Virgie Karen Schafer

Virgie Karen (Martin) Schafer of Grand Junction was born August 29, 1942 in Terra Haute Indiana to Helen and Lavern Martin.  She was called home on January 26, 2021.

She  attended Iron Dale elementary school thru the 8th grade, and graduated from Adams City High in 1960.

She was married in 1961 and had 2 beautiful daughters. A few years later, she married Lewis Schafer a timber worker and moved to Corpus Christy Texas.  Every weekend the family went to the beach off Padre Island where she loved shelling and playing in the water with the girls while Lou fished.  In 1976 her son was born.   After five years in Texas, the family moved to Gunnison Colorado. 

At the age of 32, she accepted Christ and was baptized in Corpus Christi Texas, she led all her children to Christ around the kitchen table.  Karen’s faith in god was unwavering and an inspiration to others.

in 1982 and opened the Red Bandana pizza restaurant in Norwood Colorado, it became the local hangout for the kids in town.

She went back to college in my mid 40s and got her degree in Anthropology with a minor in Criminology, she enjoyed writing for the collage newspaper, acting and participating with the drama team, she also earning extra money by tutoring.  After collage she started a career as a medical social worker for several small hospitals and nursing homes from the mountains, to the eastern plains of Colorado,  she retired in 2006.

Karen was loved by all, she had a very generous heart and always put others needs in front of her own. She is survived by her husband Lewis Schafer, two sisters Barbara (Jim) Galvin and Wanda (Dick) Maul, three children Laura (Mike) Ackerson, Lorna (Paul) Boykin, Jeremiah Schafer and four grandchildren Jack, Brooklynn, Evan and Rein Schafer. 

The family requests donations be made in Karen’s name to St Jude’s, American Diabetes Association or Hope West Hospice in Grand Junction. 

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