Joleen Marie Schaffer

Aberdeen, SD-Funeral Service for Joleen Marie (Pahl) Schaffer, 61, of Aberdeen will be 10:30 am, Monday, May 9, 2022, at Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale. Rev. Paul O.S. Preus will officiate. The service will be live streamed and available at www.Carlsenfh.com under Joleen’s obituary.

Burial will be in Ellendale City Cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday, May 8, 2022, at 4:00 pm with a prayer service at 5:00 pm at Carlsen Funeral Home and Crematory in Aberdeen. There will also be visitation for one hour prior to the service at the church.

Joleen died April 29, 2022, at University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN.    

Joleen Marie Pahl, daughter of Clifford and Lorraine (Hiepler) Pahl was born August 24, 1960, in Aberdeen, SD. She grew up in Ellendale, attending Ellendale Public Schools, graduating with the class of 1978. She then attended Concordia University in Moorhead, MN, graduating in 1982 with degrees in Speech Communications, Theatre Arts and Health. Joleen then moved to Arizona for one year and worked at a Boys and Girls Club. She returned to Ellendale and worked at Rithmiller Tax Service for ten years.

Joleen then moved to Oakes, ND to work for the Oakes Times for two years before moving to Aberdeen and working at E.K. Williams Accounting. During this time, she also attended Northern State University and earned a master’s degree in Adaptive Physical Education.

Joleen was united in marriage to Troy Schaffer on August 7, 1999, in Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale. They then moved to Eureka, SD where she taught computers and business classes and coached for ten years with the Eureka Public Schools. She and her family then moved back to Aberdeen where she worked at Verifications for three years and later for Aberdeen Housing Authority until 2018 when she became a stay-at-home mom and caregiver to her son, Riley.

Joleen was a huge horse lover and loved music and singing with her family. She enjoyed bowling and playing pinochle. She was an avid fan and cheered on several sport teams including college women’s basketball teams, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Timberwolves.     

Joleen was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Aberdeen.

Grateful for having shared Joleen’s life are her husband of 22 years, Troy; son, Riley Schaffer of Aberdeen; daughter, Christina Schaffer of Brookings, SD; mother, Lorraine Pahl of Ellendale; sisters, Lori (Jeffrey) Fox of Watertown, SD and Melissa Pahl of Fergus Falls, MN and brother, Douglas (Debi) Pahl of Watertown.

Joleen was preceded in death by her father, paternal and maternal grandparents and niece, Natali Reu.

Casketbearers will be Kiesen Pahl, Joshua Fox, Preston Fox, Zach Blumeyer, Connor Holliday, and Todd Schaffer.

The family prefers memorials to SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center, 1006 130th St., Aberdeen, SD 57401.

Carlsen Funeral Home and Crematory of Ellendale has been entrusted with arrangements.

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