GLORIA LEE SCHAEFER

SCHAEFER, GLORIA LEE Funeral services for Gloria Lee Schaefer will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 27, 2010, at Marshall Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery under the direction of Marshall Funeral Home of Alva, Oklahoma. Gloria Lee Schaefer was born August 15, 1920, in Little Rock, Arkansas, the oldest child of Oscar and Helen Sanders of San Diego. Her father was a submariner in both world wars, her brother, Gordon, a decorated pilot in World War II and Korea. Gloria passed away November 17, 2010, in La Mesa, California. She fondly recalled that, as a teenager, she repeatedly walked past Ted Williams' house with a girlfriend who had a crush on him, hoping to catch a glimpse. An evening at the Mission Beach Ballroom with friends to watch a skinny Frank Sinatra perform was a favorite memory. Gloria attended San Diego State College for two years and then met Oscar "Rusty" Schaefer from Alva, OK, who was assembling aircraft at Ryan Aeronautical. After meeting her, Rusty wrote his parents, "Gloria is the girl I met at (church) league - she is one in ten thousand as girls go here in San Diego." Married in 1941, they moved to the Oklahoma Panhandle after the war, where Rusty worked on the family farm and received a Master's degree in education, later becoming a high school principal. Daughter Dianne arrived in 1942, sons Steve in 1945, Michael in 1949, and Allen in 1958. In 1954, the family moved to Wellington, KS. Gloria studied at Southwestern College in Winfield, KS, received a teaching degree, and began a 22-year career as a primary school teacher. Rusty died suddenly of a stroke in 1965. Left a widow at 44, Gloria became more active in her church, increasing her Sunday School responsibilities and joining the church choir. Insuring that all of her children would obtain a college degree, she led a non-extravagant life and helped fund their educations. She proudly watched them succeed in the fields of education, medicine and business. Retiring in 1986, she returned to San Diego to live near Steve's family, where she continued her busy service to the church. Those who knew her appreciated her kindness, her interest in others and her calm, friendly nature. Her family is convinced that St. Peter will surely greet her at Heaven's Gate with a, "Well done, Gloria!" Besides her parents, Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Rusty, and one brother, Gordon. She is survived by her four children, Dianne (Ken), Steve (Lynn), Mike (Sue), and Allen (Weirong), 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made through the funeral home to the charity of your choice.