Floyd E. Shafer

Floyd Eugene Shafer, 95, of Fairfield, passed away Wednesday, February 12, 2025. 

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Monday, February 24, 2025 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. Funeral services celebrating his life will begin at 11:30 a.m. with Pastor Danny Cary officiating. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield. Memorials may be made to the Jefferson County Fair and sent to the family at 2722-255th Ave. Montrose, Iowa 52639.

Floyd was born July 20, 1929 in Fairfield, the son of Glenn and Florence (Clapp) Shafer. He was a 1947 graduate of Fairfield High School. Floyd married Ramona Bonar on July 23, 1950 at the Bethesda Church in Fairfield. Floyd and Ramona were very much a part of the rural youth groups in the late 1940s.

Floyd was active in 4-H and served many years on Jefferson County Junior Agricultural Show board of directors. He was also an active member of FFA and received the Sate Farmer Degree. Floyd placed second in the state tractor rodeo competition. He and his brother Keith owned a wire tie baler and custom baled hay in the neighborhood for several years. Floyd loved the farm life and could repair any farm implement. He was a good mechanic and an excellent welder.

Floyd also ran the scales at the sale barn for years – from beam scales to electronic digital weighting arenas. 

In later years, he restored many antique tractors and referred to himself as a tractor nut. He belonged to the Wayland Tractor Club and participated in many tractor rides sponsored by the club. Floyd rode in the first WHO tractor ride on his 1929 Farmall Regular and continued to participate on the rides for many years.

In his early life he had a small dairy herd and sold his milk to Farmer’s Creamery in Keosauqua and served on their board of directors. Later he was part owner of South Iowa Dairy and distributed milk under the Bordens milk label. He raised sheep for more than 50 years, starting with some Corriedale ewes purchased from Montana. Floyd moved to the family farm in 1931 with his father, mother, and brother Keith. Over the course of the next 90 years, he experienced monumental changes in agriculture, going from horse drawn highly labor intensive to reduced tillage highly mechanized operations. Floyd was an early adaptor of conservation planting techniques starting in 1976 with no till planting and processing to ridge till to minimize costs. 

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and a good neighbor to all. He didn’t shy away from hard work and passed on that good work ethic to his children and grandchildren. 

Those left to honor his memory include his children, Joe (Judy) Shafer of Davenport, Iowa, Marla Shafer of Montrose, Iowa, Wayne (Michele) Shafer of Fairfield, and Gail (Nancy) Shafer of Orcutt, California; grandchildren, Sarah (Shawn) Mills, Joanna (Joe) Willemkens, Rachel (Nick) Springer, Jonathan (Paige) Shafer, Kenyon, Simone, and Halla Shafer, and Timothy and Alexandra Shafer.

Floyd was preceded in death by his wife, parents, and brother, R. Keith Shafer.