Mary Shafer

After many years dealing with Alzheimer’s, the Lord called Mary Shafer home into His presence on Monday, September 4, 2006. Her husband Elvin was by her side when she breathed her last.

Funeral Services have been set for 1:30 P.M. Thursday, September 7, 2006 at the First Christian Church in Washington with Rev. Richard Boyd officiating. Burial will be in the English River Cemetery west of Kinross. Visitation will begin at Noon Wednesday at the Beatty Funeral Home in Washington with family receiving friends from 6-8:00 P.M. Memorials in the name of Mary L. Shafer may be designated to Lending Hands.


Mary was born in Sigourney, IA on January 7, 1923 to Alfred I. and Nina (Kave) Fitzsimmons. The family moved to Keswick during her early years before moving to Keota where she graduated from the Keota High School in 1940. She graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant in 1944 with her first teaching job in Letts, IA and ending as the number one substitute for Mid Prairie School District- a span of fifty years in teaching.

On November 21, 1945 she married the love of her life for over 60 years, Elvin L. Shafer of Kinross, IA., son of Earl and Hazel Shafer. Together they had one daughter, Deborah Ann (Goldsmith) who is married to James Goldsmith.; two grandchildren, Joseph and Wanda, all of Florissant, MO. Other remaining family member include a brother, James Fitzsimmons of Denver, CO; two sisters, Elizabeth Seitsinger of Sigourney and Dorothy Singleton of Keota; three nieces, Pam Riffel, Julie Butcher and Maude Claire Fitzsimmons; two nephews, Lee Shafer and Kenneth Singleton; eight great nephews and two great-great nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, nephew James Fitzsimmons Jr. and niece Sheryl Shafer Lee.

Mary was involved in so many things throughout her lifetime. She was a Piano teacher to so many youths in the community around the Kinross and then Washington area; President of the Ladies Social Circle at the Kinross Christian Church as well as youth group leader, Sunday School teacher and church pianist. Following there move to Washington in 1987 she continued to serve the Lord as on of the church pianist at their new church, the First Christian Church in Washington as well as Sunday School teacher and lead various functions. Outside of church activities, both at Kinross and Washington, she was a 4-H leader where she was involved in the Keokuk County and Iowa State Fairs as well as traveling to Washington D.C. on a citizenship trip with her daughter; she played piano for the Lodges of Rebekah’s LEA, Eastern Star, Past Noble Grand and the Fort Nightly Group in Washington. She and Elvin were almost daily visitors at Lending Hands in Washington, where Mary entertained everyone with her piano playing. She also played piano at the various nursing homes when she visited those she knew who lived there.

For the past two years, she was a resident of the Washington Care Center in Washington until her death. She will be greatly missed by her husband, family and all who had the opportunity to know her gentle and kind spirit.