Evelyn Shafterobit

Evelyn Alice Shafter, 92, of Warren, passed away at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, at Heritage Pointe Retirement Home, Warren.

Born on June 19, 1922 in Ellingson, South Dakota, she was the daughter of Celia M. and Beatrice I. (Gooding) Smith.

She moved in 1938 to Indiana, and lived briefly in Fort Wayne, Tri Lakes from 1946 until 1982 then moving to Columbia City. In 1993 she moved to Warren. She graduated from Lincolnville High School with the Class of 1940, Lincolnville, Indiana. She attended Wayne University Cosmetology School.

She married Richard L. Shafter on June 28, 1946.

She was a licensed beautician and her husband owned and operated Shafter’s Marine at Tri Lakes. She also worked at Fabric Center as a sales clerk, DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home as a greeter for years and a beautician at Heritage Pointe in Warren when she moved there.

She was a member of the Columbia City United Methodist Church. She taught Sunday School classes for 50 years and served offices on the local, district and conference levels of the United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Church. Among them were the Christian Global Concerns and Mission Committee, the Administrative Board, Evangelism Board, School of Christian Missions, the Dart School Weekends, the Lucille Raines Board of Directors, Bashor Home for Children Board, Superintendent Committee, Older Adult Ministries, Conference Board of Global Ministries, National and World Division, plus Health and Welfare Division, the Global Missions Partners and the committees on Local Church Concerns.

She has also served the election boards and nominating committees and attended eight National Assemblies. She was also a member of the Tri-L’s from its inception until moving to the home in Warren. She served the PTA for as long as she had children in Thorncreek School, Cub Scout Den Mother and collected for Whitley County United Way.

Survivors include her sons, David L. (Sandra) Shafter of Fort Wayne and Richard P. (Bobbie) of Tri Lakes; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; brothers and sisters, Gordon Smith of Warren, Ida May Grossman of North Manchester, Celia Shankster of North Manchester, Rosemary (Melvin) Royer of Florida, Dr. C. Curtis (Dee) Smith of Fort Wayne, Paul Smith of Michigan, Edgar P. (Debora) Smith of Lagro and Dr. Harriet (Dr. Jon) Askew of Arizona.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Richard Shafter; daughter, Linda S. Shafter; sons, Ralph and Kirk Shafter; brothers, Howard I. and William Arthur Smith; sisters, Dorothy E. and Betty L. Smith; and an infant sister.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Pastor David Arnold will be officiating. Burial will follow at Blue River Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given in Mrs. Shafter’s memory to Cystic Fibrosis Association.