Ramona Schafer

Ramona Ilene Schafer, 93, of Greene, passed away Sunday, March 19, 2023, at her home. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 24, 2023, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Greene. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Burial will take place at Rose Hill Cemetery in Greene. Counsell Woodley Funeral Home of Greene is caring for Ramona and her family. Ramona was born July 28, 1929, in rural Springville, Iowa, to Albert and Lottie (Griffith) Brown, the youngest of ten children, plus one still born and a three year old boy that drowned in a cow tank. She had a very unsettled childhood and youth due to her parent’s poverty and health. From the age of 9, Ramona was shuttled to live with various siblings in Iowa and Minnesota, whoever needed help with newborn babies, household and farm chores; gardening, milking cows, tending chickens, etc. While in Minnesota, she worked in a county home cleaning rooms, making beds, and dish-washing. Her schooling varied from Marion schools to country schools which included Coldwater # 3 Country School, Greene High School, and Marble Rock High school. When at Greene High School she roomed in town during the week with two elderly sisters doing chores for room and board, plus bringing in farm produce from the Kiefer farm for her keep. While at Marble Rock High School she played basketball and graduated at age 16 with the class of 1946. After graduation, she worked at Dralle’s Department Store and at Klassie Cafe in Greene, walking to work at 4:00 a.m. from a house where she rented a room east of the old football field. Ramona met Harold Schafer and they were united in marriage April 2, 1948. To this union, four children were born. They moved to the farm house in March of 1949. Ramona and Harold eventually purchased the farm and lived there their entire married life. Ramona took care of the house and children and was also a key field hand on the farm; helping with the cattle herd, hog and chicken chores, selling eggs weekly for extra income, and also raising, processing and selling broilers. She was a skilled tractor driver helping prepare the ground for planting and drove the tractor for baling hay. She helped stack bales in the hay mow, and in the fall she hauled and unloaded ear corn. Ramona, with the help of her children, tended to her large garden and canned her homegrown produce. Ramona continued to live at the rural farm house after Harold’s death in November of 1990. Ramona was an excellent seamstress. She made clothing for her children, blouses and dresses for the girls and shirts and sport coats for the boys, while they were growing up. She also sewed quilts at St. Peter Lutheran Church from 1975 – 2021. She taught Sunday School, Bible School and Junior Lutherans, as well as served on the funeral committee, altar guild and WELCA officer. Ramona baked the best rolls for holiday meals and chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate cakes for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Even the dog, Hope, got her oatmeal cookies and the LP delivery drivers during fall harvest. Ramona provided noon meals for her son, Les, every day at the farm, and shuttled Les between fields as long as she was able. Ramona tested positive for Covid-19 on December 12, 2022, on top of a November diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure and enlarged heart. Her health began to deteriorate, and on December 15, 2022, St. Croix Hospice began providing her with in-home care. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the wonderful hospice nurses, aids, social worker, and chaplain, Ramona was able to continue living comfortably at her home until her passing. None of this would have been possible without an extensive remodel of her bathroom by her loving grandsons Jake and Ricky and great grandson Liam. Ramona is survived by her children Bonnie (Kirk) Schmitt of Pennington, New Jersey, Nancy (Taylor) Hackley of Aurora, Colorado, Les (Dienna) Schafer of Greene, Iowa, and Brian (Teresa) Schafer of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; grandchildren John (Amy) Hackley and daughter Harper, Jason Hackley, Jacob (Theresa) Schafer and their children Ella and Liam, Lucas (Brittney) Schafer and their children Wyatt, Johnny and Charlie, Lydia Turner and her children Nickari and Nataleah, Scott (Adrian) Schafer and their children Sylvia and Simon, Sara (Andrea) Schafer, Mark Schafer, and Adam (Louisa) Schafer, and Ricky Niehaus considered a 3rd son of Les and Dienna Schafer and Grandson to Ramona. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold Schafer; great-grandson, Dalton J. Schafer; brothers Gerald Brown, Russel Brown, Raymond Brown and Alonzo Brown; sisters Nettie Petrusch, Letha Eggert, Minnie Kiefer, Bertha Moore and Bernice Maiden. In lieu of flowers or gifts, a donation to St. Croix Hospice would be appreciated. St. Croix Hospice — 302 N Grand Ave Suite 5, Charles City, IA 50616

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Ramona Schafer

July 28, 1929 - March 19, 2023