1962 – Scott S. Schaeffer – 2017
Scott was born on March 22, 1962, to Clarine (Anderson) and Stanley “Chub” Schaeffer. He grew up in Avoca, Minnesota; attended church and was confirmed at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Avoca and graduated from nearby Slayton High School, Slayton, Minnesota in 1980. Taking after his Grandpa Schaeffer, who was a welder, Scott completed the welding program at Willmar Vocational-Technical Institute before moving to California in 1982. A short time later, he began working at Windsor Door, a manufacturer of residential and commercial overhead doors, where he remained for 27 years. He rose to a management position, took on special welding or other fabrication projects, and often traveled to the company’s other plants or to customer locations to do trouble shooting. He and Suzanne met 23 years ago and they had been together ever since.
After Windsor Door closed their California plant, Scott worked on and off for E.C. Nelson Inc. in Rio Oso, California, doing metal fabrication until securing a job in 2013 at Houston Fearless 76 Inc., a civilian contractor located on Beale Air Force Base outside of Marysville, California. His work there involved fabrication of mobile shelters, complexes and power generation systems for the military. Scott, age 55, passed away on Friday, April 14, 2017, surrounded by the love of his life, Suzanne Gunderman and her daughters, whom Scott loved as if they were his own. He died from recently-diagnosed esophageal cancer.
Scott was survived by his fiancée, Suzanne Gunderman, Marysville; Suzanne’s daughters: Sarah (Travis) Gorham, Rebecca (Kevin Carson) Gunderman and Kathryn (Blake) Johnson; and Suzanne’s grandchildren: Hannah and Zachary Carson, Cheyanne and Austin Gorham, Connor Johnson and a granddaughter expected by Kathryn and Blake in October 2017. He iss also survived by his parents; sister Paula Schaeffer; uncles John Anderson and George W. “Bud” Anderson; niece Holly (Jamie) Thomas and Heather (Cody) Nostrand; great-niece Paige Thomas and great-nephews: Jacob Thomas and Reed Nostrand; Schaeffer cousins: Caren (Dan) Voss, Lisa (Pat) Kremer, Robert Sale, Brenda VanSickle; and Anderson cousins: Veronica Pearson, Phil (Connie), Virginia (Dick) Hepworth, George “Billy” (Pat), Gary (Maria), Rory (Pamela), Nicole “Lynn” (Lupe) Munoz, Kent (Sue) and Michael Anderson. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Robert and Hazel Schaeffer and George and Elfreda Anderson; his sister Lynne Schaeffer-Quatroccioci; five Anderson uncles: Russell, Leland, Max, Alan and Kenneth; two aunts on the Anderson side: Genevieve and Ella Mae; three uncles on the Schaeffer side: Robert Leo; Donald “Jiggs” and Osa “Doc” Sale; three aunts on the Schaeffer side: Helen, Connie and Rita; and four cousins: Jacklyn Anderson, James Anderson, Dale Sale and Steven Schaeffer.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in the Slayton Memorial Gardens on Highway 59, southeast of Slayton, Minnesota. A time for visiting will be held afterward with details to be given out at the cemetery, or search for the “Scott Schaeffer Memorial” event to be set up soon on Facebook.
