PLAIN VIEW HERITAGE FARM,
RURAL BRYANT, SD, PRESENTS:
"RUSSELL SCHAEFER:
THE MANY-FACETED, RAINBOWED MAN,"
April 7, 1919 - September 26, 1999,
Composed by Estelle and Joseph Rangen,
with Notes by his Nephews, Ronald and Jerry Ginther, PVF Website Editors
Russell Schaefer's Cherry-Red Chinese Junk, Shown in His Beloved California's Warm, Blue Waters (Russell's Own Slide & Photograph Card)
"Russell Schaefer, of Atascadero, CA, died on Sunday, September 26, 1999 at the age of 80. He was born April 7, 1919. He was married to Bernice Stadem on May 8, 1943. He was a director of a Bible School in Atascadero. He is survived by his wife, and one son and daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, and wife of one grandson. There will be a memorial service. (Let us all remember this family in our prayers.)"--taken without family names from the Stadem newsletter, DEN STADEM SAMTALERAN, September 1999.
Editor's Note: A memorial was presented to Russell's memory at Plain View Farm Reunion, July 4th, 2000, by his son and daughter-in-law. This memorial was Russell's desire, that it be held at Plain View Farm, as his only formal obsequies. A prior rite took place, however, according to his will. His ashes were deposited at sea by his son and family. The following will attempt to draw a brief but accurate profile of this uncommon life that graced our own lives in a quiet, unobtrusive way.
Editor's Note: Once on a visit to his wife's sister's home (that of Pearl Ginther) in Washington State, Russell Schaefer cared to recall an amusing memory of his boyhood, though it was not a happy boyhood. His father, it must first be explained, was a logger in the forests of the Upper Midwest, and the life of loggers was brutal and often dissolute, for they were taken advantage of by the companies they worked for and exploited by the saloons that always seemed to be a part of a logger's life.
Despite his father's condition, he must have been a man of a rolicking sense of humor and charm (albeit in a venue of a logging town's rowdy watering hole!), for he took a dog with him into the saloons, and he taught it to perform tricks and also drink beer poured into its mouth, which made the dog quite a hit with everyone. But there was probably little else that his son Russell could share with people about this time of his life. He was forced to run from his home at an early age, while in his teens. He landed in Hawaii. There he came into the care of fine Christians connected with a Bible school. This saved Russell in every way, for now he found Christ as his Savior and also anchored his young, homeless life in solid Bible teaching and Christian fellowship, with plenty of good male peers to model himself after. Jerry Ginther learned these details somehow, and related them to me, and any mistakes are my own, since I am not a good listener!--Ed.
Note: The following is what I, the Editor, recall personally. Some years ago, sad and shocking news of Russell's father's sudden death reached the Stadem relationship. He had chosen to exit life in a violent way, by his own hand. Attending the funeral of a father he may well have loved but could not live with, Russell was chagrined to hear the scheduled pastor make the observation that his father's death was the will of God. He could not accept this, and said so. It would have dishonored his father if he had remained silent, which he chose not to do. In this way he paid his last honor to his father. Passing time sometimes plays tricks, we all know, with memory and events, but this is the best, to our knowledge, we can offer of this incident.
Russell married Bernice Stadem, and they made their home in Southern California, and then later moved to Atascadero, California, where they remained to the end of their happy and productive lives.
Russell devoted his great energy and scholarly mind to a combination of educational, pastoral, editorial and writing tasks and responsibilities, while maintaining a creative and original lifestyle with his loving wife and son. He owned unusual cars, loved his English pugs or bulldogs, boated in a Chinese junk, printed and wrote books of biblical research, spoke at many churches and conferences across the country, spent many hours at his hobby of photography, and was a host to countless people who enjoyed his fellowship, wit, pastoral wisdom, and hospitality.
Always a handsome man, he dressed informally but tastefully, and had a hearty smile to give people. His fervent love of wife and family, his love of travel, natural beauty and adventure, was always evident.
Editor: A former student of his from the Ewalt Bible school in Atascadero, California, somehow learned of our connection with him and got in contact with us at the Plain View Farm website via email, and if we did not save the email, that is a great loss. He looked back on his experience as a very good one, evidently, as he had only good words to say about Russell Schaefer. It was clear he treasured the memory he had of him and his days at that school. This is so remarkable in itself, that a former student of Ewalt Bible School should contact us at the PVF website via email!
It is always best, if possible, to let the subject of the memorial speak for himself. This is Russell Schaefer's Christmas 1983 letter:
"And the WORD (the communicating medium of God) became flesh and tented among us, and we gazed at His glory, a glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14."
"Webb-Peblee well wrote: "Grace is the impartation of God to all that need out of the bounty of His absolutely immeasurable love." Grace is God's character magnified, Christ's work exemplified and the absolute sovereign method of God's dealing with the world. Truth, it is AMAZING GRACE, in the PERFECT CHRIST, and in His complete work. It is a message worthy of God, for all times and to all people."
