Eugene Stephen Schaefer

Eugene Stephen Schaefer (Geno), 47, passed away unexpectedly on September 11, 2023 in Traveler’s Rest, SC. He was the beloved son of James Schaefer and (Vicki Van Vynckt) of Tryon, NC and Isabella Mailand of St Paul Park, MN. He was brother to Justina Groth (Robert Groth) of St Paul Park MN , Nissa Schaefer of Albert Lea MN, and uncle to Tia Groth. Most of all he loved family and was a loyal friend. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. For more information see: https://www.cremationsocietyofsc.com/obituaries/

Gene’s father assisted him with his move to South Carolina in Dec of 2022. Like in the song,’coming home to a place he’d never been before’, Travelers Rest was that place for him and it became his final resting place. He loved the people, the climate, and the ideology of this area. After graduating from high school in Minnesota, he joined the Army Reserve for two years. Later he trained police while working in Mexico, then eventually moved to Phoenix AZ. There he attended the University of Phoenix, working towards his BA, while employed by them working in their sales department, where he excelled at his job. As opportunities changed, he moved to Michigan and took various jobs, eventually coming back to sales, this time to sell Medicare insurance. He ranked near the top of his sales department, then set his sights on becoming an independent agent with Bodwell Insurance Solutions. We often heard him say that he got satisfaction in helping disadvantaged elderly people find affordable medical plans which they qualified for but were unaware of. His team members often commented on his dedication and how
they enjoyed working with him. The future looked bright. He had a deep desire to understand the world around him from health and fitness, religion, spirituality,
mysticism, to the science of the ‘new physics’. Gene formed many deep and lasting friendships throughout the years, he left a positive impression on all whom he met. His friendship will be missed by all who knew him.