Funeral set for former state Sen. Schaefer and husband

The funeral for former state senator Nancy Smith Schaefer and husband William Bruce Schaefer Jr. will be held Wednesday in Toccoa.

Bruce Schaefer, 74, shot his wife in the back and then shot himself, police said. Their daughter discovered their bodies at their Habersham County home Friday evening.

The Schaefers were married for more than 52 years and are survived by five children and 13 grandchildren.

A two-term senator, Nancy Schaefer, 73, lost her seat in 2008 to Habersham County Commission Chairman Jim Butterworth in a north Georgia Republican runoff. She represented the 50th district, including Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Hart, Rabun, Stephens, and Towns counties, and part of White County.

She also was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor in 1994, and she represented both Family Concerns and the Southern Baptist Convention at United Nations conferences.

The funeral service and visitation will be at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 49 Rose Lane, with visitation from 9 a.m. to noon and the funeral at 1 p.m.

A private graveside service for the family will be held at the Tallulah Falls Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nancy and Bruce Schaefer Scholarship Fund at the Athens Y Camp, P.O. Box 8, Tallulah Falls, GA 30573. The fund will offer scholarships for underprivileged youths to go to summer camp.