Kevin E. Schaefer, 70, New England, died Monday, October 18, 2021 surrounded by his family at home. Kevin’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, October 23, 2021 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, New England with Fr. Dennis Schafer as celebrant. Interment will follow at Havelock Cemetery, New England. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with a rosary and vigil at 6 p.m. with Deacon Victor Dvorak presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.
Kevin Eugene Schaefer was born on October 19, 1950, to Keaton and Arlene (Thielman) Schaefer in a farmhouse by Rhame. Several months later, his family moved to New England. He attended grade school in Havelock and continued his education at St. Mary’s High School, graduating in May 1968. That fall, he enrolled in college at Dickinson State and later completed a degree in Composite Science for jr. high school.
On December 28, 1971, Kevin married his college sweetheart, Marlene Fevold. Kevin started teaching the fall of 1972 at Lefor High School, teaching at both the jr. high and high school levels until the school closed in 1975. Kevin’s heart was in farming so he began his passion after teaching. Due to the economic conditions in agriculture which followed, he was unable to continue. In spring of 1985, Kevin began a new career. Both he and his brother Dan, took over the grocery store in New England. Kevin bought the store from Dan in the spring of 1994 and continued to run it until the spring of 2005.
In July of 2006, Kevin changed careers again and took on the work of being a journalist for the Hettinger County Herald, where he remained until his retirement in December of 2015.
Kevin took part in several organizations through the years. He enjoyed playing softball with Golden West Hummers and bowled on different teams for many years. He also played poker, pinochle and he liked putting puzzles together. Kevin loved to fish. When camping, he couldn’t wait to get out on the water to catch those walleyes. He also loved trapping, when he and Marlene were first married he ran traplines to Lefor. He’d check them on the way to school or coming home after. No matter where he went, Kevin could strike up a conversation with people he didn’t know. No one was a stranger for very long with Kevin.
Kevin was a kind and fun-loving man who had a gift for telling great jokes and making people laugh and feel at ease around him.
Kevin is survived by his wife, Marlene; children, Patrick (Josie) Schaefer and DeAnn Schaefer; grandchildren, Hannah, Izabel, Ellie and Collin; his mother, Arlene Schaefer; siblings, Dave (Sandy), Dickinson, Lynn (Pat), Bismarck, Rick (Reyne), Dickinson, Lavonne (Ron), Dickinson, Dan, Bismarck, Rod (Coleen), Phoenix, Ariz., Gary (Susan), Dickinson, Kenny (Linda), Dickinson, and Jared (Diana) Dickinson; brothers-in-law, Harlan (Nancy) Fevold, Wenatchee, Wash. and Roger (Lyla) Fevold, Gillette, Wyo.; sisters-in-law, Marcia (Jerry) Janikowski, Scranton, and Colleen Schaefer, Dickinson; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his father, Keaton; brother, Darwin; and his grandparents, aunts and uncles.
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