Sue Schafer

Sue Schafer, 85, of Canadian passed away Friday, March 24, 2023, at her home in Canadian. 

Graveside services will be 2:00 PM Monday, March 27, 2023 at Edith Ford Memorial Cemetery with Craig Young and Shawn Davis officiating.  Arrangements are under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors of Canadian.

Delores Sue Schafer was born May 13, 1937, to Harvey and Clara Eggleston in Shattock, Oklahoma. She grew up in the Bishop Community, where her family had a ranch on Little Robe Creek in Ellis County, Oklahoma. She attended Bishop School from first grade until she graduated in 1954. She was tiny but fierce and was known to play a mean game of basketball during her high school years.

She loved to work with her family and spent many years feeding the families, chickens, milking cows, feeding cattle, and tending to the garden that would provide essential nourishment to her family year-round. She loved the land for its beauty and was thankful for the bounties that the land provided. She was unapologetically a Daddy's girl, who was her first true love.

When she was 17, she met a lanky cowboy who caught her attention by winning the bull riding at the Higgins Rodeo. Billy Schafer is like most Schafer men who can steal a girl's heart at first sight, and the rest, they say, is history. So, they began courting and dancing their way into a life filled with more love than they ever could have imagined. Billy had started to work on the Isaacs Ranch while he was dating and dancing with Sue, and he got the best advice he had ever received from Quentin, who told him to marry Sue and fill his ranch house with babies. 

On November 5, 1955, Billy married his sweet Sue at the First Christian Church of Canadian and moved her to the house that she quickly turned into a home. She and Billy raised their four children in this home, which often included Bill and David gathering around the kitchen table for an early breakfast before starting the day or a warm lunch after finishing branding cattle. Sue continued to welcome and feed three generations of Schafer and Isaacs children. Filling them with her love and wisdom and showing them daily what a family looks like.

In addition to the Schafer and Isaacs, Sue was a Granny to countless others. Who were always welcome to pull up a chair at her table or to sit in the yard in the early evening, sharing a story or two over a cold beer.  As the wind ruffled the leaves on the trees above you and you could hear the distant sound of a train going down the track, you felt like you were home. You left her house knowing you mattered to someone, and she would always be there if you ever needed her. She would be the first in your corner when it seemed all the others had abandoned you and would not hesitate to look you in the eye and tell you to pull yourself together when you needed it. She didn't get angry about much, but you did not want to ride four-wheelers around her house chasing turkeys and deer, Nope, that was her hard limit.

Her greatest source of happiness was loading up with Grandpa daily and feeding the cattle and her many baby bunnies she fed, pouring grain down into the cattle guard where they had gone for refuge from the cold, providing much-needed nourishment essential to their survival. Over the years, we can all see she did the same for those of us she loved. She fed us, provided a refuge for us, and instilled in each of us a quiet strength that we will need to continue in this life now that she is gone. She loved Billy and the beautiful life she built with him., As we greive together at the loss of her, she would allow us an evening of sharing memories and tears, but she would not let us stop living the life she wanted us to live just because she cannot be with us. She would say, alright, pull yourself together and get to the pasture. There is work to be done.

Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey & Clara Eggleston and brother, Harvey Eggleston.

Survivors include husband, Billy Schafer of the home; 4 children, Cindy Long and husband Walter of Miami, Billy Wayne Schafer and wife Lesa of Canadian, Lindsey Schafer and wife Julia of Canadian and Sandra Young and husband Jeff of Amarillo; 11 grandchildren, Heather Lee and husband Chris, J.D. Long and wife Sara, Matt Long and wife Andrea, Marshall Ling and wife Taryn, T\Katie Schafer, Patsy Schafer, Trevor Schafer and wife Catherine, Taylor Schafer and wife Addi, MadiCinn Schafer, Cole Young and wife Ashley, Clay Young and wife Bailey; 17 great grandchildren; 2 nephews, Ben Eggleston and Ken Eggleston and a niece, Kimberly Eggleston.