Pamela Lee (Auten) Schafer, 81, of Coldwater, MI passed away Saturday, January 4, 2025.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at Lockwood Community Church, Coldwater, with Pastor Kevin Looper officiating.
The family will receive friends prior to the service, beginning at 2:00 p.m.
A private interment of ashes will take place at Sturgis Memorial Gardens, in Sturgis, MI at a later date.
Pamela was born September 13,1943, in Fort Riley, Kansas. She is the daughter of the late Master Sargent Kynard Roy Auten of Sherman, Texas and the late Norma Jean Snyder of Sturgis, Michigan. She was also preceded in death by her brother Kynard Roy Auten Jr. of Sturgis, MI.
As a child, Pamela’s life was active, being part of a military family. Moving around the country (world), meeting new people and having new adventures, including living in Japan, where the family lived while her father was serving in the 11th Airborne. After her father’s passing, the family made their way back to Michigan. In Battle Creek, she met one of her dearest childhood friends, Brenda, which remained her friend for many years to come.
Her family then moved to Bronson, Michigan, where she would attend Bronson High School, meet new friends, graduate (1961) and ultimately get married and start a family. Pamela married Ralph E. Schafer Jr. in 1962. They have two children: Scott E. Schafer (Jackson, MI) and Lesley L. Schafer (Coldwater, MI).
Pamela also had a thirst for knowledge. She worked for a law office in Coldwater, then moved to Kalamazoo, where she spent the next 40 years, before retiring in Coldwater. Upon arriving in Kalamazoo, she worked as a secretary for Sherman Appliance. She then went on to pursue and obtain her business degree and work as an administrative assistant for Kalamazoo County.
In her later years, she decided to tap into her creative side and work as a design specialist in women’s apparel at Jacobson Department Stores, and Lazy-Boy Furniture, where she loved to help design home interiors.
Pamela had a kind spirit. Her kindness seemed to be a common theme for those that met her. She wrote beautiful cards and notes to her kids. Encouraging letters to her brother-in-law, serving in Vietnam. She loved cooking, reading cookbooks and trying to figure out recipes. She had a great passion for reading mystery books and solving word puzzles and games.
She loved flowers. She was creative. She loved music, playing guitar, singing and dancing. She loved the outdoors (including fishing) and going for car rides in the country. She loved animals. And sunshiny days.
Most of all, she loved her kids, with all her heart.
Pamela was preceded in death by her parents Kynard and Norma, and her brother Kynard Jr. and her former husband Allan Horn. She is survived by her son Scott Schafer and her daughter Lesley Schafer, her great-nephew Kyle (Lexie) Raymond, great-great-nephew Brooks Raymond and great-great-niece Avereigh Raymond, of Helena, AL. Additional nieces. And close first cousins including Penny Stephens of Coldwater, MI, Blaine Michael (Toni) Snyder of Angola, IN, Kit (Rickalene) Snyder of South Haven, MI, Rusty (Stacey) Snyder of Marne, MI and Brett (Amy) Snyder of Bronson, MI.
In lieu of flowers, and honoring her love of animals, we would kindly ask that all donations be made in memory of Pamela Schafer to the Humane Society of Branch County, 969 Wildwood Road Quincy, MI 49082.
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