Shafer, Virgil D.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: SHAF.V002
• _FGRAVE: 61693119
• Military Service: World War II, Lieutenant Junior Grade, United States Navy

Notes:

Virgil D. Shafer, 80, of Clay City, IL died August 3, 1993, at his residence.

Mr. Shafer was retired as the Clay County Superintendent of Schools; a Charter member of the Clay City Christian Church, Clay City Lion's Club, Retired Teacher's Association, Clay City American Legion, and the Flora V. F. W.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Shafer; two sons, William and James Shafer; a daughter, Joann Poorman; one brother, William Shafer; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.

Funeral services were held in the Chapel of Summers-Kistler Funeral Home in Clay City, IL. Brother Jeff Noah officiated.

Burial was in Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont, IL. A Military service was held at the graveside.

Memorials can be made to the Pine Haven Children Ranch School, St. Ignatius, Montana.

(Published Clay County Advocate Press)

Military Service:
Commissioned and entered active service on June 27, 1944 at Naval Training Station, Hollywood, Florida. Took advanced training courses at Naval Amphibious Training Base, Solomons, Maryland. Served as officer-in-charge aboard Landing Craft, Tank Vessels USS LCT-1404 and USS LCT-876, and as deck officer aboard the Landing Ship, Medium USS LSM-232. Honorably released from active duty as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, on April 7, 1946 at the Naval Officer Separation Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. Earned the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 bronze battle star, and the WWII Victory Medal.

This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission.

Source: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2298242

Died:
Virgil D. Shafer, 80, of Clay City, IL died August 3, 1993, at his residence.

Buried:
Burial was in Crest Haven Cemetery, Claremont, IL. A Military service was held at the graveside.

Virgil married Witt, Helen W. on 21 Jul 1934 in Joliet, Will County, Illinois. Helen was born on 24 Sep 1913 in Olney, Richland County, Illinois; died on 23 Apr 2005 in Richland County Memorial Hospital, Olney, Richland County, Illinois; was buried in Crest Haven Memorial Park, Claremont, Richland County, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Poorman, J.R.J.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: SHAF.W003
• _FGRAVE: 136745734
• Military Service: United States Navy

Notes:

William "Bill" Shafer, 73, of Vancouver, Washington, passed away on October 2, 2014, with his family by his side.

Bill was born in Effingham, Illinois to Virgil and Helen (Witt) Shafer on March 29, 1941.

After graduating from Clay City High School in 1959, he attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana on a Navy ROTC scholarship. In June of 1963, he was commissioned as a Naval Officer, graduated from U of I with a BS in Mathematics, and married Emily (Amy) Thompson all in one weekend.

He served on the USS Amberjack from 1963-1965. After graduating from Nuclear Submarine School in 1966, Bill served on a nuclear submarine, the USS John Adams. In 1968, he resigned from the Navy to spend more time with his family and began his career in the telecommunications industry at Illinois Bell and then Pacific Telecom.

Bill was an avid Seahawks, UW Huskies, and Illini football fan and enjoyed spending weekends traveling to games with family and friends.

Bill leaves behind his wife of 51 years, Amy Shafer; daughter, Sondra Smith of Seattle; son, Michael Shafer and wife Kim of Bellevue; daughter-in-law, Leah Shafer of Vancouver; 4 grandchildren, Madison, Zach, Carson, and Kayla; sister, Joanne Poorman of Vincennes, Indiana; brother, Jim Shafer of Bourbonnais, Illinois; and many loving nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Helen Shafer; and his son, Tom Shafer.

A memorial service will be held at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 1101 NE 112th Ave., Vancouver, WA on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 4:00p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to
American Diabetes Association
at 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2283).

Please sign his Guest Book at www.columbian.com/obits.
Funeral Home

Family/Spouse: Thompson, Emily 'Amy'. Emily was born on 1 Aug 1940 in Geneva, Kane County, Illinois; died on 1 Sep 2020 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]