Lydia Inez Shackelford

Born on May 10, 1918 in Littig, Texas to Thomas David and Anna Giese Menefee. “Tootsie” was the fifth of 13 children. She cherished her memories of life on the farm. Feeding chickens, picking cotton, helping Mama, checking traps with her brother Sam and watching her sister, Pansy, circle the farmhouse in an out of control Model T while Mama ran through the house, from front door to back door, yelling “Stop her! Stop her!” were just 5 of a multitude of memories. Each recollection would stoke the fires for more stories. Life was hard but love was plentiful. After graduating from cotton picking, Tootsie went on to waitressing, being a nanny, floral arranging, managing a hardware store, salesperson, seamstress, and Southwestern Bell employee. Our mother never met a stranger. She had the gift of warmth to those she met, whether babies, teenagers or a clerk in a store. By the time she would leave, the babies would be reaching for her, the teens would call her “Mimi” and the clerks would hug her. Friendships were born out of the simplest encounters and each person is richer for the blessing of having known her. Known as Mimi, Grandma and Mawmaw, family meant the world to Mom. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All of their calls and visits made her day. She is survived by sons, John S. Schaefer of Austin and Tom Schaefer of Dale; daughter Jan Payne and husband Buck of Pflugerville. Grandchildren include John Stephens Schaefer and wife Vicki with great-grandsons, Harry and Brent of Round Rock; Holly Meuth and husband Danny with great- grandchildren, Cori and Braden, of Leander; Justin Schaefer and wife Christiana of Lockhart; Travis Schaefer of Dale; Jeffrey Payne, Austin Payne, Michael Payne, Ryan Payne of Pflugerville. Her sisters and brothers will miss her dearly. They are Vera Newton, Thera Mason, Emmett Menefee and Dee Menefee. Mom was preceded in death by her son Charles Buford Sandifer, brothers Sam and Jimmy; sisters Marie, Pansy, Margaret, Maizie, Roberta, Ima Gene. Her family wishes to extend their deepest thanks to Doctors Shimkus, Warhoe, Gorrebeeck and staff of Austin Cancer Center. Heart to Heart Hospice will forever be in our hearts for the love and compassion shown to Mom. Thank you, Seton Northwest, for all the care and kindness you gave to her. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 22nd of July 2011, at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas.

A Funeral Service will be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 23rd of July, in the Colonial Chapel of Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas. Interment will follow in the Manor City Cemetery, Manor, Texas. In lieu of flowers and the customary remembrances, memorials may be sent to Heart to Heart Hospice of Austin, 4029 Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin, Texas, 78702, or the American Cancer Society, 2433 Ridgepoint Drive, Suite B, Austin, Texas, 78754

Condolences may be sent to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.

Our mother, grandmother and friend, fought her fight and won. The sting of death is no more. Today she lives with Jesus and her loved ones who went before.