Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. AmeJesusConnie L. Shafer of Smithfield, PA was born May 3, 1963 in Uniontown to Everett and Leona Friend. She had one sister, Dolores and one brother, Bud. Connie was a graduate of Albert Gallatin High School. She married her high school sweet heart Bill Shaffer and they had twenty-six joyous years together. Their marriage was blessed with two sons, Billy and Josh and has been a shining example of true love.Connie worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for Shaffer’s Fabricating in Masontown. She was a member of Grace Community Church of Uniontown.A loving daughter, mother, and wife, Connie was the most generous warm-hearted person one could ever meet. Treating others with kindness and respect was second nature to Connie and simply knowing her made you want to be a better person. Her devotion to faith and community lives on through her work at her Church.Connie died on Saturday June 21, 2008 with her loving family at her side in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Connie will always be remembered for her loving spirit, her giant heart and her incredible strength.Connie was preceded in death by her father, Everett Friend and her mother Leona Strawn Friend; her father-in-law, Joseph W. Shaffer, a sister-in-law, Diana L. Shaffer Houze, and brother-in-law, Joseph W. Shaffer Jr. and a great niece, Hannah Renee Rugh.Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband William E. Shaffer Sr.; her sons: William “Billy” E. Shaffer Jr. and Joshua A. Shaffer both of Smithfield; her mother–in-law, Betty Jean Shaffer of Smithfield, her brother, Bud C. Friend and his wife Sharon of Smithfield; her sister, Delores Friend of Uniontown; her two brothers- in-law: James H. Shaffer and his wife Mia, and Robert R. Shaffer and his wife Lisa, both of Smithfield; her two sisters- in-law: Tanya L. Ruda and her husband Michael of Clarksville and Jacqueline A. Shay and her husband Scot of Smithfield; nieces and nephews: Debbie Adams of Uniontown, Kelly Friend Hagner and her husband Mike, Jennifer Friend Rugh and her husband Dickie, and Justin Friend all of Smithfield; Toni Ruda Eberenz and her husband Mike of Ohio, Nicole Houze and her fiancé Nicholas Johnston of Pittsburgh, Joseph Tomasek and fiancé Megan Winegard of Masontown; Jessi Shaffer, Matthew Shay, James Shaffer Jr., Chealsie Shaffer, Robby Shaffer Jr., and Amanda Shaffer all of Smithfield; great nephews and a great niece: Tyler Hagner whom she called “Tyler-bug,” Karley Sue Hagner who was “My Little Angel,” and “Sweet Heart” Logan Rugh all of Smithfield and Little Nicholas” Johnston Jr., of Pittsburgh.Betty told me Connie often referred to her as her “Mother-in-law, drop the ‘in-law’”Several of the nieces and nephews remember the hotdogs and macaroni at Aunt Connie’s and she even carried on the tradition with her great niece and great nephews. Tyler really enjoyed getting off the bus and enjoying Aunt Connie’s excellent cooking, especially her potato soup.Kelly and Jennifer remember playing in Connie’s majorette boots and twirling her baton. They had fun playing dress-up in her Wedding Dress that was in Grandma Leona’s closet.One of you wrote, “As Connie twirled her baton on the front lawn of her parent’s house, I walked up the street thinking ‘I don’t like that girl.’ Who knew she would be part of our family soon and the sweetest part. Connie brought out the kindness in us all. Connie, I love you. You brought hope to my life. I will never forget you.”Another wrote, “Aunt Connie always greeted me with ‘Hi Honey.’ She was truly the nicest person... I remember asking my Mom, when I was younger if Aunt Connie ever gets mad or yells... She let me and Billy and Josh do just about anything if we were having fun. She was truly sweet. We were blessed she made it to our wedding and hope we have as much joy and love as her and Bill.”Here’s another one, “To My Girl!! Oh Connie Lou, how you hated me to call you that! You were always my true friend, just like another beautiful sister instead of a friend. I will love you always. All the Duquesne Light times___ 16 years of them, Big Bear Lake, parties with our beautiful parents, Tell them I love them too. And the railroad car? Oh no! Until we meet again, I will be so lonely down here without my best pal.”Here’s a memory addressed to you Bill, “Bill, I can still remember us going to the Center, you were driving and Connie said, ‘Bill, the light’s green, go.’ I said why did you have to tell him what color? Connie said, ‘He’s color blind.’ and I said, ‘But he’s driving!’ She said, ‘I know!’ We just laughed and laughed. Always remember how much she loved you and the boys. She will always be with you and watching over you and the boys. So please, ‘Wear those glasses.”Bud said, “One of you needs to slap the other one so you can at least have an argument.” Most of us have never had that problem.Sharon told me Connie was the sister she never had.There were so many more things that were said that would take hours for me to tell today, but there will be time to remember those things in the days ahead.What I will remember most about Connie is her amazing faith in God and her positive attitude. She truly trusted God. It is easy to trust God when God is doing what you want Him to do. But Connie trusted that whatever God decided for her would be for the best. As her faith in God grew so did her desire for her life to bring glory and honor to Him. To the last days of her bitter struggle with sickness she put everyone else’s desires above her own.This song brought her much comfort: Bring the Rain by Mercy MeKelly wrote this poem for her Aunt Connie: As we gather here today amongst family and friends, We celebrate our love for you And memories that will never end. It broke our hearts to have to say goodbye, But you can measure our love for you by every tear we cry. We stand amazed at the courage that you had, And the strength you found in Jesus On the days that were so bad. In those final moments we got to share with you, We could see that Jesus was calling out for you. We are so blessed to have had you in our lives, But know that a piece of us went with you As we were standing by your side. We can find peace in knowing that heaven is now your home. Now you are OUR ANGEL and we will never be alone. You are our inspiration and HERO this is true, And in this world there will never be another Who could take the place of you. Your love for us was shown by the smile upon your face, And from our minds we will never let that memory be erased. Not many people could endure the suffering you went through But now we know that Jesus is standing there with you. It makes us joyful to know you've been given a new life, Where you will never endure any sickness, pain or strife. When you arrived in heaven To find your loved ones waiting there, They welcomed you in celebration and your favorite foods they had prepared. Although we will miss you dearly forever in our hearts This is where your new journey in eternity now starts. When we look up to the sky and see the stars shining so bright We will know that is you gleaming through God's Holy Light.Connie believed in God with all her heart and in her suffering she came to know Him as Jesus Christ, her Savior.The suffering Connie endured these last years of her life has been used by God. I don’t think He caused it, but He did use it. God used the suffering of sickness in this life to make Connie perfect for the joys of the next life. You need to allow God to do the same thing in your life. Let the God of All Grace use your suffering and loss to make you perfect for life in His presence.He has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After we have suffered a while, He will make us perfect, just like He did for Connie. Let this thought establish, strengthen, and settle your heart in God.Bill, Billy, Josh, today you have one more reason to go to Heaven___ The smile that was on Connie’s face, the radiant light that shined around her when she got a glimpse of Heaven makes us want to go. The joy of eternal salvation will be so much greater when you get to see her again.John 14:1-31 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.1st Thessalonians 4:13-1813 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.It now becomes our sad duty to commit the body of Connie Shaffer to the earth. We were taken from the earth and we return to. The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
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