Frederica Helene Schaefer

Born in New York City in 1927 to F.M.E. and Helene Hollis Goldsmith Schaefer, Frederica “Fredy” Helene Schaefer was raised on the waterfront of nearby Larchmont. After marriage, she left the East coast on what was to become a lifetime adventure. She embraced without hesitation the people and community of each of many locales whether she ended up living in a small river town in the south, a miniature farm in Indiana or exploring her beloved farm in Southern Illinois.

Fredy thrived on meeting people. Her appetite for learning led her to the study of American history, especially the founding fathers. She memorized the names of every king and queen of England and ran around Europe following the path of her favorite, Eleonor of Aquitaine. Her lively personality was reflected in her Nantucket basket weaving, her knitting and intricately decorated handbags and painted furniture. She tried woodworking, silver smithing and drawing. She learned how to use a jigsaw and cut out dozens of Christmas ornaments to raise money for a local church. She learned how to load horses into trailers, tend to rock gardens and identify wildflowers everywhere she went. Fredy was an avid field hockey player in her youth, a sailor, a swimmer and a fierce tennis player to name but a few of her many athletic interests.

Fredy’s crowning achievement for which she is the best known was her ability to capture the nuances in the faces and figures of her many bronze sculptures, a medium uncommon for women of her generation. It wasn’t until after she had the last of six children that she decided to return to school and earn an MFA from the Fort Wayne School of Art.

Besides sculpting and experimenting with every craft she could get her hands on, Fredy got the most pleasure from sharing her accomplishments by encouraging others to seek and discover their own talents. All manifestations of her artistry can be found in numerous homes and businesses, whether given as a gift or as one of many commissions. Her bronze caddy overlooking the grounds of the Fort Wayne Country Club will serve as an inspirational image representing the Western Golf Association, Evans Scholars Foundation, an organization that works with caddies and offers full college tuition and housing scholarships for high-achieving caddies with limited financial means.

Most at home on the waterfront, Fredy spent summers in Pentwater, Michigan for more than 30 years. She made a lasting impact on everyone with her affable personality, strong support of the community, her knowledge of the flora and fauna of the area and her ability to find and support emerging artisans. She will be remembered for many large family gatherings at her lake cottage where she entertained with gusto in celebration of birthdays, holidays, the arrival of a new family member, or just because.

Fredy’s peaceful passing came one day before her 98th birthday surrounded by her family. She leaves behind 6 children: W. Eliza Newell Kirk (Bob), James Otis Newell, Frederic Daniel Newell, Robinson Edwards Newell, Maximillian Schaefer Newell (Dana), Edward Payne Newell (Nicole) and 6 grandchildren. She also leaves her many friends and neighbors and those who so lovingly cared for her during the last years of her long life, Brandy Kitson and family and helpers, of whom we will always be grateful.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. with receiving from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at D.O. McComb Funeral Home - Lakeside Park, 1140 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805. We will celebrate Fredy and her next great adventure and the extraordinary impact others had on her long life, whether as a partner on the tennis court, in painting a delicate ornament, raising butterflies, in chasing a loose horse or simply joining her for a glass of wine while watching a distant freighter on the horizon of Lake Michigan, hoping for a sizzler.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to either The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, The Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve C/O Little River Wetlands Project, Fort Wayne; The Evans Scholars Foundation, 2501 Patriot Blvd. Glenview, Il 60026, or the charity of one’s choice.