Betty Jean Schafer of Leesburg, Virginia, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 14th, 2025, with her daughter Pamela Sieber and granddaughter, Emma Sieber by her side at 90 years of age.

Betty was born in Livingston, Tennessee to her parents Emma Ethel and Herman Collins on October 28th, 1934. She was raised in Smith County, Tennessee with her four brothers, Leonard, Jim, Jake, and Harold, where she attended Smith County High School and graduated in 1953. She met Benjamin (Ben) Schafer in Nashville, Tennessee in 1953 and were married in 1954 in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Betty gave birth to her first son, Gary, in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, before moving to Minnesota where she gave birth to Steven, Pamela, and Susan.

Betty and Ben relocated to Waldorf, Maryland in 1973 then to Leesburg, Virginia in 1977, where Betty worked for the Loudoun County Hospital as a Ward Secretary.

From 1982 to 1996, Betty and Ben resided in Bangladesh for Ben's work, before returning home to Virginia. They traveled the world far and wide including Europe, Africa, and Asia, though they always came home when their grandchildren were born. While in Bangladesh, Betty worked for the American School as a Teacher's Aide. Once Bangladesh opened adoption to the United States, she helped a group of women to bring children stateside.

Betty was grounded in her faith as a Lutheran, being a part of the church's Women's Group where her passion for sewing, mending, and quilting served those in need. The group contributed quilts to Lutheran World Relief, an international aid and development organization that partners with communities to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. She spent a majority of her free time visiting men and women from church as they grew older, being there for them in their times of despair. She continued to assist the elderly as a caregiver for many in the community through her later years.

She was beloved by many and known as "Grandma Betty" to most. She was always quick to offer help to those in need, cook a warm meal, and bake for those she did not know and those she loved, often saying "I have a recipe for that." She was a devout, generous, kind, and loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend, who gave back to her community and raised her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and strangers alike, as her own. Her warmth and strength will be greatly missed.

Betty was preceded in death by her loving parents Emma Ethel and Herman Collins, husband Benjamin Schafer, two children Steven and Gary Schafer, three brothers Leonard, Jim and Jake Collins, and is survived by her brother Harold (Wanda) Collins, two children Pamela Sieber, and Susan Jewel (Tony Widmer), eleven grandchildren; Amanda Deering (K.C.) White, Garrett (Jennifer) Schafer, Benjamin Schafer, Nicholas (Karen) Jewel, Carrie (Andrew) Jernigan, Kristi Sieber, Ryan Jewel, Tyler (Hillary) Jewel, Cindy Schafer, Emma (John) Robic, Curtis Sieber and seven great grandchildren (with another on the way), who all loved their grandmother dearly.

Please join us in celebrating Betty Schafer's life with a visitation at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, July 19th from 12PM - 1PM, followed by a Funeral Service at 1PM. Reception to follow.

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - 605 W Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176

An additional visitation will take place on Wednesday, July 23rd at 9:30AM - 10:30AM at Sanderson Funeral Home in Carthage, Tennessee.

Sanderson Funeral Home - 901 Main St N, Carthage, TN 37030

She will be laid to rest beside her late husband Benjamin Schafer at Smith County Memorial Gardens at 11AM.

Smith County Memorial Gardens - 622 College Ave E, Carthage, TN 37030

Reception to follow. Carver Barn - 315 Defeated Creek Hwy, Carthage, TN 37030

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Leesburg, VA through the official website.

https://holytrinityleesburg.org/donate-2/

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."

Matthews 11:28-30