Doris Helen (Rothermel) Shafer

Doris Helen Rothermel Shafer passed away, Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at the age of 94.  She was born November 7, 1926.  She was blessed to be raised by wonderful parents, Laura (McDonald) and John Dewey Rothermel in Indiana, USA.  She attended White Water High School, then went to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana as a Music Major.  She loved airplanes and had her pilot’s license at 19 years old.  She learned to fly on a Navy training plane, and really enjoyed doing acrobatics in the sky!  One time she scared her father half to death.  She later received her beautician license and had “Her Shop” in Richmond, Indiana.  She then married Paul Kenneth Shafer, December 23, 1949.  They loved to have breakfast flights with their friends at different places.  They also enjoyed a lot of card parties!  After having children Doris was active at school and was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader.  While living in Greenville, South Carolina she was a volunteer at the Shriners Hospital.  She also was very active politically and was a poll worker in Florida and Georgia.  Woodville needed a Fire Department, so she and other ladies got together and started Woodville Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary and raised a lot of money selling bake goods and having great fairs!  Something so dear to her was the piano.  She loved to play, so her father sat her on the piano bench at the age of 4 years old.  She played for church, weddings, funerals and solos.  In Georgia she would fill in for other churches playing piano if it did not conflict with her church.  She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Union Point, Georgia.  A very special person in Doris’s life from the age of 13 years old was Tauhwana Michelle Wray.  The two of them  worked on math after school, talking and laughing.  Michelle always called Doris, Nan.  Then all grown up with a family of her own, she came to help me with mom.  Every morning we would hear a cheerful voice “good morning Nan” and mom would smile big and kisses were exchanged knowing the day could start.  Michelle is like a sister to me and was always there for me when times got hard on those bad days.  We can never thank her enough.  She was our Angel.  Doris was a wife, great mother and a friend to all.  She will be missed.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul K. Shafer, parents, John and Laura (McDonald) Rothermel and her brother, Dr. Herald C. Rothermel (Joan).  Survivors include her sister, Lois Rothermel; daughters, Paula K. Bisson (Bert), Lisa L. Dalton (Toby) and Connie Den Bleyker (Jim); grandchildren, Chris Eddy (Lindsey), Charles Den Bleyker (Angela) and Kathy Thomas (Eric); great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other special family members, Judy Brandt, Matthew Brandt (Becka and Ario), Sara Rothermel, John Maynard (Andrea) and a number of other relatives and friends.

Funeral Services will be held at McCommons Chapel, Greensboro, GA on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Patrick Tice officiating.  Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at McCommons Funeral Home.  Burial will be in Union City, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: the City of Woodville Volunteer Fire Department, 1100 Apple Street, Woodville, GA 30669 or the First United Methodist Church, 714 Park Avenue, Union Point, GA 30669.  McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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