Joanie was smart, beautiful and a wonderful friend to all.....we went to school together at St. Phillip the Apostle, then New Trier West. God Bless her and her family! Denise (Dee) Happ Wallace
In Memorial for Joni Schaefer, a shining light who forever guides us down the path of love and kindness.
Joni Schaefer and I were married on March 17, 1974 at St Phillip’s the Apostle Church in Northfield. As “newly weds” we honeymooned (sort of) on our I-80 drive back to Portland Oregon, where I finished my junior year at Lewis and Clark College. We enjoyed our lives in Portland until I graduated in June 1975. Joni had a strong desire to move back to the Midwest to be closer to her family. After much discussion, we decided to move to Minneapolis, Minnesota (where I grew up before moving to Winnetka in 1968). As the colors turned that fall in Anoka, MN, we had our focus on family as Joni was pregnant, with a baby due in November. Joni gave birth to her first daughter, Elizabeth Feldmeir, born early on Thanksgiving morning at University of Minnesota Hospital.
That winter of 1976 was a tough one, a Minnesota winter is far harder on young parents, than on young kids, and by Goundhogs day I was seeing my shadow while on I-94 southbound crossing the WI/IL Stateline where we moved into a condo in Palatine. A little over a year later, I had been employed at Motorola in Schaumburg, we moved into a house in Crystal Lake, where Joni’s second daughter Jessica was born a week before Christmas in 1978. Life was going so well for the happy young family, until it wasn’t.
On a Sunday afternoon, November 19, 1979, Joni suffered a brain aneurism and was rushed to the hospital, but the damage was so severe, she died very quickly. Her beautiful smile and kindness suddenly were nowhere to be found. The shock of life without Joni was very hard for her extended family, for everyone who knew her, but especially for her two young daughters. But the life of the living must go on, daughters must be guided through their loss and with the help of Joni’s large family, centered in that small brown house across Winnetka Ave. from the track at NTW, we said our prayers and held on to the memories of her shining light and beautiful smile. We all found a way to cope, with only her memory to guide us. I am especially grateful for all of the Schaefers, Joni’s mom Francis, her father, Harry, her sisters Queen & Nancy, and brothers; Tommy, Jimmy, Dickie, Buddy and Danny, who all had a hand in helping Beth and Jessie through those early uncertain years.
Now over four decades have past, so much life has been lived, both of Joni’s daughters Beth and Jessie have married, we all live close by in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Joni has three grand-daughters, Caley J Brown (now 14) and twins Mason and Avery Brown (now 10). Joni remains a presence in all of our lives, I see her smile each time we get together, we all feel her love guiding us, keeping us focused on family bonds of strength and kindness.
Jayne Gillespie (King)
Joni -- gone so long....I can still remember her great giggle/laugh!!
Denise Happ (Wallace)
Joanie was smart, beautiful and a wonderful friend to all.....we went to school together at St. Phillip the Apostle, then New Trier West. God Bless her and her family! Denise (Dee) Happ Wallace
Robert Scott (Jorgy) Jorgensen
My neighbor, my good freind. I miss you joni.
Matthew Feldmeir
In Memorial for Joni Schaefer, a shining light who forever guides us down the path of love and kindness.
Joni Schaefer and I were married on March 17, 1974 at St Phillip’s the Apostle Church in Northfield. As “newly weds” we honeymooned (sort of) on our I-80 drive back to Portland Oregon, where I finished my junior year at Lewis and Clark College. We enjoyed our lives in Portland until I graduated in June 1975. Joni had a strong desire to move back to the Midwest to be closer to her family. After much discussion, we decided to move to Minneapolis, Minnesota (where I grew up before moving to Winnetka in 1968). As the colors turned that fall in Anoka, MN, we had our focus on family as Joni was pregnant, with a baby due in November. Joni gave birth to her first daughter, Elizabeth Feldmeir, born early on Thanksgiving morning at University of Minnesota Hospital.
That winter of 1976 was a tough one, a Minnesota winter is far harder on young parents, than on young kids, and by Goundhogs day I was seeing my shadow while on I-94 southbound crossing the WI/IL Stateline where we moved into a condo in Palatine. A little over a year later, I had been employed at Motorola in Schaumburg, we moved into a house in Crystal Lake, where Joni’s second daughter Jessica was born a week before Christmas in 1978. Life was going so well for the happy young family, until it wasn’t.
On a Sunday afternoon, November 19, 1979, Joni suffered a brain aneurism and was rushed to the hospital, but the damage was so severe, she died very quickly. Her beautiful smile and kindness suddenly were nowhere to be found. The shock of life without Joni was very hard for her extended family, for everyone who knew her, but especially for her two young daughters. But the life of the living must go on, daughters must be guided through their loss and with the help of Joni’s large family, centered in that small brown house across Winnetka Ave. from the track at NTW, we said our prayers and held on to the memories of her shining light and beautiful smile. We all found a way to cope, with only her memory to guide us. I am especially grateful for all of the Schaefers, Joni’s mom Francis, her father, Harry, her sisters Queen & Nancy, and brothers; Tommy, Jimmy, Dickie, Buddy and Danny, who all had a hand in helping Beth and Jessie through those early uncertain years.
Now over four decades have past, so much life has been lived, both of Joni’s daughters Beth and Jessie have married, we all live close by in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Joni has three grand-daughters, Caley J Brown (now 14) and twins Mason and Avery Brown (now 10). Joni remains a presence in all of our lives, I see her smile each time we get together, we all feel her love guiding us, keeping us focused on family bonds of strength and kindness.
With Love, Matt