Irma Clara Schaefer
Irma Clara Schaefer
Irma Clara Schaefer, of Houston, passed away on Nov. 19, 2004 at the age of 98. She was born on Aug. 11, 1906 in Creedmoor, Texas, on a farm near Lockhart. She was baptized on Nov. 18, 1906 at Trinity Church, Niederwald, Texas and confirmed on March 20, 1921 at St. John”s Church in Uhland, Texas. In July of the same year, her father Fredrick Schaef
er passed away leaving her mother Ida to raise six children by herself. Despite long hours of physical labor on the farm, the family found strength in attending church and singing for recreation. Four of the siblings, including Irma, formed a quartet that performed for local weddings and other functions. Irma went on to complete a year of business college in San Antonio where she continued singing in a German Choir which participated in local “Sangerfests”. She later moved to Houston in 1942 where she worked as a clerk in the accounting department of several companies. From 1946 to 1973, she was employed by the Western Weighting and Inspection Bureau in dealing with the Southern Pacific Railroads as a clerk and cashier. She was also a member of the National Association of Railway Business Women (NARBW), and traveled to countless conventions across the country as Secretary and later President of the organization. After her retirement in 1973 at the age of 67, she was able to fulfill a life-long dream of visiting the Holy Land. Her enjoyment of the trip sparked a desire to repeat the trip, for a total of 12 times from 1978 to 1987, to different parts of the Middle East. During the time and for years to come, she supported and often traveled with Pat Robertson from the Christian Broadcasting Network. When not traveling, she re-entered the work force part-time as an employee of Carl Smith at the County Tax Assessor”s office downtown, where she worked until her final retirement at the age of 90. In her later years, she also became a strong supporter of the Republican Party, having attended the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in 1981, as well as many other political conventions. During all the years in Houston, she never owned a car, insisting that she could easily travel from her apartment to work on the bus, so she was accustomed to doing a great deal of walking. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Houston since 1965, although her lack of an “automobile” often prevented her from attending, and led to her involvement with CBN as a televised ministry. Irma was known by family and friends alike for her unwavering spirit of evangelism and her strong desire to tell everyone she met about her faith in Jesus as a “born-again” Christian. She never married, but is survived by eighteen nieces and nephews, who have marveled for years at her strong work ethic and physical agility, even at the age of 97.
Irma had four brothers and one sister, all having preceded her in death; Rudolph Schaefer of Olton, Hilmar Schaefer of Houston, Fred Schaefer of Plainview, Elton Schaefer of Houston and Ottilie Schaefer Wisian of Springlake. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 22, 2004 at McCurdy Funeral Home in Lockhart, Texas. Interment followed at the Lockhart City Cemetery. Memorials may be given, in lieu of flowers to St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Houston or the American Bible Society.
