Gus Schafer Dies

Formerly Operated Jewelry Business at Kennard

A. F. Schafer, a former resident of Kennard, who was quite well known to many Tribune readers, died Tuesday afternoon at his home in Chadron, Nebraska. The body will be shipped to Kennard for burial, the funeral being held Saturday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock from the Methodist church of that village.

Mr. Shafer was born in Germany 69 years ago and came to the United States as a young man with his parents. The family lived for a time in Michigan and in 1869 came to Nebraska, locating at Blair.

They moved later to a homestead northwest of Kennard. Mr. Schafer was married to Mrs. Laura Blazier, who died a few years ago.

He conducted a jewelry store in Kennard for many years, and then moved to Long Pine where he was in business for eight years before moving to Chadron where he was making his home at the time of his death.

Mr. Schafer is survived by his daughter, Miss Gwendolyn Schafer of Omaha, by two brothers, Robert of Montana and Frank of Blair, and two sisters, Mrs. Helen Burgess of Kennard and Mrs. Alma Thomas of Tekamah.

#2 Obituary was published December 28, 1928, newspaper not identified.

FORMER WASHINGTON COUNTY RESIDENT GONE

Word reached Blair on Christmas evening that Gus Schafer of Chadron, Nebraska had passed away at 2 p.m. of that day, at the age of sixty-eight. Deceased was for years a resident of Kennard, leaving there in 1912 for Long Pine, Nebraska where he resided for a number of years. While in Long Pine the wife passed away and with the daughter, he moved to Chadron where he resided at the time of his death.

The body will be brought back to Kennard arriving there on the evening train. Funeral services will be held at the M.E. Church in Kennard at 2 p.m. Saturday, and interment will be made in the Kennard cemetery.

Besides the daughter he leaves two brothers, Frank of Blair and Robert of Montana; and two sisters, Mrs. Helen Burgess of Kennard and Mrs. Elmer Thomas of Tekamah to mourn his loss.

#3 Pilot, December 26, 1928

GUS SCHAFER DIED TUESDAY

BROTHER OF FRANK SCHAFER, OF THIS CITY, PASSED AWAY AT CHADRON AFTER BRIEF ILLNESS

Word was received here yesterday of the death of August F. Schafer at his home in Chadron, Neb., at 2 o’clock in the afternoon of Christmas day, following a short illness. He was here last week visiting his brother, Frank, out on the farm, leaving there only Saturday of last week.

The body is to be brought to Kennard, his old home, Friday and the funeral service will be held at the Methodist church in Kennard at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon. Burial will be in the Kennard cemetery, where his wife was laid to rest some ten years ago and where his parents have been sleeping for many years.

Gus was born in Northhausen, Germany, March 9th, 1860, and came to this county with his parents in 1869, settling on a farm six miles southwest of Blair, where Gus grew to manhood’s estate. He learned the jeweller’s trade and ran a jewelry business and watchmaker’s shop in Kennard for several years.

There he was married to Miss Laura Blazier in 1886 and two children were born to them, one son dying in infancy. Their only daughter, Gwendolyn, lives in Omaha. The family removed to Long Pine, Neb., where Mr. Schafer was in the jewelry business for a number of years.

During the war he went into the Y.M.C.A. work and after the war was over he located in Chadron, which had been his home ever since. He is survived by his daughter; two sisters, Mrs. John B. Burgess of Kennard; and Mrs. Ed Thomas of Tekamah; and two brothers, F.L. of this city and Robert of Kalispel, Mont.

Mr. Schafer was a member of the Masonic lodge, of the Modern Woodman lodge, and the Elks lodge.

#4 3 Jan., 1929 - The Tribune

KENNARD

A fairly large crowd of old friends and neighbors attended the funeral Saturday afternoon at the Methodist church of A. F. Schafer who passed away at Chadron on Christmas Day. The local lodge A.F. & A.M. were in charge with Rev. H. E. Lacy delivering the sermon. Interment was made in the Kennard cemetery.

#5 Printed in the January 3, 1929 Enterprise

The remains of Gus Schafer, who passed away at his home at Chadron Christmas day was shipped to Kennard Friday evening and taken to the Frank Schafer home 5 miles northwest of town. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon from the M.E. church at Kennard, and interment was in the Kennard cemetery. He leaves one daughter, Gwendlyn, of Omaha, two sisters, Mrs. Thomas of Tekamah, and Mrs. Helen Burgess of Kennard, two brothers, Frank, of Blair and Robert, of Montana.

~~~Obituary courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska~~~

FindaGrave # 26513743 ~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. News clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

FindaGrave #6513743

Note: From Kennard Cemetery records: Name August F; Born March 9, 1860; Died December 25, 1928; Buried Blk 5 Lot 7 Sp 5.