Show CALLED BY DEATH RESPECTED CITIZEN WHO ERECTED MOST OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS DIES AFTER LINGERING ILLNESS A life of honor and usefulness came to a close sunday evening when william A shafer pioneer contractor and builder of moab passed away at his home following a lingering illness he had been a sufferer from bronchitis for about five years and for the past year had been confined to his home practically all of the time he dropped quietly oft to eternal sleep at nine 0 clock sunday evening mr shafer had been a resident of moab almost continuously since 1883 he was one of the towns most substantial and public spirited citizens and took a leading part in the development of the community he engaged most of the time in the contracting tr and building business many of the public buildings at moab and scores of residences were built by him mr shafer also held several public offices including membership on the moab school board and a term ai clerk and recorder of grand county funeral services were held from the I 1 D S chapel wednesday afternoon and were largely attended by many friends of the family there was a beautiful array of floral offerings testifying to the esteem in which mr shafer was held by all the opening song someday well understand was rendered by the choir after which the invocation was offered by C L christensen though deepening trials was sung by the choir and a solo I 1 know that my redeemer lives was rendered by reed Somer vUle the speakers were W R mcconkie and bishop W D hammond both of whom told of their long acquaintance with the demartt d brother and highly eulogized his life and character the choir sang resting now from trials and sorrows and the benediction was pronounced by bynun alien at the cemetery the choir sang god be with you tul we meet again and the dedicatory prayer was offered by J H john son william albert shafer was born march 13 1859 at grove indiana the eldest son of constantine lne and sibyl fish he spent his boyhood in indiana and in 1885 he and brother frank M went west to nebraska where they spent three years in the fall of 1888 the two brothers came to grand county intending to engage in placer mining along the grand nver in company with prof A A beach they came as tar as grand junction by train and there secured a team and wagon they drove to the mouth of sagers wash south of cisco where they bull I 1 a small raft intending to drift down the river to the mouth of castle creek they passed castle creek and came down the river as far as moab before they realized they had floated too far after spending the night at the A A taylor ranch in the lower part of the valley they returned to castle creek where they carried on some placer operations the brothers remained in the castleton district tor a couple of years locating farms which they later sold they then came to moab the two brothers erected a small business block at moab and for n time operated a store W A shafer was marred on may 7 to alia eirma stewart daughter of randolph stewart of moab on august 24 1898 he joined the L D S church and was baptized by bishop david A johnson mr took a very active part in religious work at moab being a zealous worker in his ward he served as superintendent of the sunday school tor years and later was president of the deacons quorum and a member of the moab ward bishopric he carried on his contracting and building business in moab for over 30 years among the buildings he erected are the central and high schools the county court house the star opera house the moab operative cooperative co company building and the moab drug company building mr shafer was active in the public life of grand county for a quarter of a century he was county clerk and recorder during the years 1913 and 1914 and served several terms on the moab district school board during his service on the school board mr shafer was able to save the district a great deal of money in the erection of the central and school buildings which were built at a price tar less than they ordinarily would have cost in the summer of 1922 mr shaler and family moved to salt lake city where they lived for four years while there he contracted bronchitis and he was thereafter an invalid most of the time the family returned to moab in 1926 mr Is survived by his widow and four children who are mrs lula sorensen ogden randolph shafer moab mrs eva lathrop los angeles and mrs edith copple salt lake city pour brothers all living at moab also survive him they are postmaster prank M shafer joseph shafer ernest E shafer and john F shafer one elster mrs dillie of patriot indiana also survives two sisters have only recently died they were miss ida may who passed away two months ago at the old family home at patriot indiana and mrs sibyl mead who died last week at muford illinois few men are privileged to command I 1 the respect and love of their townsmen in the degree that W A shafer did he was scrupulously honest in everything his life was devoted to doing good and he thought more of the good will of his neighbors than of accumulating money it Is doubtful if he ever had an enemy ins death brings real sadness to the hearts of hundreds of friends to whom the name will shafer was a synonym tor honesty charity and kindness f |