Frank H. Schaefer, 85, of Watertown passed away Saturday, March 16, 2013, at Golden Living Center in Watertown. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 21, 2013, at Harvest Baptist Church in Watertown. Pastor Lamar Whittemore will officiate. Music will be provided by Chastity Whittemore as organist, with Tiffany Buttke as soloist.
Military graveside honors will be conducted by the Drake-Sorbel Post No. 64 of the American Legion of Wilmot and the Funeral Honors Team of the South Dakota Army National Guard.
Burial will be held at Wilmot City Cemetery at 3 p.m. Thursday. Pallbearers will be Frank's grandchildren: Jason Schaefer, Joshua Schaefer, Jared Schaefer, Dustin Schaefer, Cody Schaefer, Caleb Schaefer, Austin Schaefer, Andrew Brand, Colton Schaefer, Michael Brand, Brianna Jones, Tiffany Buttke, Katherina Schaefer, ReBecca Borns, Kendra Evensvold and Christina Brand.
Visitation will be at the Crawford Funeral Chapel on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and prior to services at the church Thursday.
Frank was born Aug. 29, 1927, in Lee Township near Wilmot, to John H. and Lucy (Nieland) Schaefer. He attended school at Lee Township, Browns Valley, Minn., and Marvin. He served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1946. Following an honorable discharge, Frank farmed in Marvin until 1954, and then moved to Prescott, Ariz., where he worked as a foreman for Paul Gill in new-home construction.
On June 18, 1955, Frank married Elizabeth Miller at Mesa, Ariz. In April 1957, he moved his family back to Marvin to farm. They moved to Rapid City in 1969, and back to Wilmot in 1970, continuing to farm until 2002, when Frank and Liz retired and moved to Watertown.
He was a former member of Zion Community Church in Wilmot. While there, he was foreman of the church men who built the church parsonage. A devoted Christian, Frank taught Sunday school classes for many years. He was recently a member of Harvest Baptist Church, the Gideons and the American Legion Drake-Sorbel Post No. 64 of Wilmot. He enjoyed woodworking, playing cards and dominoes, driving tractors, riding horses and reading westerns.
Frank is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth, of Watertown; three sons: Matthew (Debra) Schaefer of Leola, Jeffrey (Valerie) Schaefer of Circle, Mont., and Robert (Marlys) Schaefer of Wilmot; one daughter, Susan (Ricky) Brand of Elk River, Minn.; 16 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; one daughter-in-law, Joyce (Jeffrey) Fluth, of Emery; and one sister, Cora Smith, of Broomfield, Colo.
He was preceded in death by one son, John; his parents; two brothers: Jack and Willard; and two sisters: Mary and Dorothy.
Crawford Funeral Chapel, Watertown.