Marcella (Senger) Schafer

The Funeral Mass will be live streamed at facebook.com/stjosephdvl

 Marcy (Senger) Schafer died peacefully surrounded by family at Eventide Heartland Care Center in Devils Lake, ND on September 17, 2024

 Visitation will be on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake ND from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. followed by a time of sharing and remembrance. 

 Mass of Chrisitan Burial will be on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake with burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery. 

 Marcy was born September 24, 1931 in rural Devils Lake to Anton and Mary (Axtman) Senger. After going to rural school, she attended St. Mary’s and graduated in 1949. She was a natural born teacher, earned her teaching certificate at Minot State College, and immediately accepted the challenge of teaching grades 1-8 in a one-room rural schoolhouse. 

 On October 15, 1951, she married Julius Schafer and they settled in Devils Lake. Together they raised their family of 5 daughters and 1 son. Once most of the children were in school, Marcy again caught the ‘teaching bug’ and started a kindergarten in the basement of her home, with her youngest daughter, Juli, as one of the students in her first class. The demand to get into her kindergarten quickly grew and before she knew it, she had both morning and afternoon classes. After 13 years as a private kindergarten teacher, Marcy joined the staff of Devils Lake Public Schools when public kindergarten was offered. She served as a para-professional for special needs students for 11 years before retiring.

 Marcy was an active member of the community, serving as a St Mary’s school board member, a member of Infant of Prague Circle and a member of St Joseph’s church choir. Her other interests were playing cards with family and friends, knitting, sewing and later in life discovered her artistic talent. She progressed from a few watercolor paintings to a wide variety and abundance of oil paintings that are still treasured by many, including 2 paintings of St Joseph church, which were donated and displayed in the church’s gathering areas.

Growing up in a family of 13 children, family was always very important to Marcy. Gatherings with her siblings were always filled with much love and laughter, and memories of those times are still treasured by the next generation. Before genealogy became so popular and easily accessible using the Internet, Marcy started gathering and organizing ancestral details about their German & Russian heritage. This laid the groundwork for the Anton Senger family book, ‘Lest We Forget,’ dating back to 1803. She and her siblings each wrote additional memories and family stories which were compiled into the treasured family keepsake.

 Marcy is survived by her 6 children: Debbie Minette, Wichita, KS; Jeanette (Mike) Klier, Minot, ND; Judi (Albert) Bryl, Maple Grove, MN; Linda (Terry) Rosen, Bismarck, ND; Greg (Jeanne) Schafer, Devils Lake, ND; Juli (Kevin) Bryl, Devils Lake, ND; 12 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren; Siblings – Marie Bosch, Issy Bosch, Louise Everson, Donna Mae Leiphon and Diane Christianson.

 Marcy was preceded in death by her loving husband, Julius, her parents and siblings Margaret Jager, Frank Senger, Wendelin Senger, John Senger, Jennie Bertsch, Frances Wentz, Tim Senger.