Service held for Virginia Schauer
Virginia Ruth, the first-born child of Thelma Ruth (Brown) and Ezra Le Roy Estes Jr., was born December 9, 1931 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. In Late December 1948, Clyde introduced Melvin to Virginia on a blind date just months before she graduated from Dalhart High School in 1949. Upon marring on September 24, 1950, Virginia found herself maintaining the household of a deployed Soldier serving in Germany. Her industrious spirit would not let her stay at home; instead, she found work at the local telephone office as a switchboard operator until Melvin returned home. The couple soon relocated to New Mexico, and then Western Texas, where Melvin supported them by working in ranching, farming, and in the oilfield, packinghouses and rendering plants. Virginia supported Melvin’s endeavors, shrewdly managing their home as their family began to grow with the birth of Becky in 1954. Dale was born in 1957, Edward was born in 1959, and Howard the “Caboose” was born in 1963.
At Virginia’s behest, the family moved to Bowlegs, OK in 1974 to enable their children better access to higher education. With her children now successfully embarking on their education goals, Virginia balanced the family needs with the financial needs of a growing family. Virginia worked for Blue Bell (Wrangler) until she retired after 20 years to make sure that Melvin was completing his “honey do” list.
Never one to sit still, she filled her retirement years with a multitude of activities. She spent a great deal of time with her family, organized and participated in many volunteer duties and charities, and she spent a great amount of time behind her sewing machines. She is known for her extraordinary baby blankets, embroidered Mother’s Day Tea Towels, and Father’s Day hand towels. She was a voracious reader, a figure skating enthusiast, an avid bird watcher, and a Jeopardy whiz. At the time of her death, Virginia was active in the Holdenville Church of the Nazarene as an Adult Sunday School teacher, choir member and Nazarene World Mission President. She also enjoyed being a part of the “Secret Sisters”.
Despite staying busy, she and Melvin always found time for their true passion: collecting and creating Crisis Care Kits for families whose lives have been devastated through natural disaster or events beyond an individual’s control. These kits contained small toiletry items with encouraging notes seeing to restore dignity and faith to those in despair.
Clearly Virginia Schauer found the secret to a long happy life was being deeply rooted Christ and family, education, and missionary work.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Melvin Lee; her mother, Thelma Ruth Morgan; her father, Ezra Le Roy Estes Jr.; and two brothers Jay Watkins and E. L. Estes.
She is survived by four children: Becky and Don Shields of Holdenville; Dale and Sherry of Elmore City; Eddie and Michelle of Mabank TX; Howard of Corpus Christi, TX; and Cindy of Fort Gibson. She is survived by 14 grandchildren: Schaun and Rosie Shields of San Bernadino, CA; Micheal and Kim Shields of Texarkana, TX; Kelly Shields of Sand Springs; Dalynn and Felix Pair of Richmond, TX; Ruben and Shannon Schauer of Blanchard; Eli Schauer of Waverly, MN; Jennifer and Jake Baker of Maysville; Benjamin Schauer of Dunlap IA; Samuel Schauer of Iowa City, IA; Timothy and Rachel Schauer of Plano, TX; Heather and Ryan Hoffpauir of Del City; Nathan Schauer of Tyler, TX; Sierra Schauer of Phoenix, AZ; and Alex and Seth Wright of North Chili, NY. She is survived by 14 great-grandchildren: Andie, Andrew, Kaedence, Asa, Judah, Ezra, Parker, Addison, Emaleah, Luke, Case, Caleb, Moriah and Isaiah.
Virginia Ruth is also survived by Sisters Wanda Lee Armstrong of Talihina; Drinda and Ron Kelley of Belen, NM.; Katherine Hilton of Wax-haw, S.C. and sisters-in-law, Leola McKay and Dorothy Bishop of Dumas, TX Brothers Johnny Watkins of Dalhart, TX; Jackie and Laura Watkins of Lubbock, TX; and Jim Watkins of Dalhart, TX; Richard Estes; and numerous nieces, nephews, and a host of friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Crisis Care Kits: C/O Church of the Nazarene, P.O. Box 1001 Holden-ville, Oklahoma. 74848
A special thanks to our First Responders, Seminole Emergency Staff and the OU Medical Trauma Unit.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 in the Swearingen Funeral Home Chapel with burial to follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens located in Seminole, Oklahoma.
Services are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home.
FDI-1867H-A