ONAGA - Violet Marie Schafer, 96, of Onaga, KS, passed away Friday, August 11, 2017, at Onaga Health and Rehabilitation. She was born March 8, 1921, in Axtell, KS, the daughter of Dell and Thelma (Larsen) Benson.

She spent most of her youth in Marshall County, Kansas. She graduated from Emporia High School, and was married to Harold Franklin Schafer of Vermillion, Kansas, on July 30, 1939 in Emporia, Kansas. Harold and Violet farmed north of Vermillion, and their four children, Thelma, Frances, Frank, and Marjorie were all born while there. Violet was a homemaker and created a loving home for her family.

After selling the farm in the 1950's, she and Harold owned and managed Hand Cove Resort on Lake Norfork, Arkansas. During her lifetime they also lived in Exira, Iowa, Topeka, Kansas, and Alma, Arkansas. Violet worked as a bookkeeper for Frenn's Fabrics while living in Topeka.

Violet was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Harold; one daughter, Marjorie A. Schafer; two sisters, June Bagby of Muskegon, Michigan and Irene B. Williams of Omaha, Nebraska; and one brother, Dell Benson, Jr, of Fremont, Michigan.

Violet loved Christ, and for most of her adult life she spent every Sunday teaching Sunday School classes and lending her lovely soprano voice to the choirs of the different churches where they lived, be it Kansas, Iowa, or Arkansas.

Survivors include her son, Franklin D. Schafer of Gallatin, Tennessee; two daughters, Frances E. Leiter of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and Thelma M. Schafer of Thousand Oaks, California; 8 grandchildren, Michelle Schafer, Stephanie Skinner, Jennifer Schafer, Calvin Leiter, Valerie Leiter, Lenee Inglehart, Christopher Inglehart, and Justin Inglehart; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Burial will be in the Vermillion Cemetery with a private family memorial service at a later date. Memorials may be given to the American Heart Association c/o Mercer Funeral Home, P. O. Box 270, Holton, KS 66436.