SLYVIA — Elsie Marie Shaffer-Reimer-Snowbarger-Stafford, 95, of Sylvia Kan. passed away on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 at Pleasant Hill Church of the Nazarene, 406 S. Shepherd, Sylvia KS 67581 with Pastor James Davis of Pleasant Hill Church of the Nazarene officiating.  

Memorial arrangements are by Minnis Chapel of 125 N Main St, Stafford, KS 67578 - Phone: (620)234-5261  www.minnischapel.com

Elsie was born in Oakland, Maryland to Bessie and Dewey Shaffer on Oct. 26, 1925. She married Lee Earl Reimer of Medford, Okla. on Oct. 9, 1949 – April 3, 1995. She worked various jobs including cooking, switchboard operator, accountant, reviewed depositions for attorneys, professional seamstress, to name a few, as well as being a loving mother to four children. Elsie married Ralph Snowbarger of Sylvia, Kan. in June 1997 – February 2002. She married Earl Stafford of Turon, Kan. in May 2007 – January 2015.  

Through the years, Elsie served in the ministries of the Bergthal Mennonite church of Pawnee Rock, Kan., the Pleasant Hill Church of the Nazarene of Sylvia, Kan., and Women’s Aglow Chapters of Great Bend, Kan. and Hutchinson, Kan. She loved singing and sang many solos at local churches as well as singing with the Sweet Adelines.

In 2003 at 80 years young, Elsie earned her Ministerial License at Charis Bible College in Colorado Springs, Colo. While at Charis, she took her first mission trip to Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, which began the lifelong connection with World Missions Outreach. Elsie served in Crossroads Ministries to pray and visit nursing homes in communities surrounding Sylvia. 

Elsie is preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Lee Reimer, Ralph Snowbarger, and Earl Stafford; her brothers, Frank and Foster Shaffer; and sister Reatha Shaffer. Elsie is survived by sister Beulah Shaffer-Williams of Orange City, Fla.; her children, Karen Reimer of Jacksonville, Fla., Kurt Reimer of Denver, Colo., Kala and Mitch Ady of Springfield, Mo., Keith and ‘Nita Reimer of Great Bend, Kan.; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren. In her later marriage to Earl Stafford, Elsie welcomed his children and their families into her life. Preceded in death by daughter Joan Green. Surviving children, Richard and Sandy Stafford of Turon, Kan., Stanley and Beth Stafford of Argyle, Texas, Diane Stafford of Turon, Kan.; 11 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren. 

Memorials may be given to World Mission Outreach Cd. Victoria, Mexico P.O. Box 5536 Brownsville, TX 78523; Pleasant Hill Church of the Nazarene P.O. Box 37 Sylvia, KS 67581; Community Hospice and Palliative Care 4266 Sunbeam Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32257. 

The family of Elsie Stafford wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Hampton’s Luxury Villas of Jacksonville, Fla.: Hennie and Felicia, Rosa, Darlene, Mary, Sandra; Community Hospice and Palliative Care of Jacksonville, Fla.: David, Kim, LaTonya, Robin; Pastor James Davis and members of the Pleasant Hill Church of the Nazarene of Sylvia, Kan.

Funeral arrangements provided by

Minnis Chapel

125 N Main St. 

Stafford, KS 67578

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Oct. 20, 2021