"This past year [1983?] has had its full of laughter and tears. The house rang with laughter from our guests' football and baseball players. There were wedding bells ringing in the living room, with exploration of the sea-coast and mountains--with South Holland friends looking at the tall trees [Sequoias and Redwoods]. Then the tears of parting, not only of friends but Be's parting with her mother, one of the finest women I have known [Mama Bergit Stadem passed away, age 98, in Bryant, SD.]. She slipped away and left us in late September. When I last visited her in her S. Dakota home a few years ago, she forgot I was in the house and as she sat at the table she folded her hands and prayed aloud. I captured that picture but more, it was the source of her beautiful life. [Website guests, please use link below to see the picture made of Russell's photograph by Bart Lindstrom, the portrait painter in Tennessee] She didn't make a hundred years but her ninety eight were close, but she filled the measure full in the lives of those that loved her and were beloved."
"Both of our grandchildren water-ski, the youngest conned into it by the promise of driving a ski-boat. It worked. They are now 7 and 10 years of age. We expect them all to be here near the holidays. My son is still with Lockheed, and his wife finds herself coaching sports at the kids' school. We haven't seen their three-family owned house-boat yet, but maybe next year. Be's Christmas sale is now history. It was held in a wet, cold two days, so the returns were less than last year's, but she is thankful it went as well as it did. One last word, we love you all, so take care. In His great grace and love, Be and Russ"
Rainbow Over Plain View Farm
"Rainbows"* by Russell Schaefer
There is a rainbow around my shoulders
It lifts me up above
Its colors reflect the glory of God's enduring love.
There is a rainbow around my shoulders...
The sun reflects on yonder sky
Rain droplets simmer
To form a rainbow in the sky.
So too, the sunshine of God's love and grace
Through the tears a radiance casts,
The promise of His commitment to me
Will forever last.
There is a rainbow of His glory around my shoulders
In my heart, a ray of that other land
A longing for another day
With Christ, to forever stay.
--Russ
*Inspired by the song by Al Jolson that went, "There is a rainbow around my shoulders, it fits me like a glove; rain or shine, the world's all mine, for I'm in love." How much better are Russell Schaefer's lyrics!--Ed.
Note: Russell's homegoing to heaven was well assured, because he believed absolutely for his salvation in the complete sufficiency of Christ's death on the Cross and its grace won by the shed blood of our Savior.
He lived a triumphant, victorious Christian life, being taken in ripe old age from his beloved wife, son, daugher-in-law, and two grandsons late in 1999.
His life could have been a tragedy, ending if not exactly like his father's than like so many derelicts from the violent, alcohol-soaked camps of the logging companies, but the hand of God was on Russell Schaefer from a very young age to the golden finish.
Evidently, he didn't believe that DNA or genes dictate life to you, or that you have to play the victim when life hands you a lemon of a father.
Amazing and Ever-Faithful Grace drew him out of the pit of the society of the logging days, protected him in his wanderings as far as Hawaii, and sustained and guided him through his education and development of his many abilities and through all the years of a long marriage and career as God's Bible scholar and minister and Christian printer and author.
He departed from this life leaving behind an enduring legacy in the hearts and lives of all he touched. His wife followed him less than a year later, rallying in her strength so that she was able to attend the Reunion of July 2000 and take part in the Stadem-Schaefer memorial to the wonderful and great man in her life.
Dear Fellow Traveler in Time & Mortality, Schaefer and his wife knew and loved all their lives, why not invite Him in today, to take up residence in the center of your heart as Lord and Savior?
How? Simply "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." It's a Free Gift absolutely, you do nothing, can do nothing, to merit or gain it. But God will give it to you if you ask: no reminding you of sins either, they're forgiven for asking, and are cast away forever, never to be remembered by God again.
Many people want to be saved, but they do not know how. Now you know how, and how simple it is that God made salvation, or "justification by faith alone," so you can make YOUR choice, that only you can make. It's your earthly and eternal destiny at stake.
When is a good time to do this, make certain your salvation, with assurance of heaven someday for you?
"Today, now is the day of salvation," the Bible tells us.
Do not put it off, friend. You cannot count on a "better time." And you cannot improve yourself to be accepted by God whose standards surpass all human attainment and goodness. Come as you are, as the song, "Just as I am," says.
You will never, as Russell and Bernice Schaefer showed us so richly over the course of many years, make a better decision for your life! Their happy, loving, unselfish, and fruitful lives are more than ample proof that Jesus Christ is the only true, vital Source of any meaningful life that will extend not only through a whole lifetime but from here to eternity!
We have received word that Rennard Svanoe was given some of Russell Schaefer's library, which is a further indication that Ruseell Schaefer wanted the connection of the Schaefers with the Stadems to endure after his passing.--Ed.
Links to other sites in these Websites
Plain View Heritage Farm Home Page 1
In Memory Of Central
New Pages and Links for Return Visitors
Plain View Heritage Farm Master Directory
Tribute to Bart Lindstrom: Painter of the Water Color Portrait of Bergit Stadem "Praying for You"
Plain View Heritage Farm Road Map
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THIS PAGE WAS CRAFTED FOR YOU BY JERRY L. GINTHER, WEBMASTER FOR PVF WEBSITES, 2002
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