Obituary for Mark Schaefer

Mark Schaefer, 68, of La Crosse passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 23, 2020, at Mayo Health Clinic, La Crosse with his wife Michelle by his side. He was born April 10, 1952, in Parma, Ohio, to Robert Schaefer and Genevieve Gudaitis. On April 20, 1985, he married Michelle (Faas) Schaefer. Mark was self-employed most of his life and owned multiple businesses including Schaf’s Auto Body and most recently Thunder Valley Rods. Mark worked alongside his Son, Chris Schaefer restoring old cars and completing body work at Thunder Valley Rods. Mark also took great pride in delivering the Tribune paper in his childhood neighborhood for the past 10 years. Mark Schaefer was a one of a kind man that you don’t find too many of these days. He was a man of few words and he was always giving himself to others and never asking anything in return. Mark was a family man. He adored his wife, admired his children, Chris and Melissa every day of his life. He wanted to help teach them to be responsible, respected individuals. Mark and Michelle figured out how to work together to make this happen. He would go to the world’s end for his family and tried to provide the best life possible through his small Auto Body Shop in La Crescent, MN. He also enjoyed spending time with his dog, Jasmine Joy and his son’s dog, King. Mark’s family and friends will miss him more than words can say Mark bleeds green and gold and loves his packer backers! He never missed a game and enjoyed going to the occasional Packer game with the Family. He also collected Packer memorabilia and has an entire room decked out floor to ceiling with it. He even installed green turf and painted the walls packer yellow! Mark and Michelle celebrated their 35th anniversary this year and celebrated early in 2019 by taking a trip to Las Vegas where they had their honeymoon. Thank goodness they celebrated their 35th early so they could see Donny and Marie Osmond perform one last time in Vegas. They got to walk down memory lane and noticed a lot has changed since they were last there 34 years ago. Mark was a member of the local AA community and celebrated 42 years of sobriety this past June. He went to meetings multiple times a week and helped out so many people during their time of need. Survivors include his wife, Michelle; children, Christopher and Melissa Schaefer, sisters, Karen (Glen) Copper, Debra Schaefer, Step-Siblings, Dr. William T. (Mona) Erickson and Joyce (Jack) Felsheim; Nieces and Nephews, Jean and William Erickson, Kaspar Copper, Mary (Joseph) Lee, and Elizabeth, Emily, and John Felsheim; one great-niece, Lucy VanDamme; friends; and relatives; all of whom mourn the passing of this loving, humble, goofy and hard-working family man. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Schaefer and Genevieve Schaefer and his grandparents Horace B. and Bertha (Steinbach) Schaefer; his uncle, Jim Schaefer and his first wife, Margaret Schaefer; and Aunt, Helen and her husband, Howard Schneider. A celebration of life will be scheduled for the future when it is safe again for everyone to get together. Visit the everloved website to view more details on Mark’s life and to share your own memories and to sign up for updates for the future celebration of life updates: https://everloved.com/life-of/mark-schaefer/. Memorials are preferred and can be directed to his family or to the funeral home in his name. “What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never loose, for all that love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Hellen Keller