Mona Mae Schaefer

Mona Mae (Gallow) Schaefer was born on July 21, 1939, in Hortonville, WI. She went to be with her Lord on Sunday, August 11, 2024. She was the fourth child of Leo and Gertrude (Kluge) Gallow. Mona grew up on her family’s farm until they moved to Hortonville. She graduated from Hortonville High School in 1957.

On March 1, 1958, Mona married Charles Schaefer. They set up their new home on the Schaefer family farm until moving to Appleton, WI in 1965. Mona was an awesome mother to their three children, even working as a teacher’s aide in elementary school. She was a wonderful homemaker and belonged to the Homemakers Guild in Appleton. In addition to being a wonderful mother, she enjoyed being Grandma to her two grandsons, and then “Great Mama Mona” to her two great-grandchildren.

She made many clothes for herself and Jenny and was a great cook and baker. In 1976, after a 3-week trip across the US and back, Mona and Charles packed up their family and moved to Clovis, California, for Charles’s job. Once there, Mona started working for the Educational Employees Credit Union, and continued there for 25 years, retiring in 2002. Mona loved working with all her coworkers at EECU.

Mona and Charles joined Trinity Lutheran Church in 1976. Being life-long Lutherans, they enjoyed being a part of the congregation. Faith was very important to Mona, and she found comfort and strength in her Lord!

Her loving husband, Charles, parents, Leo & Gertrude Gallow, sister, Donna Clary, brother Ralph Gallow and his wife, Dorothy, preceded Mona in death.

Her children, Jennifer Jimenez and her husband, Marty Clovis, CA, Jeffrey Schaefer Clovis, CA, and Joel Schaefer and his wife, Mary, Las Vegas, NV, survive her. Mona also leaves behind two grandsons, Jeremy Bergmann and his wife, Lisa, Clovis, CA and Jonathan Bergmann and his wife, Shannon, Sandia Park, NM; as well as two great-grandchildren, Jeremy and Lisa’s daughter, Madison Grace; and Jon and Shannon’s son, Henryk Leon.

She is also survived by her brothers Al Gallow and his wife Mary, and Phillip Gallow and his wife Barbara, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She thought of her family often and missed being so far away from the Wisconsin clan. The family wants to especially thank the CNA’s and nurses at MorningStar Acute Care for their care and concern for Mona during the last three months of her life.

II Timothy 4:7 She has fought the good fight…she has finished the race; She has kept the faith!

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in Mona's name to Trinity Lutheran Church and the Central California Food Bank.