Edmund “Ed” Henry Schaefer, Jr., 85, St. Cloud

September 26, 1938 - April 23, 2024

 
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 27, 2024 at St. Marcus Catholic Church in Clear Lake for Edmund Henry Schaefer, Jr., of St. Cloud, who passed away on April 23, 2024 at the Good Shepherd Community in Sauk Rapids, MN. Fr. Joseph Backowski will officiate and burial will be in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services Saturday at the church. Arrangements have been entrusted to Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Clear Lake.

Ed was born September 26, 1938 to Edmund H. Schaefer, Sr. and Anna (Michels) Keske in St. Cloud, MN. He spent his early years on the family farm near Clear Lake, MN. Then in his teen years, lived and worked on Ambrose Eilers’ farm. Ed graduated from St. Cloud Technical High School in 1956 and joined the Army in 1957. He was a paratrooper in the 101 Airborne. In 1959, he met the love of his life, Joyce (Hills) at a dance where he declared upon meeting her that he would marry her. They were married on February 27, 1960 and soon began their family.

Ed’s career with MNDoT started in 1962 and he spent 34 years as a surveyor and supervisor who helped build the highway system of central Minnesota. In 1972, Ed and Joyce moved their four children to a 20-acre farm near Clear Lake, MN where Ed designed and built the house, shop, and barns with the help of friends and neighbors. They started a successful feeder pig operation in the late 70s, which they ran until Ed retired from both MNDoT and farming in 1996.

During retirement, Ed volunteered at the St. Marcus Cemetery in Clear Lake, MN. He organized and documented the cemetery, including ordering military plaques for every veteran in the cemetery. As well as providing headstones for every baby in the cemetery that did not have a marker. Ed had a lifelong love of athletics and the outdoors. In his early years, he loved the solitude of hunting and ice fishing, and in 1974, bagged a 10-point buck with a bow. In retirement, Ed and Joyce filled their lives with polka dancing, biking, skiing, camping in their Scamp, and enjoying time with their grandkids and many friends. Ed was an avid runner and in his 70s ran three half marathons. At 80 he was still walking 2 miles a day.

Ed is survived by his wife, Joyce; his children, Patti (Ken) Wavey, Dennis (Marlene) Schaefer, Peggy (Bob) Whitby, Cassandra (Jeff) Lidgerding; his grandchildren, Kori Whitby, Marcell (Breanne) Mikkelson, Kelsey Wavey, Reece Mikkelson, Billy Wavey, and Grace Whitby; siblings, Louise (John) Shaughnessy, Dorothy (Lee) Gilyard, JoAnn Schmiesing.

He is preceded in death by his parents; stepfather, Ben Keske; stepmother, Betty Schaefer; siblings, Palmer Keske, Harold Keske, Willis Keske, Andrew Schaefer, Lorraine Paggen, and Darrel Keske.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the St. Marcus Cemetery Fund.