Kenneth Schaefer, 21 Jan 1926 – 21 Jun 2012

SCHAEFER, HERTEL, RETTIG, KRAUS, RON

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 9/12/2012 at 14:23:20

Kenneth Schaefer, 86

Funeral services for Kenneth (Ken) Schaefer, 86, East Amana, were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 23, at the Middle Amana Community Church, Middle Amana. He passed away peacefully June 21, 2012, after a short illness.

Church elder Betsy Momany officiated at the service.

Burial was in the East Amana Cemetery with military honors.

Memorials may be made to the Amana Church Society or the Amana Heritage Society.

Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo, was in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left at www.klosterfuneralhome.com.

Kenneth Schaefer was born Jan. 21, 1926, in East Amana, the son of Rudolph and Lydia (Hertel) Schaefer.

He graduated from Amana schools in 1944 and was inducted in the U.S. Army. He underwent basic training in Fort Hood, Texas. He was shipped overseas in December of 1944 and was assigned to the 3rd Army 44th Armored Infantry Batallion, 6th Armored Division. He was in battle in Luxemburg, Belgium, and Rhineland, Germany. He was wounded in battle April 15, 1945, and spent nine months in hospitals before being discharged in January 1946. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

After returning from service, he worked for Amana Refrigeration for 25 years.

He married Isabella Rettig June 26, 1948, and they had two sons, Kirby and Reed. In 1971, he became part owner and worked at the Little Amana Winery until retiring in 1997.

He was a lifelong member of the Amana Church and served on the board of directors of the Amana Society. He was a member of Masonic Lodge 164 in Norway; the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Cedar Rapids; El Kahir Shrine Temple, Cedar Rapids; Iowa City Shrine Club; American Legion Post 572, Fairfax, and was a life member of Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He enjoyed spending time with friends and family, being in his garden, hunting, fishing, laughing and singing. He had friends of all generations and shared his sense of humor with everyone he met. He especially cherished the summers spent with his grandchildren while they were growing up.

“If friends were measured in dollars, he was a wealthy man.” Husband, father, brother, opa, friend . . .

Schaefer is survived by his wife of nearly 64 years, Isabella; one sister, Lucille Kraus; sons, Kirby and wife Theresa, and Reed; granddaughter and her husband, Katie and Jonathan Ron; grandson and his wife, Aaron and Molly, and a great-granddaughter, Yael Ron.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

The Williamsburg Journal Tribune, Iowa County Obituaries – June 28, 2012, pg 11
Published June 22, 2012 in The Gazette