Jamestown woman, softball leader Shirley Schafer dies at 92

Shirley Schafer helped define Jamestown’s softball culture for more than half a century after she and Duane “Tiny” Schafer made the city home in 1960. She died May 25 in Mandan at 92, but her name remained tied to the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association, the state’s sports halls of fame and generations of players who knew her from tournament weekends, board rooms and family sidelines.

Shirley Ann Borderud was born Jan. 31, 1934, in Fargo to Olga (Berg) and Fred Borderud. She was baptized and confirmed at Norman Lutheran Church near Kindred, attended Norman Country School through eighth grade and graduated from Kindred High School in 1952. After Interstate Business College, she worked at the North Dakota American Legion State Office in Fargo from 1953 to 1960 before her marriage to Duane Schafer on Oct. 11, 1959, at Norman Lutheran Church in Kindred.

The Schafers raised three sons and a daughter in Jamestown, later welcoming 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Their family life revolved around sports, with Shirley spending countless hours at hockey rinks and baseball and softball fields watching relatives compete. That same steady presence carried into her work with the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association, where she supported Duane’s duties and traveled to tournaments and national conferences for years.

After Duane’s death in 1996, Shirley continued the association’s work as executive secretary until her retirement in 2015. The state softball community later recognized that service with the Distinguished Service Award in 2016. She also was inducted into the North Dakota Amateur Softball Hall of Fame in 2000 and served on the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame Board from 2000 to 2007.

Her husband’s own record underscored the family’s place in North Dakota softball history. USA Softball of North Dakota says Duane Schafer served as North Dakota ASA commissioner from 1960 until his death on June 25, 1996, was elected to the North Dakota ASA Hall of Fame in 1974 and co-founded the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. The organization, then known as the North Dakota Amateur Softball Association, was established in 1935.

Outside softball, Schafer’s life stayed rooted in church and community. She served at Atonement Lutheran Church, helped with quilts and altar guild duties and played piano for services at local nursing homes. Her celebration of life will be held June 1 at Atonement Lutheran Church in Jamestown, with visitation one hour earlier. In a town that measures legacy in volunteer hours, ball fields and family ties, Shirley Schafer left her mark on all three.