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Keziah Schafer

Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend

Keziah Winnifred (Win) Schafer (nee Mitchell)

passed away on December 4, 2015 at the age of 98.

She was born in Palmer, Saskatchewan, Canada on May 9, 1917 to Robert and Keziah Mitchell from Newcastle, England. Win graduated from nursing school as an RN from Weyburn General Hospital, Saskatchewan. This is also where she met the love of her life, Emil Schafer, who was also a nursing student there and married him. Emil had a little boy being cared for by the grandparents in Regina, Saskatchewan. One look at him and he had Win’s heart. She raised him as her own child and often could be heard to say, “No one can say he is not my child.” She often referred to him as her “little duffer” when she first became his Mother.

After they took him home, Emil went back to school in the U.S. and became a Naturopath and thereafter set up his practice out of their home in Vancouver, Canada. In retirement they moved to Parksville, BC and lived a very full life of travelling, square dancing, and tremendous community involvement when Parksville was just a “village”. Win was also a very active member of the Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary. She served in many capacities over many years as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President & President twice. On September 23, 2004, she was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for outstanding devotion to the Aims and Objectives of The Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary BC/Yukon #49, Mt. Arrowsmith. This is the highest award one can receive in the Ladies Auxiliary. She was extremely proud of this award and displayed the plaque she received on her wall. Needless to say she certainly deserved this honour.

After Emil passed away Win moved a couple of times, the last being The Gardens in Qualicum. She was a wonderful wife, caring and outstanding mother, and a great human being. She will be missed terribly by her son, Arnie, daughter-in-law, Velma, grandsons Jerry, Steve and Mike, grand daughter-in-law, Aleen, 8 great-grandchildren, and friends. Our thanks to her Caretaker, Judith Churcher, who took such great care of her and for this we will always be grateful.

Rest in peace Mum, we love you and will miss you so very, very much.

If you would like to share memories of Win,

please email her son, Arnie, at arnpooh@comcast.net



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