Francis Schafer

Francis Fran Schafer, 84, of Beal City passed away Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, at McLaren Central Michigan. A Funeral Mass for Fran will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Beal City with Father Ricky Varner presiding. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. The family will receive friends in the gathering room of the church on Tuesday from 2-8 p.m. with a rosary at 7:30 p.m. Visitation continues on Wednesday one hour prior to Mass. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph the Worker School. Envelopes will be available at the church or at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home. Fran was born Sept. 29, 1930, in Beal City, son of the late Frank A. and Louise B. (Schafer) Schafer. He married Theresa Gross on July 9, 1955 at St. Philomena Church in Beal City. A 1949 graduate from Beal City High School, Fran was drafted by the U.S. Army. He served from 1953-1955 during the Korean Conflict. He retired from the Regional Center for Developmental Disabilities after 30 years and later worked as the custodian at St. Joseph School. Fran is survived by four children, Dennis Schafer of Shepherd, Jane Agren of Cadillac, Dale (Deanna) Schafer of Mt. Pleasant, and Duane (Jana) Schafer of Beal City; daughter-in-law, Lynn Massey of Beal City; 15 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; siblings, Evelyn (Ron) Malish of Mt. Pleasant, Everett (Betty) Schafer of Beal City, and James (Patricia) Schafer of Mt. Pleasant; two sisters-in-law, Viola Schafer of Shepherd and Elaine (Larry) Maxon of Mt. Pleasant; brother-in-law, Norman Gross of Beal City; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Theresa; son, Douglas Schafer; daughter-in-law, Donna Schafer; two sons-in-law, James Agren and Kenneth Massey; six sisters, Sister Margaret Schafer, Orielda Farner, Marie Rahl, Lillian Blasen, Beatrice Sheahan and Betty Sunderman; and three brothers, Donald Nick Schafer, Kenneth Schafer and Norman Schafer.