Aurther Wesley "Art" Shafer was born October 25, 1927 at San Benito, Texas. He attended school at San Benito and graduated in 1945. In September of that year he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in October, 1948, having attained the rating of Yeoman, 2nd Class. Art served for three years
primarily at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas.

On Jan. 15 1950 Art married Dorothy Marie Bynum at Mason, Texas. He and Dorothy had two
daughters, Joy Eileen and Susan Karen. After working with the Production and Marketing Administration at Mason for six years, Art was employed by Central Power and Light Co. at San Benito with stints at Harlingen, Port Isabel and South Padre Island. He retired in 1987 as office manager in Harlingen following 32 years of service.

Upon retirement, Art and Dorothy moved to Fredericksburg, Texas. Dorothy died in 2001 from a congenital heart condition and several months later Art was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Following a series of radiation treatments along with hormone therapy, Art joined a younger group of prostate cancer survivors and on a Prostate Cancer Research fundraising climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa.

In December 2003 Art married Ann Joseffy Stewart and she survives. Also surviving are daughter, Joy Smith and Gary, of Kingsland, Texas; daughter, Susan O'Leary and Michael, of Spring Church, Pennsylvania; step-daughter, Tabitha Stewart of Fort Washington, Maryland; step-daughter, Catherine Jeffrey and James of Fredericksburg, Texas; brother, William Shafer of Chireno, Texas; niece, Laurel DeWitt, and nephew, William Shafer and Stephanie, grand-nieces, Katie Pankratz and Jordan, Emily DeWitt, Anna Luman, and grand-nephew, Frank Luman. Grandchildren are David Cook and Maggie, Derek Smith and Michelle, Kara Westerman, Robert Jeffrey, Jasmine Jeffrey, Shawn O'Leary, and Meghan O'Leary and Chaim. Great grandchildren are Aurora, Sophia, Susanna, April, Hannah and Jeremy. Great great-grandchildren are Joslyn, Malachi and Ezekiel. Art is also survived by cousins Linda Moore and Richard, Patricia Walker and Patrick, Janice Weaver and Bill Sandstedt, Jane Stock and Richard, Joe Shafer and A.J., Donny Shafer, and Wayne Shafer. Art was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Wesley and Katie Blanch Robertson Shafer, his first wife, Dorothy Bynum Shafer and his niece, Julie Shafer Luman.

Funeral services will be held 3:00 p.m., Monday, October 30th, in First Baptist Church of Fredericksburg. The family will greet friends 2-3 p.m. before the service. Graveside services with military honors will follow in Greenwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Art requested that memorial gifts be given to SmileTrain, P.O. Box 96127, Washington DC 20090-6127 or Hill Country Memorial Hospice, P.O. Box 1339, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624.