William Cornelius “Bill” Schaefer, 94, of Lincoln, Arkansas passed away Thursday, January 23, 2020 at the Veterans Home of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR.  He was born August 24, 1925, in Hunter, Arkansas.  Bill was a Christian and accepted Christ at age 37 in the summer of 1962. He attended Zion Christian Union Church in Fayetteville, and previously attended the Lincoln Methodist Church and Memorial Drive Methodist Church in Tulsa, OK.  Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia (Collins) Schaefer, his parents, William Henry and Della Mae (Brittingham) Schaefer, and one sister, Emma Iota (Schaefer) Vanaman and an infant brother.  Bill’s survivors include one sister, Thelma Marie (Schaefer) Spencer, four sons, Stephen Cornelius Schaefer of Lincoln, AR, and his children Harrison and his wife Brianna Schaefer, Dotson and Emma-Kate, Donnie Schaefer of Bentonville, AR, David Schaefer, his wife Brenda (Carney) Schaefer of Hindsville, AR and their children Caleb and Crystal, and William Scott Schaefer of Kansas City, MO, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Bill served during WWII in the army’s 70th Division/ Trailblazers, and was wounded, MIA and a POW during the Battle of the Bulge in northern France.  Bill was awarded the Purple Heart, Oak Leaf Cluster and Bronze Star.  After the war, he attended the University of Arkansas and obtained an education in accounting.  He worked for several years as an accountant for Sinclair Oil Company in Tulsa, OK.  After moving to Tulsa, Bill met the love of his life, Virginia Collins, and married her in 1959.  During the Tulsa years, Bill and Virginia started their family, which included four boys; Steve, Donnie, David and Scott.   Bill started a second career in 1969 when he and Virginia moved to Lincoln and bought a chicken and cattle farm.  There, they continued raising their four boys, worked in their careers and occupations and enjoyed going to their children’s activities, summer picnics, family get togethers, church and church-related activities.

Bill greatly enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing. His love for the outdoors started as a boy in the “flat woods” as he called them.  As his family recounted, he found a lot of peace, solace and fulfillment simply from being outside and in God’s creation.  He loved to bird hunt in Kansas and Nebraska and took-up deer hunting once he moved back to Arkansas.  Bill also played a mean hand of cards, which mainly included cribbage and pinochle.  He taught his children and grandchildren the games, as well as several other friends and family members.  The competitiveness was only superseded by the fellowship and camaraderie the family and friends experienced as they played many games with Bill.  Those were certainly memorable times!  Prior to retiring from chicken farming Bill became a golf enthusiast.  He relished this pursuit for many years, and enjoyed playing with friends Dale Soderquist, Jimmy Goff, Bob Bush, his son Steve and other friends and family members.

Bill highly cherished the many friendships he made over the years through his career in the business world, farming, church and the community-at-large.  He was a valued friend and was known as a good listener.  He and Virginia’s’ basis for raising a family, developing friendships and life-in-general was rooted in an abiding faith in God.  Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Bill, Bill and friend are titles which he will be remembered by.  He will be greatly missed by his immediate family, loved ones and friends.

Visitation will be Thursday, January 30, 2020 from 5-7 p.m. at Beard’s Funeral Chapel, 855 S. Happy Hollow Rd, Fayetteville, AR.  The memorial service will be Friday, January 31, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Zion Church, 4984 W. Wedington Dr., Fayetteville, AR.  Interment will be at noon at the Fayetteville National Cemetery, 700 Government Ave, Fayetteville, AR.  Immediately following the interment service, family and friends are invited to attend a luncheon hosted by Zion Church.  Also, family and friends are encouraged to share memories, poems, songs, etc. during this time of continued celebration of Bill’s life.

Memorials may be made to the Arkansas Christian Union Youth Camp c/o Melba Collins, 573 N Columbia Dr, Fayetteville, AR  72704.