Ethel Shaffer

Ethel H. Shaffer - 94 Ethel Hickcox Shaffer, of Hendersonville, TN, an enthusiastic world traveler, passed away peacefully after a brief illness, surrounded by family, at Hendersonville Hospital on Tuesday, December 20, 2016.
Born Ethel Hickcox on April 11, 1922, in Cairo, IL, Mrs. Shaffer, with her parents, moved to Nashville, TN in 1926. Mrs. Shaffer met her husband, James A. Shaffer, in 1940 at a dance, and they were married on October 24, 1942. Mr. & Mrs. Shaffer settled in Nashville, and were expecting their first child, when Mr. Shaffer was drafted in November, 1944. He was called to War, serving in the Pacific Theater, beginning in February, 1945.
Mrs. Shaffer "held down the fort" while her husband served his country. She gave birth to their first child, Margaret, on May 17, 1945. Mr. Shaffer served in the Army with distinction, initially in the Philippines, where he was wounded. He received many medals, including the Bronze Star; and later served as part of the post-war Occupation, Americale Division, on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. With the help of her parents, Mrs. Shaffer raised their daughter for 16 months before her decorated husband returned from war.
The Shaffer family settled at Valewood Drive in Nashville, where their second child, Patricia, was born in 1948. They lived on Belvidere Drive, Roberts Avenue, and then Dugger Drive, all in Nashville, where third daughter, Carol was born.
Mrs. Shaffer was very busy raising her young family and was very talented as a seamstress and arts-and crafts-maker, with a keen eye for antiques. She opened her own gift and antiques shop - The Salt Box - in 1972, which she operated through the early 1980's. Mrs. Shaffer continued to create custom lampshades, which she sold, along with antiques, at the Nashville Fair Grounds each month through the early 1990's.
An avid and adventurous traveler with her husband, she continued to do so after his death in 1985. Mrs. Shaffer visited all 50 states and the District of Columbia; went through multiple passports with her many journeys to over eighty countries. She embarked on trips to six continents - she felt Antarctica was "too cold!" She sailed five of the Seven Seas on multiple cruises. She took good care of herself and remained very healthy. She was proud of the distinction that, at age 70 she rode a camel in Australia and an elephant in India in 2000 at age 78.
Mrs. Shaffer was a devoted Mother to her children, and received great joy in welcoming her grandchildren and great-grandchildren into the family. She loved to travel with her family, domestically and overseas, taking her three daughters on trips to England, Spain, Scotland and Ireland.
Most eager to share her enthusiasm for travel with her grandchildren, she and her husband took their first grandson, Anthony, to Florida, as his high school graduation gift in 1984. Later she took grandchildren, Robert, Wendy and Melanie to England in 1992, then Allison & Jamie to England in 1995 for their graduation trips. She also visited Western Europe on many trips with her daughter, Margaret, and her husband, Bernie.
Mrs. Shaffer enjoyed photography, and she had a keen eye. She did not need to take a lot of shots to capture that "perfect picture". Her family teased her that she could travel for three weeks with just one roll of 35mm film. She wanted to share her adventures, and her artistic eye, with the world, so in 2007, for her 85th Birthday, she published a coffee-table book of her world travels. It was appropriately entitled, A Traveler's View of the World. Five years later, for her 90th Birthday, she published A Traveler's View, Book II, Homes & Gardens. She also wrote a journal of her life for her children, grandchildren and her great-grandchildren, and has maintained a scrapbook of her lifetime events, to be handed down to her heirs.
A fan of movies, plays, musicals, museums, the Nashville Symphony and gallery exhibits, Mrs. Shaffer was an avid supporter of the local arts at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. She also enjoyed travelling to New York City to take in many Broadway shows and special events. She enjoyed genealogy, crossword puzzles, and making beautiful quilts for each of her children and grandchildren. She had a "green thumb", and her vegetable gardens, flower beds and house were filled with lovely plants and flowers. She was an accomplished musician in her own right. She played the accordion and the piano, and was able to duplicate show tunes by ear. Her theme song was Twelfth Street Rag, and she played it with gusto until her death.
Mrs. Shaffer gave of herself as a long-time member of the Hendersonville First United Methodist Church. She served the church community in many ministries including teaching Vacation Bible School. She served her Church and neighbors by driving the sick and elderly to doctor appointments; was a poll worker for decades at the election polling locations in Hendersonville. During the 1960's she served on the Nashville City Council; was as a substitute teacher; and held several officer positions in the Ross Elementary School PTA. She and her husband were members of the Hendersonville High School Band Boosters, accompanying the band to Miami to perform at the Orange Bowl. She was a member of the "Friday Lunch Bunch" and the Home Demonstration Club for many years. She was a charter member of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA.
She is predeceased by her husband, James; her brother, Everett Hickcox; her sister, Nancy Hickcox Latham; and is survived by her three daughters, Margaret Ernst (and her husband, Bernard), Patricia Fowler (and her husband, Rev. Charles Fowler), and Carol Nowlin (and her husband, Wayne). She is the grandmother of Anthony M. Grisham (and his wife, Ruth), Robert Faucette (and his wife, Stephanie), Wendy Nowlin Duncan (and her husband, Patrick), Melanie Grisham Pulik (and her husband, Michael), Allison Faucette Abney (and her husband, Merritt), and Jamie Nowlin Brewer (and her husband, Thomas). She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Samuel and Cecelia Mae Abney; Jackson and Jillian Brewer; Aidan and Addison Duncan; Aria and Chloe Grisham; Michael, Jr. and James Pulik, and many nieces and nephews.
There will be a private graveside service for family on Wednesday, December 28, at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. A Memorial in Celebration of the Life of Ethel Shaffer will be held at 2:30p.m. at the Hendersonville First United Methodist Church on Gallatin Road, followed by a visitation with friends and family at the Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA www.nationalww2museum.org, or to the Hendersonville First United Methodist Church, in the name of Ethel H. Shaffer, will be appreciated. Arrangements are being handled by Hendersonville Memory Gardens Funeral Home www.hendersonvillefh.com.