Joe Schafer (no middle name known) was born on the farm near Bickleton, WA Territory May 3, 1887 to Conrad and Anna Elizabeth (Dewald) Schafer. His parents were wheat farmers who immigrated to America around 1877 from Volga German colonies in Russia. The Schafers had lived in the village of Frank and the Dewalds in Hussenbach. As a young boy Joe played with the Indian children down by the creek near his home. When he was a few years old the family moved to a homesteaded farm near Ritzville, Washington. He met and married Elizabeth Koch in 1909, who was also of Russian German descent, and they set up farming about ten miles outside of Ritzville near the small town of Marcellus, WA. They had five children: Lawrence, Ruby, Viola, Verna and Josephine. In 1922 Joe was elected Sheriff of Adams County and they left the farm to live in the county seat of Ritzville. He served two terms as Sheriff, dealing with prohibition problems. Then he served two terms as deputy sheriff, after which he was elected once again as Sheriff for two more terms. When he retired he served as Chief of Police until he was stricken with a stroke. Joe died in the Ritzville hospital January 20, 1966 after having a heart attack and pneumonia. His greatest sorrow was the death of their only son Lawrence in 1927 from a heart valve defect caused from whooping cough. Joe was a man who was committed to his family as well as the law. He was so honest that he once arrested his own brother for bootlegging, much to the dismay of his own mother. He enjoyed fishing with his friends and growing vegetables.
Joe Schafer (no middle name known) was born on the farm near Bickleton, WA Territory May 3, 1887 to Conrad and Anna Elizabeth (Dewald) Schafer. His parents were wheat farmers who immigrated to America around 1877 from Volga German colonies in Russia. The Schafers had lived in the village of Frank and the Dewalds in Hussenbach. As a young boy Joe played with the Indian children down by the creek near his home. When he was a few years old the family moved to a homesteaded farm near Ritzville, Washington. He met and married Elizabeth Koch in 1909, who was also of Russian German descent, and they set up farming about ten miles outside of Ritzville near the small town of Marcellus, WA. They had five children: Lawrence, Ruby, Viola, Verna and Josephine. In 1922 Joe was elected Sheriff of Adams County and they left the farm to live in the county seat of Ritzville. He served two terms as Sheriff, dealing with prohibition problems. Then he served two terms as deputy sheriff, after which he was elected once again as Sheriff for two more terms. When he retired he served as Chief of Police until he was stricken with a stroke. Joe died in the Ritzville hospital January 20, 1966 after having a heart attack and pneumonia. His greatest sorrow was the death of their only son Lawrence in 1927 from a heart valve defect caused from whooping cough. Joe was a man who was committed to his family as well as the law. He was so honest that he once arrested his own brother for bootlegging, much to the dismay of his own mother. He enjoyed fishing with his friends and growing vegetables.
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