City, Missouri, from complications of her ongoing illness since April 2007, grade IV GBM, a.k.a. brain cancer.

Michelle was born June 8, 1969, in Spencer, Iowa, to Gary and Carol (Sievers) Siepker. Following graduation from Albert City-Truesdale High School in 1987, she went on to college in Iowa City. She received her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Science in 1991 from the University of Iowa. Then, she attended Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kansas, where she graduated as a Speech-Language Pathologist in 1994.

During her time at KSU, Michelle was united in marriage on May 30, 1992, at the United Church of Christ in rural, Newell, Iowa, to Edward Martin Shafer, son of Francis Marvin and Vera (Evans) Shafer, of Iola, Kansas. Ed and Michelle were blessed with two daughters. Cassandra Jean Shafer, fondly nicknamed CJ, was born in 1992; Francis Mayta Shafer, affectionately called Frankie by her family, was born in 1995. The couple lived in Manhattan, Kansas, as they completed their college careers.

Then, Edward was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, and they moved to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Michelle worked for one year commuting to Carlsbad, New Mexico, to complete her internship for her career and to earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence (her CCCs) as an SLP-CCC. At that time, with state and national certification, she accepted a position as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the El Paso Independent School District (ISD). The couple and their family moved from Ft. Bliss, El Paso, Texas, to Fort Jackson in Columbus, South Carolina, in 1996. Early in 1997, they moved with their family back to Texas, this time to Houston. Michelle interviewed and was hired by the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD as an SLP-CCC.

In 1999, Edward decided that he would resign from the Army and chose a different career path. Even though they were very happy in Houston, they made one final move to Gardner, Kansas, in 2006. Edward was following a strategic career move, and Michelle was able to interview and work as a SLP-CCC for the Gardner Edgerton Unified School District (GEHS) for a year. They wanted to make this move to be closer to their parents and extended family although they were sad to say good-bye to Houston and their family ties there. Mid-way through the year at GEHS, Michelle was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Nonetheless, she continued to work as long as possible. Helping children and adults with special needs (typically, speech &/or language difficulties), Michelle enjoyed her career very much.

Michelle also liked college football and attended several bowl games over the years including two bowl games for the University of Iowa, one for Iowa State University (ISU) and one for KSU. She enjoyed sports and played on a teachers' volleyball team in Texas competing with the other schools in the ISD. She volunteered to coach YMCA youth volleyball for three seasons in Houston. She also enjoyed going to volleyball and basketball tournaments to watch her daughter Francis play. Michelle enjoyed watching CJ play tennis and even played against her when she had the energy. She would have watched CJ bowl. Unfortunately, she found the constant noise of the alley difficult to endure. An avid reader, Michelle liked books by authors such as W E B Griffen, Dean Koontz, Tamora Pierce, John Flanagan and Rick Riordan.

Michelle was preceded in death by her grandfather, Walter, and grandmother, Caroline (Thorup) Sievers, of Albert City, Iowa, her grandfather, Nicholas, and grandmother, Hilaria Siepker; her husband’s cousin, Patrick Evans, of Tyler, Texas; her husband’s uncle, Rodney Evans, of Iola, Kansas; her uncle, Gary Maxwell, of Kansas City, Missouri, her uncle, Rich Van Evera, of Hinton, Iowa; her first father-in-law, F. Marvin Shafer, of Iola, Kansas; her grandmother-in-law, Jean (Laramie) Evans, of Texas; her uncle, Leonard Siepker, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and her aunt, Roberta Siepker, of Varina, Iowa.

In addition to Edward, CJ and Francis, other surviving family members include her parents, Gary and Carol Siepker, of Albert City, Iowa; her sister, Dr. Lynn Siepker, of Bemidji, Minnesota, her sister, Quin (Siepker) Kelly, and her husband, Andrew, and their two boys, Preston and Eric; Edward’s folks, John Sheehan and Vera Shafer, of Iola, Kansas; his brother, John Shafer, and his wife, Margie, and their three children, Daniel, Tyler and Michael, of Houston, Texas; his sister, Traci (Shafer) Ames, and her son, Spencer, of Iola, Kansas, and his sister, Amanda Stamness, and her children of Oregon.

Michelle and her family have greatly supported and loved the military of this country. A source of great pride in the family, her brother-in law, Andrew Kelly, is also a career Army man as was her husband, Edward Shafer, for several years. On a couple of occasions, the two families were stationed close enough to visit on a regular basis. In addition, several of Edward’s aunts and uncles were military people as well as his brother, John. John Sheehan, Pastor, Father-in-law, Grandpa and Friend, bless him, is retired Army and a genuine war hero.

Addendum

Michelle often talked about her family--sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. She often commented that she was truly blessed with the family provided to her by blood and by marriage. Though she didn’t quite understand the admiration and/or respect given her by her family, she was honored and humbled by it. Remember, in the words of Buddy Holly: “Everyday it’s a getting faster, going faster than a roller coaster” so, live, love and laugh like it’s your last roller coaster ride!

Funeral service will be held 10:30 am Monday, January 3, 2011, at the Bruce Funeral Home, Gardner, Kansas (913) 856-7111. Visitation 5:00 to 7:00 pm Sunday, January 2, 2011, also at the Bruce Funeral Home. Inurnment at a later date at the United Church of Christ Cemetery, Newell, Iowa. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the CJ and Frankie Shafer Scholarship Fund c/o Metcalf Bank, Gardner, Kansas. Condolences may be sent to www.brucefuneralhome.com

Copyright © 2010, Bruce Funeral Home

***This obituary was composed by Michelle before her death.

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